****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I bought this book, as well as the Threads Sewing Guide. I am glad I bought them both. The Reader's Digest New Complete Guide to Sewing is a comprehensive reference book with a lot of detail. I am an intermediate returning sewist. This book is chock full of construction detail with easy to follow to diagrams. It includes details on Fabric Types, How to Correct Fit Issues, and Basic Pattern Alteration. Commercial patterns are so poorly marked and documented, I hardly use them anymore (I use Pattern Master Boutique), and if I do, I frequently abandon the instructions about 1/3 of the way through. With the detailed instructions for different styles and construction methods, this book is going to save me alot of time and frustration. There are detailed instructions in the book for several Simplicity patterns. Even in the patterns that I would never use, such as a little girl's smocked dress, the detailed instructions for smocking (both by hand and by machine) are included in the instructions. This is a great reference book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who sews, whatever your sewing level.I also bought the Threads Sewing Guide, and I am glad I bought this one also. The Threads Guide contains different information in many places. The Threads book speaks about Design Ease for different types of fit while the Reader's Digest book speaks to Alterations. The Threads Guide contains information on fiber, texture and characteristics such as drape, while the Reader's Digest book has a chapter on Fabrics with a few sentences on what it is made from and what type of project might suit the fabric. The Reader's Digest book contains detailed instructions on sewing waistbands, collars, sleeves, mitering corners, etc., while the Threads Guide contains the order of construction. I'm thinking we can throw out the instructions altogether. Yipee! The Threads Guide contains detailed information on types of pins and machine needles with close up pictures, while the Reader's Digest book does not contain much detail on these.If you can only buy one Sewing Reference guide, I recommend the Reader's Digest book. In my opinion, if you can buy them both, you will never need another one and you can move on to any specialty books or software that might be on your wish list.
