I don’t often read craft books cover to cover – they’re not usually designed to be read in that way. And to be honest, this one really isn’t either, but I’m fighting a summer cold, and I have a new sewing machine I haven’t dared try yet, and a whole pile of knitting I don’t dare touch, for fear of screwing it up in my fever scrambled state. So reading about craftiness seemed the next best thing.
I bought this book along with the sewing machine after happening upon it in a trail of Amazon.com recommendations. A number of people that were experienced sewers said it was the kind of book they wished they’d had when they were starting out, and that they used it as a reference even though they were now experienced sewers.
It is indeed a good reference. It has the most clearly laid out sections about common stitches, hems, decorations and other finishes that I’ve seen. It’s certainly not comprehensive, but it’s not meant to be. It has everything in it you need to be able to do a wide variety of projects on a machine, without getting into needlessly complicated territory, and I’m definitely glad I bought it.