Sewing for Dummies

by Jan Saunders Maresh, N. Graf (Editor), Janice S. Saunders

Overview

Do you love to sew—or want to learn how? Then this book will have you in stitches in no time. There’s nothing like the feeling of completing a project using beautiful fabrics and great timesaving tools and then sharing it with your family and friends. Plus, learning to sew will save you money too! Before long, you’ll be stitching your own hems, repairing split seams, sewing on buttons, and much, much more.

Sewing For Dummies is a book for both absolute beginners and experienced sewers. If you’re a stone-cold beginner, you’ll find everything you need to know to sew beginning-level projects—and the book doesn’t assume that you’ve ever even picked up a needle and thread before. If you’ve had some experience with sewing, you’ll find tips and tricks that it took author Janice Saunders Maresh, a nationally known sewing and serging instructor, years to pick up! You’ll discover how to:

• Master hand and machine stitches
• Read a sewing pattern
• Hem a variety of fabrics
• Negotiate sleeves and pockets
• Install zippers, buttons, and other fasteners
• Shape garments with tucks and pleats
• Adjust projects for better fit and function

This updated edition features a fresh 8-page color insert of all the new home decorating projects, including new patterns and instructions for a traditional living room with slipcovered couches and throws; a French country dining room with drapes and slipcovered chairs; and a bedroom with shams, duvets, dustruffles, and window treatments, as well as:

• a bathroom with a shower curtain and towels
• hip and funky tote bags
• the perfect little black dress

Complete with lists of quick fix-it tools, sewing fundamentals, and sewing resources, Sewing For Dummies, 2^nd Edition, is the fun and easy way^® to get the basics and stitch up a storm in no time!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780764568473
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	08/11/2004
Series:	For Dummies Books
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	1,162,169
Product dimensions:	9.14(w) x 7.44(h) x 0.87(d)

About the Author

Jan Saunders Maresh is a nationally known sewing instructor, educator and journalist, and has worked as the education director for Viking Sewing Machine Company and as the director of consumer education for JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts. She is the bestselling author of 13 sewing books and a frequent guest on national sewing TV shows.

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Table of Contents

Introduction.

Part I: Hardware and “Softwear” for Sewing.

Chapter 1: Assembling Your Sewing Kit.

Chapter 2: Selecting Fabric, Findings, and Interfacing.

Chapter 3: Closing In on Threads and Other Closers.

Chapter 4: Working with Patterns.

Part II: Sewers! Start Your Engines!

Chapter 5: Sewing 101.

Chapter 6: Sewing Sensational Seams.

Chapter 7: Hems and A-Ha’s.

Part III: Fashion Fundamentals.

Chapter 8: Shaping Things Up.

Chapter 9: Zippers and Company.

Chapter 10: Sleeves: The Long and the Short of It.

Chapter 11: A Pocket Full of Ideas.

Chapter 12: Making the Little Black Dress.

Part IV: Sewing for the Home.

Chapter 13: Home Decor Sewing: The Cure for Decoraphobia.

Chapter 14: Quick-Change Table Toppers.

Chapter 15: Praiseworthy Pillows.

Chapter 16: Wowing Up Your Windows.

Chapter 17: Making Ho-hum Linens Luxurious.

Chapter 18: Give Your Furnishings a Face-lift with Slipcovers.

Part V: Alterations and Quick Fixes.

Chapter 19: Too Short, Long, Tight, or Loose? 12 Ways to Fix It Quick.

Chapter 20: Making Repairs on the Run.

Part VI: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Mixing Prints.

Chapter 22: Ten Mistakes Beginners Often Make.

Chapter 23: Ten Sewing Fundamentals to Remember.

Appendix: Sewing Resources.

Index.