5.0 out of 5 based on 3 reviews. – Customer review on 14/10/2008

Whilst not a beginner sewer, I am self-taught, having paid not attention in home-ec at high school. This book is for me. Gorgeous photos and beautiful use of fabrics make this a beautiful book to browse through, but the simplicity of instructions, ideas and an excellent basic skills chapter make it a beautiful book to work with. From the simplest of inspirations like sewing fabric butterflies onto an existing trench coat to undertaking larger projects like making a rug from gorgeous upholstery fabrics - the ideas, in plain English with line drawing examples, are surprisingly accessible. My only humbug is that it is not a book that lies flat easily.

2.0 out of 5 based on 3 reviews. – Customer review on 09/12/2009

Some good basic information about different kinds of stitches and seams etc at the front of the book, and a few nice projects. However, some are just strange. Like one which suggests hand-sewing literally hundreds of buttons on fabric which is then attached to the back of an upholstered chair with... wait for it... spray glue. Then there's a mysterious quilt ('duvet') cover, with inexplicable cutaway corners (the photograph shows only a small top corner of the cover which does nothing to explain the odd pattern). The shape looks more like a giant hot water bottle cover. Also, the title is a little misleading, since there's very little in the way of clothes in here, which is more what I was hoping for. Plenty of pretty photos for design inspiration, but altogether a little disappointing.

5.0 out of 5 based on 3 reviews. – Customer review on 31/07/2009

A beautiful, and most importantly, useful book, that has enabled myself, an anxious beginner sewer, to get up and running with confidence. It is full of inspiration, easy to follow, and a great launching pad to a future of practical creativity.