Vogue Sewing, Revised and Updated

I bought this book based on many recommendations from various popular sewing blogs. This book covers quite a lot of ground on many aspects of home sewing, from determining your figure type and choosing your pattern size, to hand and machine sewing techniques, to basic pattern alterations for fit, to tips for working with difficult fabrics, and ends with a wide selection of tailoring and couture techniques and creative touches. It really is very comprehensive, and just jammed full of information. To fit all that information in this book, I feel like they had to sacrifice a little bit of clarity. For example, all the pattern alteration instructions are illustrated with a single line drawing that gives an overview of the changes being made, and the new lines being drawn on the pattern are highlighted in this really thick orange line that sometimes obscures other changes being made in the area. The multi-step instructions that have multiple illustrations are also formatted a bit strangely. Each step is a bullet point, and the accompanying illustrations are numbered, but the text never refers to the illustrations by number, and there is not always an illustration for each bullet point, so you just kinda have to figure out which goes with what. It's definitely not an impossible task, and I think you can get all the information presented if you're willing to sit there and digest it for a bit, but it's definitely not the most user-friendly presentation I've ever seen. Nonetheless, this book is definitely a good foundation volume for a home sewing library. I wouldn't say this is the only book you will ever need, but if it is the first sewing book you get, it will build a great foundation for your sewing skills, and take you quite far. You will eventually need more detailed books, such as Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide and Couture Sewing Techniques, but this book will still remain valuable as a general reference.One thing to keep in mind, though, is that this book has a lot of overlap with The Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (or the older edition Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing). If you already have one, I don't really think you need the other. I hadn't noticed before, but after I bought and read both books and saw that they were very very similar in content, I realized that most of the bloggers recommend either one or the other, rarely both. I would say the newer edition of the Reader's Digest Guide is probably more beginner-friendly, and I think even the older edition that has only line drawings has clearer illustrations and slightly better formatting than the Vogue book, but the Vogue book is definitely the biggest sewing info bang for the buck because it crams so much in. If you are able, try to borrow both books from a library or a friend and flip through and see which one you like better, because I think it depends a lot on personal preference. If you already own the Reader's Digest guide, there is info in the Vogue book that is not in the Reader's Digest book, but I think it will be better value to invest in more in-depth books on specific subjects rather than get another book that mostly covers the same basic principles. If you buy or already own the Vogue book, there is really no reason to get the Reader's Digest book unless you just really dislike the instructional style of the Vogue book.

This book should really be called the sewing bible. It is a must-have for any sewing library -- beginner, intermediate and advanced. At about 450 pages, there is little it doesn't cover. Best of all, it's dedicated to fashion sewing. No pillows and towels here!This book takes the fashion part seriously. The first chapter is all about fashion and explains things like color, prints, texture, proportion and balance, body profile, etc. I've never seen all of this is a general sewing book before.Construction Basics (darts, pleats, tucks, etc.) and Construction Techniques (bindings, collars, cuffs, pockets, etc.) are where the book starts to get really good. This info is very similar to what you'd find in The New Complete Guide to Sewing: Step-by-Step Techniquest for Making Clothes and Home AccessoriesUpdated Edition with All-New Projects and Simplicity Patterns (Reader's Digest) and The Complete Book of Sewing New Edition. Best of all is a section on pressing. Everyone tells beginning sewists how important pressing is, but there are few resources to tell you how to do it right. This book is one of them -- eight whole pages!Chapter 8 is Advanced Pattern Alterations. You won't get this in any other general sewing book. Those 30 pages are jam-packed. They are sectioned into "Dresses, Skirts, Bodices," "Pants," and "Fitting As You Sew." This will not replace a specialized fitting but, but it's a great start.Fabric That Require Special Handling is a wonderful chapter. It covers leather, suede, synthetic suede and fur in addition to the things you'd expect like knits, sheers, etc. Plaids are handled elsewhere in the book.The Tailoring chapter is very detailed. It's almost 30 pages. It covers the skirt, jacket, interfacing and lining.I love that the book explains what Couture is. It also has sections called "The Shapekeepers" and "The Finest Fastenings" that I really like. However, I think overall, Threads Sewing Guide: A Complete Reference from America's Best-Loved Sewing Magazine gives you better info on how to make a couture garment (among the general sewing books).An added bonus in the book is "The vocabulary of Fashion." It's a glossary of fashion terms and has illustrations of the different types of collars, dresses, jackets, necklines, pants, skirts and sleeves.If you are brand new to sewing, this may not be the book to start with, but you'll need it eventually. The New Complete Guide to Sewing: Step-by-Step Techniquest for Making Clothes and Home AccessoriesUpdated Edition with All-New Projects and Simplicity Patterns (Reader's Digest) takes a much more basic approach. This is a book that will grow with your skill level.

Amazon keeps sending me emails asking if I want to send Vogue Sewing back. No, I don't. If you're a teach-yourself-sewing person like me, this is the book you buy, and you leave by your machine. If you're like me, you want to make SURE you're choosing the best option for each piece you're making, and you want to be SURE you're doing the technique correctly. Thumbing through it inspires you to change all your patterns, stopping to read makes you dream up something just so you can try a particular technique. It is the be-all and end-all of sweing books and if you have this with "How to Make Patterns" and a cheap old Singer machine, you're well on your way to years of fun and adventure at your sewing table. It covers the basics for every possible situation, from how to properly sew a dart to the various ways to sew in a zipper. It's a reference manual, a muse, and eventually, an old and cherished friend, at least until you wear out its spine and start losing its pages in with your pattern pieces. Then, you retire it with honors to the recycle bin, purchase a new copy (which, TREAT! turns out to be the 2nd edition, now with even MORE informative stuff) and it takes its place next to your machine.

This is a very comprehensive book, especially for beginning sewers of clothing.From pattern types to figure types to fabric types, sewing techniques, basic pattern alterations and fitting information, it's everything you need to turn out professional looking garments.I would recommend it to anyone who sews clothing.

Une des bibles de la couture. J'ai deux reproches: en s'agissant d'un livre fait par Vogue, il se concentre surtout sur les patrons du commerce (ceux de Vogue justement) et aucunement sur la création/montage de patrons maison. Le deuxième reproche c'est le langage un peu monotone - certains livres de couture plus modernes peuvent être lus presque comme des romans, ce qui n'est pas le cas ici.À part ça, toutes les techniques y sont, même des techniques d'haute-couture. Attention: le livre n'est pas illustré pas à pas donc je le recommande plutôt à ceux et celles qui ont déjà un peu d'expérience en couture ou les explications pourraient s'avérer difficiles à déchiffrer.

E' davvero un libro completo, utile a chi deve imparare i fondamenti del cucito per abbigliamento. Per una neofita come me è perfetto, perchè spiega molte cose che di solito si danno per scontate...Credo però che per chi qualche nozione ce l'ha giá, potrebbe essere necessario un testo più avanzato.

Dieses Buch enthält keine Fotos, nur Schemazeichnungen, und natürlich nur englischen Text. Das sollte man vor dem Kauf wissen. Wer keinen Bilder-Nähkurs erwartet, sondern ausführliche und tiefergehende Informationen zu allen möglichen Fragen in Bezug auf das Nähen sucht, der ist mit diesem Buch gut beraten. Gute Englischkenntnisse sollten vorhanden sein und wahrscheinlich auch schon etwas Vorwissen zum Thema - als pures Einsteiger-Werk ist es vielleicht zu anspruchsvoll. Wenn man sich aber die Grundkenntnisse in einem dafür bestimmten Buch angelesen hat, erfährt man hier meiner Meinung nach noch vieles, was die Einsteigerbücher meist gar nicht oder nur kurz abhandeln. Ganz ausführliche Rezensionen mit mehr Angaben zum Inhalt finden sich auf den englischsprachigen Amazon-Seiten.

I cant think of enough/better words to describe the full content of this book! Most of it, have already been covered by other customers... I guess it means & helps a lot when the very same book is revised and updated! For a novice like me, I kept opening this page and that, when it comes to forgetting things...there is so much to remember when one is new (just like other things in life!) but this book does help and is now my sewing companion. Not only it gives me ideas on sewing, it also helps build my confidence and appreciating my shape more! I do not feel guilty anymore standing in front of a mirror in a fitting room and wondering why the lovely looking jackets, skirts, tops or coats just do not look right on me, though they are actually my size. The secrets are (which of course are among many more tips given!)having an accurate measurement to your own body shape/size and also the right pattern to work on that 'special' you.. which obviously, can only be achieved when you put on bit more effort into learning to make your very own clothes. So ladies, do not worry if those clothes behind the shop window do not meet your expectations, its not you, its just your unique curve which is too hot for the clothes to handle!Thanks again to all that made this book a success and must say, I love the illustrations and the colour code for the pages! Excellent VOGUE!