The Sewing Bible

The sewing Bible by Wendy Gardiner is one of those books that everyone who sews needs.
It is a great resource of all the techniques you wanted to know, but felt silly asking.

Lets be straight, its not the only book you can buy that offers this sort of advice, but in my opinion it is more inspiring than you basic how to manuals.

This is because each skill is shown in terms of its practical use and it is explained in a way that actually works.

You know you look at some instructions and you have to turn the page 45° and then back again, and then have a quick look on the net for clearer answers before walking away and having a cry?

Well there's none of that non sense here!
It's like being guided by your favourite aunt, all that's missing is the tea and cake, but you get my drift.

Throughout the book there are photos of outfits you can buy as patterns and sew using the techniques inside, so you can apply the theory to the practical, using the same pattern.

This is the only downside. 

I wanted to make up something, I was inspired, but the book didn't include any patterns, just pictures of them.
It has links to the patterns, it has a resource page, in fact it has a great resource page, but I would have liked a pattern or at least a discount to a pattern. 

The glossary section is also very good, combining trouble shooting tips, types of fabric, terms, stitches, blimey! loads of stuff, its like the blaggers guide to sewing! 

You could stand your own at the WI if you only memorized the glossary!

The other nice thing was the clothing explanations, the top ten dress styles was particularly useful, explaining ten types of dresses, the best types of fabric to use to get the best results and the level of skill needed for each.

Wendy does this for jackets, Trousers, skirts, tops and blouses.

There were times when I felt that it was a branding exercise, apart from the usual Janome machine, which all sewing technique books seem to have,  there were lots of pictures of well know makes, blurred but obvious and that was a bit annoying, but then if I didn't know who made the best scissors, or the best thread I would be grateful for the tip off, so I am probably just being a bit anal, but I still think if the brands get a good deal, then you, the reader should get one too.

On that point, I contacted the publishers David & Charles and asked for a copy to review and giveaway, and they were nice enough to say yes!

I am going to match this niceness and I am going to add one of the patterns to the giveaway, this lovely dress:

New Look 6799

I found this image on a great site called Pattern Review.com

So, what do you do to enter? Well its simple:

1. Follow this Blog & leave a comment to let me know

2.Within that comment, tell me what sort of craft book you would like to see published

That's it, easy peasy lemon squeezy!

If you already follow hooray and thank you! Of course you can enter :)
Also, this is open worldwide, so don't be shy now!

I will keep this giveaway open until Fireworks night, November 5th

Good luck!

Bonnie

:)