Oh Sew Easy....

For the girl or guy who wants to learn to sew (but perhaps is intimidated and finds the prospect daunting), I'd recommend Wendy Mullin's Sew U: The Built By Wendy Guide to Building Your Own Wardrob. There are other good, if not great guides to learning how to sew. The Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing is one of them.

What I like about Sew U is the back-to-basics attitude of it. While other great sewing resources assume you have a basic understanding and knowledge of sewing terminology, Sew U starts you from the beginning-- buying the tools you need, how to use them, and how to get around using them.

One of the most frustrating and complicating things about learning to sew, for myself, is the little details. Things like learning those lines next to the sewer foot are actually measurements and guides; interpreting how to read a pattern and its technical jargon (that is in NO manual!); creating and understanding the best technique to sewing a dart. Sew U features many of those basic introductory steps and concerns, but in a vibrant, personal, and hip fashion that makes learning to sew fun.

In other aspects, Sew U is vibrant and engaging, with personal drawings, and anecdotes from when designer Wendy Mullin was going through the sewing process herself. She gives suggestions and ideas on how to take a pattern and provide your own personal note, style and flair to it. She encourages flexibility, creativity, and enjoyment in the process. Overall, this book is like having your best girl friend with the killer wardrobe in the room with you, helping you out with all of the best tricks and tools of the trade.