Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The extent of my sewing experience is all of a few weeks in 7th grade home ec where I created an abomination they called "boxer shorts." That being eons ago, I'm pretty much diving in clueless. Pros: - Very helpful in picking out a sewing machine and covering some fundamentals of sewing and the tools. I totally used it to help me buy my machine. - Love the practicality of the projects. I wanted to be able to make things I could actually use. - She talks about fabrics. Anyone who has walked into a fabric store and felt like they jumped into a pool of brightly-colored/patterned sharks and should probably just turn around and walk out til you get more brave will find that helpful. Cons: - projects blow over details Now that I've completed the first project (the pillow sham), I felt like there were some glaring holes in the walkthrough. I'm sure a pillowsham is a snorefest for someone who sews all the time, but for someone who doesn't, cramming it all on a single page with like 4 photos isn't particularly helpful. I was able to manage it pretty well, but there was a LOT I would have missed if I wasn't taking my time and scrutinizing those painful few photos, or just crossing my fingers when I had an unanswered question (does it matter where the extra length of the trim is located? Answer I discovered: not really. Should I trim it off right away or wait? I ended up waiting until after I'd sewn it on and trimmed it before I started sewing the side and bottom.) Those in-between photos would have been super helpful. "Here's how it should look at this point." But nope. Those are missing. There was also no reminder about seam allowances, or calling attention to the fact you hem along the LEFT side of the fold instead of the right, and that the hem will overlap the trim. It all felt rushed in its explanation, which was disappointing since your first projects REALLY should hammer in the details and the process. Like in the one photo you can see she pinked the seams inside, but there's no mention about it in the walkthrough. In fact, the previous pages say a seam only has be finished if it's exposed after the project is complete. Sooo...which is it? If it's good practice to do it, well then call it out. I want to learn the best way to do things. Anyway, now that I've worked up the courage to actually start, it IS a lot of fun, and I DID make a pretty decent pillow sham. Just take some extra time to pay attention to the photos for details that seem to be missing and I think you'll avoid a lot of frustration. ---------------------EDIT---------------------------- I'm about halfway through the book now and I have to bump this review down to 2 stars. There are just so many half-explained things during the projects that really aren't forgivable for a book that's targeted at first-time sewers. You read along and you expect to turn the page and see more photos for what she's talking about, and there are none. There are even flat out WRONG things, like the "Convenient Coin Pouch" lists a 1" grommet for the materials. I can tell you, searching for a 1" grommet is surprisingly difficult... But wait, she's talking about the OUTER diameter (which she does not communicate), so what you really need for that project is a 1/2" grommet (the INNER diameter is what's marked on most packages.) I can't even tell you how much time I wasted on that wild goose chase. Here's another example. Note that all these instructions are crammed into a single "step" during one of the projects: "Take one pocket piece and fold it in half widthwise..." (The pocket pieces are only 1/4" difference in length so the picture isn't helpful in determining which way "widthwise" is supposed to be. Why not say "fold it in half along the 5-inch side, so you have a piece that's 5.25x2.5 inches"? Then there'd be no room for error.) "...Sew along the open long edge. Turn the pocket right side out and press the seam..." (Wait, what? Press the seam AFTER I turn it right side out? Aren't I supposed to do that BEFORE I turn it right side out? I mean, that's how you had me do it during the "perfect seams" section in the book. By the way, do I trim the seam? Pink it? Leave it?) "...Repeat with the second pocket piece, folding it in the same manner, but with the wrong sides facing. Iron it flat, and do not stitch it." (Okay, so do the same exact thing as before but totally different. Got it. What if I didn't read all the way to the end where that little key phrase is before I started working on the second pocket? "Do not stitch it." Don't you think you should mention that FIRST? Like instead of saying "repeat" and "in the same manner"?) The instructions are awful! So on some levels, this book is good for beginners, until you get to the projects. They're really poorly explained and definitely skimp on photos of each step.