Sewing For Dummies

Jan Saunders Maresh is a nationally recognized sewing authority, educator, and journalist. She has worked as the Education Director for the White Sewing Machine Company and the Director of Consumer Education for JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts. She’s the best-selling author of 19 books covering the many aspects of sewing and instruction.

• Foreword xiiiIntroduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 3Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond the Book 4Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Ready set sew! 5Chapter 1: The World of Sewing from 30,000 Feet 7Chapter 2: Tooling Around: Assembling Your Sewing Kit 19Chapter 3: Fabrics, Findings, and Interfacings … Oh My! 43Chapter 4: Pondering Patterns in the 21st Century 61Part 2: Going to Sewing School: Getting the Hang of the Basic Skills 87Chapter 5: Taking the First Steps of Your Sewing Adventure 89Chapter 6: Securing Sensational Seams 117Chapter 7: Hemming Almost Anything by Hand and Machine 147Chapter 8: Playing Around: Sewing for Kids, Pets, and the Kid in You 163Part 3: Strutting the Runway: Fashion Sewing 101 191Chapter 9: Shaping Your Silhouette 193Chapter 10: Zip It Button It Close It 213Chapter 11: What is Up Your Sleeves? 235Chapter 12: Pockets: More Than Just a Place to Put Your Hands 255Part 4: Casa Couture: Sewing for Your Home 269Chapter 13: Decorating on Demand: Home Décor Sewing 271Chapter 14: Tablescaping with Terrific Table Toppers 279Chapter 15: Personalizing Praiseworthy Pillows 291Chapter 16: Brightening Up Your Bedroom 311Part 5: Makeover Magic: Mending, Alterations, and Quick Fixes for a Sustainable Wardrobe 327Chapter 17: Fitting Finesse: Altering Clothes for All Shapes and Sizes 329Chapter 18: Sewing SOS: “Help, I Ripped My ______” 347Chapter 19: Sustainable Restyling: Giving Existing Garments New Life 365Part 6: the Part of Tens 385Chapter 20: Ten Rookie Sewing Mistakes to Avoid 387Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Buying and Maintaining a Sewing Machine and Serger 393Chapter 22: Ten ABCs of Sewing 401Index 407

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