The Sewing Machine Classroom: Learn the Ins & Outs of Your Machine

This book is totally awesome. It walks you through the ins and out of the what's what in the beginner's world of sewing machines. But don't let that stop the more advanced sewing person. If you have had questions about needle to thread or needle to fabric this book will help you thru those questions. How about that tension question or how to sew on a fringe or maybe what foot to use then this is the book. I am very pleased with what the book shows and how it explains it. If you should purchase this book I would hope that you would find it as helpful as I have.

The only sewing lessons I had were 50 years ago in home ec classes. For 40 years, I didn't sew at all and then, a couple of years ago, I decided to pick it up again. I had forgotten how much I loved it. However, my knowledge of my machine, fabrics, choice of needles, etc. is greatly lacking. Did I know I was supposed to change my needle every 6-8 hours of sewing?! Heck, I think I have used one needle for months! It explains a lot of my frustration in lousy stitching. And that's not all I learned from this book. Now I understand the importance of machine maintenance (and I do mean at home, not just the crisis visit to have it cleaned and tuned up professionally). I have just ordered 100 needles in bulk (yes, they are cheap). I have ordered a better, dual ended brush to clean out the dust and some additional feet. I recently bought a new sewing machine and armed with my newfound knowledge. As advised, I have thrown away ALL of my old thread (some had belonged to my grandmother). I have a lovely peg display for my threads, but now I understand they should not attract dust. So I have covered it up when not in use. I better understand fabrics and why you pre-wash before using. This book is written in clear, easy to understand segments. Love the "Sewing 101" highlights that offer great tips. Good instructional photographs. Excellent trouble-shooting advice. I have many "aha" moments. So for a beginner, or someone who has just a few basic sewing skills, I highly recommend this book. It will be a "go-to" for me that I will keep close at hand.

I learned a lot by browsing through this book and I've been sewing for years. I gave it to my granddaughter who is just getting started on her "life of crime" with fabric, design and sewing and she loves it. Clearly written, beautifully illustrated, The Sewing Machine Classroom goes well beyond teaching you about your machine. It covers everything sewing including thread, needles, fabric and techniques. I loved it and so did Miranda!

This is a fantastic book for beginning sewers & a good refresher for others. The author goes through basic concepts & explains threads, fabrics, types of machine feet, when to use interfacing , & on & on. I LOVE this book. It is worth every penny & I know I will refer to it alot in the future.

It's been years since I've used a sewing machine and honestly, I never really took the time then to learn to use a sewing machine properly. Since that is the case and I have so much basic information to learn, I started looking for a book to teach me these things. Since I have very limited funds I feel very motivated to make the best choice I can for a reference to keep next to me while I sew. I have borrowed many books from the local library whose titles suggest they are for new sewers. I wanted to say that this is absolutely the BEST book I've seen so far for folks who are not experienced with sewing machines. There is so much basic information I wanted that is simply not covered in the sewing machine manual or even (believe it or not) on the sewing machine manufacturer's website. This book includes charts with the specific information I was looking for, excellent pictures and simple, complete explanations. I strongly recommend you consider purchasing this book.

I love that I can borrow books from our local library and evaluate them prior to purchase. If you are financially challenged like me, I also recommend you check out the used books available on Amazon as the price is usually much less and if you purchase one that is listed as "Like New" and "Very Good" conditions, they are in excellent shape.

This book is well written and includes lots of photos to help remind me of the tools my sewing machine has and how to use them. I am an occasional sewer and tend to want to rush when I do sew. This book is a great resource for me.

I've been reading everything I can get my hands on when it comes to sewing lately, and found myself happy with the amount of varied information in this book. Though much becomes repetitive when reading instruction books on any skill, I can say that this book taught me a few things. It's attractively designed, and the pictures and text work well together, making it easy and pleasurable to read--always a plus. I'd recommend it to beginners and intermediates, though you never know at any stage when you'll find a little nugget or tip that makes a once-troublesome technique finally click. I originally wanted to buy it in order to learn more about the deep mechanics of my machine (how to troubleshoot, fix things, really get in there and understand how it works); while this book only skims the surface of that, I'm still happy with my purchase.

Very neat book that functions mostly as a reference tool for people who have already grasped the basics of sewing. E.g. there are pages and pages that are dedicated solely to thread. There is certainly a lot of valuable information for totally inexperienced sewers, but it's not the best book to guide someone through sewing for the very first time. The title is a bit misleading because it makes the reader expect it will focus mostly on how to operate a sewing machine, but that's not the case. This book does include helpful/interesting info about machines, but it's less focused on 1 topic and instead covers an array of topics. Definitely a valuable resource that I would recommend to anyone who sews. I'm fascinated just looking through the pages. There are beautiful pictures that really help you understand the meaning of the text. My mom learned to sew when she was just a child and has sewn for most of her life..she couldn't put it down and even commented that she needed a copy. Guess they already have another customer (or at least another sale!) If you sew, or even if you want to learn, I would recommend this book. Notice that while it wasn't what I expected, it is a fantastic book and I'm a happy customer!

This book filled in a lot of information that I've missed over the years in spite of making shirts since the 1990s. It's very logically organized starting with the basics. The spiral binding allows it to stay flat if you need to refer to it as you are working--nice touch. There is good information on various accessory feet, different needle types and threads.

Very nice book! Easy to follow. Very informative. Great sewing resource. I think this is a good book to have for all levels of sewers.