Product Description

Whether you just bought your first sewing machine or have been sewing for years, Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts will open your eyes to an irresistible range of ideas. A comprehensive visual reference, the book covers everything a home sewer craves: the basics of sewing by hand or machine, along with five other time-honored crafts techniques, and step-by-step instructions for more than 150 projects that reflect not only Martha Stewart’s depth of experience and crafting expertise, but also her singular sense of style.
 
Encyclopedic in scope, the book features two main parts to help you brush up on the basics and take your skills to a new level. First, the Techniques section guides readers through Sewing, Appliqué, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing. Following that, the Projects A to Z section features more than 150 clever ideas (including many no-sew projects), all illustrated and explained with the clear, detailed instructions that have become a signature of Martha Stewart’s  magazines, books, and television shows.
 
An enclosed CD includes full-size clothing patterns as well as templates that can be easily produced on a home printer. Fabric, thread, and tool glossaries identify the properties, workability, and best uses of common sewing materials. And, perhaps best of all, when you need it most, Martha and her talented team of crafts editors offer you the reassurance that you really can make it yourself.
 
The projects are as delightful as they are imaginative, and include classic Roman shades, hand-drawn stuffed animals, an easy upholstered blanket chest, a quilted crib bumper, French knot-embellished pillowcases and sheets, and Japanese-embroidered table linens, among many others.With gorgeous color photographs as well as expert instruction, this handy guide will surely encourage beginners and keep sewers and crafters of all experience levels wonderfully busy for many years to come.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1695 in Books
• Brand: Potter Craft Books
• Published on: 2010-03-30
• Released on: 2010-03-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

Features

• Dimensions: 9.75 in. h x 8.5 in. w x 0.5 in. d
• Weight: 1.1 ounces
• Made in US

About the Author
MARTHA STEWART LIVING magazine was first published in 1990. Over the years, more than three dozen books have been published by the magazine’s editors. MARTHA STEWART is the author of dozens of bestselling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the award-winning daily syndicated television show.

Customer Reviews

Useful, but not encyclopedic guide to sewing
When the first Encyclopedia of Crafts was published a few years ago I, like many others, was disappointed because textiles were conspicuously lacking. This book begins to remedy the problem by addressing sewing and fabric crafts.

The book has three sections. The first discusses in detail techniques, materials and tools. While it is a good introduction and is close to encyclopedic when it comes to machine sewing, it is only an introduction, not comprehensive, when it comes to any of the other techniques (embroidery, patchwork, applique, dyeing, and printing) it describes. There is enough there to get you started and to do the projects, but if you know or are interested in the technique, you will want more.

The second part of the book has the projects. Fabric projects from many years of Martha Stewart Living are grouped together by type, so coasters, for example, has oilcloth coasters, machine embroidery coasters, and ones made from bleached and overdyed fabric.

The final section gives additional details on materials needed and the resources in the included CD (not in the review copy).

This is a Martha Stewart book and has all the virutes and vices that go along with that. The projects are stylish, inventive, and beautiful. But if you read her magazine, you have seen them before. The technique information is accurate but not complete. For example in the dyeing section it doesn't bother to say that you should NEVER use pots you cook in to dye in because these chemicals are quite toxic. To my mind this is a glaring omission.

I always feel when reading one of her books that doing any of these projects or techniques is just so easy that I can whip it up in an afternoon and get lovely results without any prior experience. But the world isn't like that. It bothers me, as a fiber artist, that she doesn't take the trouble to rate the projects so that I can figure out which ones are accessible to me.

Ultimately, I think this is a useful book as far as it goes. The information is sound, if incomplete, the projects are nicely explained and beautifully illustrated. But encyclopedic -- NO.

Now I need to wait until she has done enough fiber projects to do that volume, but that will be awhile.

Nice Reference for Martha Fans
Let me start by saying I am reviewing a black and white copy without the CD. This is important because I have the Martha Stewar's Encyclopedia of Crafts and color is very important. Just like the magazine,the presentation is a large part of why you want the book. You really can't get the full impact without color. Without the color and CD what am I reviewing? What I can see from the black and white version. So what do you get?

What you will get is a beautiful bound copy of sewing information that is readily available on her website and in many cases in her magazines. But here is the selling point, you get all in one place, in an easy to browse and use format. Everything is here - from the directions, tools to use to additional techniques and suppliers. So the second positive is you can recycle all those magazines you have laying around gathering dust because there is one project in each magazine you know you will get to one day. You can also stop searching the web for that project you remember from some show you saw long ago on cat play toys. It's all here in the book. To me, that alone might be the best reason to buy it.

Let me warn you this is more a crafter's book than a sewing book. It is not for the serious sewer who want to turn out Chanel inspired garments and probably a little boring for the experienced sewer. So why should you buy it? It depends on what you are looking for. I found the Encyclopedia of Crafts a great way to plan projects with my granddaughters who loved looking through the book at all the different projects. I'm planning to use the sewing book the same way. Seeing two little heads going throught a book and planning projects to do with Grandma, priceless.

Excellent beginner projects
As someone who has owned a sewing machine for years but has neglected to do anything with it, this book serves as a step by step guide full of encouragement.

The most basic projects include felt purses, handkerchiefs and potholders to more challenging projects such as dog jackets, patchwork/quilting and stuffed animals. Also of interest are projects that, as someone new to sewing, I never even thought of, such as notebooks and checkbook covers. For the most part the book is full of domestically useful projects: curtains, bed linens, napkins, placemats and upholstery. There are even several basic clothing projects: seersucker pants, wrap skirt, tube dress, sarong, etc.

It is a misnomer to lump this into Martha's "Encyclopedia of" series, as it's more of a basic sewing techniques coursebook with cd of templates and patterns (reviewers did not receive this cd).

This would be wasted on those advanced in the craft, but it would make a great gift for the beginner.