Very old fashioned styles of clothes and not enough home accessories - Rated 
I was looking for a good all round sewing reference book with ideas of things to make for the home. This book has only a handful of home accessories - none of which i would want to make. The majority of the book is clothing which i found to be very dated styles. It does cover all the different sewing techniques though which is the only good thing.
Only if you need outdated outerwear - Rated 
I would not recommend this book to anyone who wanted to sew modern up to date clothing. It seems to think that nobody wears underwear so simply excludes it entirely.
Dry in tone and presentation and completely lacking in inspiration and flair.
If you want to know the nuts and bolts of sewing outerwear, this is great, anything else, look elsewhere.
An excellent reference book - Rated 
Contrary to what other reviewers have said, I wouldn't recommend this book for total beginners - it assumes that you already know the basics of setting up and using a sewing machine, cutting out a pattern, pinning things together, etc. These things may sound obvious, but they certainly weren't to me at first! If you really are starting from scratch and would like a book that'll hold your hand with that sort of thing, this isn't the one for you yet. However, if you're already OK with the absolute basics (or aren't afraid to ask the internet!) and are looking to make the move from practising with cushion covers to making clothes, then this book is a must-have.
Although I can't imagine ever sitting down and reading the whole thing, I've found it absolutely invaluable for looking up particular techniques or bits of jargon when I'm dealing with less-than-clear patterns. The instructions and diagrams are clear and useful, and I particularly appreciate the alternative techniques that it suggests for certain fiddly or complicated bits. And it's not just good for sewing techniques - the book is full of other useful stuff, including a guide to different fabrics and what they are used for and a fantastic section on altering patterns to fit your shape.
All in all, this book thoroughly deserves five stars. Admittedly, the sewing patterns that it comes with aren't much cop and you'll probably never need to use some sections, but the quality of the instructions and the thoroughness of the descriptive sections can't be beat. It's a great investment, and you'll be referring to this book for years to come.
Essential if you sew! - Rated
I bought this as a reference after starting to sew again after a 15 year break. I can't rate this highly enough, it has everything beginners and more advanced dressmakers need, easy to understand and well illustated. Just perfect!
EXCELLENT - Rated
This complete guide is a must for any new or old sewer.
My wife was so pleased to get rid of her old book she has had for 18 years which was second hand to start off.
After 5 years gap from dress making, she has started again with the help of this book and already gained in confidence.
Highly recommended.
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