I am not a sewer. I love clothing, and always wanted to learn to sew, thinking it would be an inexpensive way to fill my closets. But after a horribly botched childhood attempt at sewing a simple sheath dress for my Barbie left me frustrated, pin-pricked, and with a naked doll, I pushed all thoughts of sewing out of my head, and focused on getting a good job so I could simply buy clothing.

Now I am older, I have more or less mastered knitting, and I think I might be ready to give sewing another try. Maybe. Seams To Me by Anna Maria Horner seems to be a good place to start (no pun intended, I promise). Horner’s writing style is fun and fits my mid-20s age group. Doesn’t dumb anything down, but isn’t matronly. She starts at the very beginning, describing all the tools you will need: familiar things like needles, threads, and scissors (who knew there were 8,018 different kinds?) and unfamiliar things like pressing cloths. She gives you the basic terminology, too. After reading through the “how to” chapters, I flipped to the patterns (because, let’s face it – we all just want to make stuff). Skimming through the patterns, I realized that if I could just follow directions, I could probably sew. Knitting requires you to learn specialized techniques, and then apply them towards cryptically shorthanded instructions. Sewing (or at least Horner’s patterns) are basically just following directions.

The patterns were not particularly exciting, though there were a number that appeared to be good for a sewing virgin like myself. The patchwork child’s ball, pin cushion, and soft cloth storage cube all look like good beginners projects – no buttons or zippers to worry about. The garment bag is one that really caught my eye as a practical sewing piece. I liked the simple, loose prairie blouse. It was modeled on a child, but it had instructions for larger sizes. There was not much clothing offered in this book. Just as well – what was in there I felt really had that “homemade” look to it. The accessories seemed a little more “finished,” like the two different apron patterns (I don’t cook, but they are still cute), the ruffled wrist cuff, or the doggy bed (I spoil my pups something fierce. I just wouldn’t use the rabbit fabric Horner uses – don’t want to give my boys any naughty ideas about our pet bunny).

In general, I found most of the patterns too busy for my taste. While I love Horner’s selection of textiles, I found the constant patchwork of a half-dozen different prints to be a little dizzying. I’m not a fan of patchwork in general – even in solid colors. I love that the book was spiral-bound, so it will lay flat when your hands are full of sewing paraphernalia.

The publisher is having a “Sew Like A Pro” sweepstakes. You could win an autographed copy of the book, a sewing machine, and more. For more info, visit
http://lp.wileypub.com/SeamsToMe/index.html