Sewing Solutions: Tips and Advice for the Savvy Sewist
*Starred Review* This book is very helpful, even if all the sewing you do is limited to reattaching buttons. San Francisco sewing instructor Vasbinder knows exactly how to set novices at ease while also providing near professionals with a handy reference. After all, sewing machines are an investment, as are the time and care needed to produce good-looking clothing. Two sections and 10 chapters cover the must-know details. One section, Tools and Equipment, includes not only machine purchases but also notions, trims, marking and cutting, and other items. Section 2, Solutions and Tips, is all the rest: fabric, pattern, sewing embellishment, fitting, and finding solutions. The organization is superb: each topic is described in general, then followed up by information on where to get materials described, what every sewer should know, and varietals. Sidebars answer most common queries, such as how often to clean a machine or change a needle. The tips alone supply the kind of information most sewing books don’t necessarily include—about pincushions and why you need them, for example.Well thought out and executed for sewers and aspirational crafters. --Barbara Jacobs