3 Sewing Books You Need Now
A big part of sewing is finding inspiration in our surroundings and incorporating it into our projects. That inspiration can be in videos, pictures, or our favorite delivery system—books. Our favorite sewing books provide sewing knowledge and visual inspiration for patterns, fabric, styling, and more.
Three Reasons We Love Sewing Books
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They get us off our phones, computers, and other digital devices for a brief amount of time.
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Many sewing books contain full-size pattern pieces, and we love that. No printing and tiling!
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When we order them online, we’re sending our current selves a little gift from our past selves. And if we get to visit a brick-and-mortar shop, that’s an even bigger gift!
So here we go, the Sew Daily Team’s three favorite sewing books!
Our Current Favorites
Sadie’s Pick
I love Japanese sewing books and I have accumulated a nice collection. This one is my favorite for several reasons. First, it is in English, which is helpful. Second, compared to most of the other Japanese sewing books in my collection, it has roomy sizing and finished garment measurements. Third, I LOVE the designs, and it’s organized by season, so you can sew through the year.
The patterns I’ve sewn from A Year of Sewing with Nani Iro are infinitely hackable, comfy, and unique.
Kimberly’s Pick
This book is all about body positivity! Sanea does a fantastic job of inspiring garment sewists to learn about creating clothes that fit their bodies. She teaches the basics of sewing well-fitting garments as you sew yourself a complete capsule wardrobe.
Sewing Love is a wealth of knowledge for creating slopers and then using them to draft patterns, all based on your body measurements. If you have ever thought about learning how to draft your own patterns, Sanea’s book is a great place to start.
Meg’s Pick
I have many books about specific skills or techniques, as well as books on inspiration and fashion sketching—but when I need to get back to the basics, I always reach for the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing.
When I started fashion design school, this textbook was required for the first-year sewing class. Even though I already knew how to sew, I still learned a lot (and still do) from this classic. The Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing offers tried-and-true methods; even advanced sewists need a refresh when installing a lapped zipper!
Bonus Pick!
We can’t forget our own book, Sew Bags for Every Occasion.
From stylish shoulder bags and roomy bucket bags to cute little clutches and handy zip pouches, you can make it all with our ultimate collection of bag patterns. Sew Bags for Every Occasion includes 22 patterns in the following categories:
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Getting Organized: Pouches
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Beauty & Elegance: Clutches & Purses
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Carry It All: Backpacks, Bucket Bags & Totes
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Get Out There: Bags for Traveling
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Important Disclaimer!
New sewing books come out all the time, so we reserve the right to add new titles to our favorite list at any time! 😄
What’s your favorite sewing book? Leave a comment below and let us know!
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