Basic Hand Sewing Guide 1-Hour Repair Guide: Stitching Techniques & Repair Guide

The book, Basic Hand Sewing Guide: 1-Hour by Jennifer McDowell is a thorough, beautifully photographed guide that quickly teaches one the basics about Hand Sewing because, as she says, we all get caught in emergencies and need quick fixes on the fly, such as having a very limited time to hem a pair of pants or sew on a button or repair a hole in a stuffed animal, for example. But if we don’t know these techniques she provides us that are, yes, basic, but needing to be learned, we can wind up further “undone” when the quick fix doesn’t last or looks awful and then brings unwanted attention. I know what this dire situation is like having done a quick fix and hemmed pants that got unwanted attention when they didn’t hold or weren’t even or having sewed on a button so that it was floppy and didn’t last. Another one of her points is that you can stave off expensive repairs in the long run, even if you aren’t in an emergency, by knowing these basics. She also provides bright, beautiful pictures, focused so well, we can see up close the tiny stiches and how to complete them as she backs up that instruction with well-written descriptions of the “tools” you’ll need, and she breaks down those tools and also breaks down each step of using them by showing, again with pictures, how to do these hand-sewn stiches: the Running Stich, the Back Stich, the Whip Stich, the Ladder Stich, and the Catch Stich. And, she shows us it doesn’t take long to be able to know these for when you need them on the fly or when wanting to avoid expensive fees for something that, with a little bit of knowledge, one can acquire and carry out! Jennifer McDowell, in this book, accomplishes what she set out to do by showing us basic sewing so well that, I believe, once reading this book, we’ll be able to take on Basic Sewing in every situation, whether it be just wanting to avoid expensive fees or take care of a dire emergency, the direst, to me, being that I’m able to quickly fix my child’s beloved stuffed animal!

There was very little about the numerous hand stitches that are out there for use in sewing. I purchased a book on hand quilting and embroidery and It had more information on hand stitching knots etc. than I found in this book. This book is in two (2) parts. The first part of the book talks about tools needed for sewing hand stitches and how to thread a needle and make a knot or knots at the start and end. There were only about four or five stitches actually illustrated in the book. They were shown as to they were used and then how to sew on a button. That is really as basic as you can get. It was well illustrated for what content it had. But I was expecting a lot more information on stiches and how each is used, the types of material they would be used for, and how different stitches are used for doing different types of repair, or for stitching materials together for one type of use or another. thin material as well as thick material

I was just thinking that my hand sewing is untidy, so wanted to find a book to review the basics. I decided to try this one because it looked good and was only 3 bucks on kindle. I didn’t think that I would learn much, because I have been hand sewing my whole life. But even the first few pages, showing how to secure the first stitch, and how to tie off the knot at the end, were amazing! I taught myself to sew years ago, and this showed me how I could do the basic things much better. I was so excited by this book that I went to buy two other $3 basic sewing books, and I’ll tell you this one is by far the best. The diagrams and photos work perfectly to communicate exactly what you need to do. It’s short but very effective.

I almost didn’t buy this book because one of the reviewers talked about grainy pictures and poor type. I’m glad I didn’t listen. The pictures are in color and consistent with the descriptions. It’s a book about basic stitches, and she does a wonderful job of clearly explaining each stitch. I learned new, useful information, although I knew most of the stitches. Well worth the money.

I have always been a lover of crafts, while I wasn't the best at sewing and making things by hand, I wanted to give it a try. Getting someone to teach me was sometimes a task but this book was a great introduction to the art of sewing and learning the basic skills to get started. There are so many things I want to learn to sew and this book gave me insight and provided the details about the types of sewing equipment, the different types of thread, and fabric that you can use to create different garments and decor items. I would definitely recommend this book to any arts and crafts lovers looking to learn a new skill.

This sewing book helps beginners hand sew a button to clothes and it gives a description of a few basic stitches.There is a description of how to thread a hand sewing needle and how to start and endsewing with a secure knot.It only has few pictures of each technique.

This book covers the basic stitches of hand sewing. Explanations come complete with pictures of the stitch form, a description of what the picture shows, complete with ways in which the stitches are used. It gives a complete written description, including each stitch's origin. An excellent pocket reference book.

This is perfect to put in a little kit with supplies to send with someone moving into a dorm or their first home/apartment.