Minerva Fabric Guide - The Definitive Guide to Fabrics & Fibres - Includes 70 Swatches

As a returning sew-er after more than 20 years of not going near a sewing machine, it would be fair to say my knowledge of fabric was negligible! Suffice to say, I made many purchasing mistakes in the early days of fabric shopping, as it was mostly online ordering (given the decline in fabric shops in the intervening years, ordering online has often been the only option). Of course, a lot of websites offer a sample service, but not many. Therefore, when I saw that Minerva was bringing out a fabric guide book, I could barely wait to get my hands on a copy.You have to affix the samples to the pages yourself, but this was actually very handy, as it meant I could really feel the fabric as I was putting it on each page. Each sample is clearly marked (and in alphabetical order), so you know which page to affix it to. There are around 70 samples, so it made for a very pleasant couple of hours with a cup of tea by my side!I’ve never looked back and I’m convinced it’s saved me money already, even though I only got it for Christmas a few months ago.

I saw the guide and thought wow thats quite a lot of money, then I thought again. I thought how much I have spent on fabric, and how much of it was not correct for what I wanted to make. Hopefully that won't happen very often now. I really enjoyed fixing the samples in the guide and obviously feeling them, I really miss fabric shops and touching the fabrics. There is so much info about each fabric type, how to use and sew, which needles and thread to use. I have been sewing for years but I far from know it all, hearing the fabric names and being able to touch a sample of it will make such a difference.

Although I've sewn for years (between beginner and intermediate) haven't much knowledge of different material and this folder has almost everything I need. The little swatches of material are very useful to touch and feelAlthough it tells you what the material is suitable for, and sentence on what NOT to use if for would have been helpful

This is without doubt the most amazing fabric reference book you can ever own. It is so cleverly presented and explains very clearly how different fabrics are made and can be used. It shows 70 fabrics and gives actual sample of each fabric. This way , you get the real feel of the material. It great to get the detail of which needles to use, how to care for the fabric, what to use it for and also an indicator of how difficult the fabric is to sew. This is a must have for regardless of your sewing prowess. My granddaughters are already debating “ who will inherit this” - so I may well have to solve the problem and buy a second one!

Extremely well laid out and very helpful on so many counts. The little swatches means you've got something to 'feel' which is so helpful in these days of online shopping. I refer to it regularly. It also tells you which type of machine needle to use with each type of fabric and gives suggestions as to the type of garments can be made with the fabrics. A QR code takes you to the fabrics of the Minerva website that they stock with that particular base cloth.If you love dressmaking, then I would highly recommend.

Very clear guidance and helpful for those with less experience of fabric. Lovely to have actual samples of each fabric to touch and test for stretch etc. I've found it extremely useful egmy last project using Ponte Roma it advised on needle size as well as care when hanging after washing. I love owning it and it is so comprehensive I know I will turn to it time and again. It will give me the confidence to know which fabrics are most suitable for different types of clothes. A good investment in what is a precious hobby.

I am impressed by the good quality binder and pages. The range of material samples covers enough types for everything I can imagine me needing plus more beside!As an amateur it helps having the bullet points to explain what each material is suited to and how to use it. The icing on the cake is having the actual samples to feel and check for stretch and thickness etc.A good investment for now and years to come.

This is a fantastic book which you can put samples in . Gives you information on how fabric behaves , how to deal with it also recommends what each can be used as well as needle size . Expensive to buy but certainly will pay for itself as you will no longer buy fabric that comes and don’t like the feel