Learn to Sew With The Library

When you're starting out it's good to start with a basic guide, and we're a big fan of photo-friendly guides like this one. That said, there are a ton of beginner guides to sewing. Some are structured around increasingly difficult projects, and some offer a wide range of beginner-friendly projects with easy instruction, while others will explain the process of sewing without projects. Pick a book based on your own learning style and have at it!

Do you know how to fold under? What stitching in the ditch is? Or how to interface a back yoke?

Sewing has a lot of unique terms that can be confusing at first. While you can always Google these terms, we find it very helpful to have an A to Z reference at your table. It makes it really easy to double-check the definition of a term and see instructions on how it's meant to be done. These references will often explain things that a sewing pattern won't, so they're especially good if you're teaching yourself.

Another book in our collection that fits this bill is A to Z of Sewing by Search Press Classics.

If you're interested in the practical or charitable sides of sewing, this book will give you a number of projects to follow for making fabric objects that could come in handy. If you're not a healthcare worker or the caregiver for an ill person, you can also use this book as a guide to creating donatable items; local hospitals will often accept donations, though you should always check what your recipient will accept before donating.

Japanese needlecraft techniques have exploded in popularity in recent years. This book, translated from Japanese, gives you an insight into Japanese embroidery methods for creating 25 different beautiful animals.

Embroidery can both be a decoration for a larger project, as well as an art object in and of itself, so if you're a maximalist, give this book a try! If you're more into minimalist or geometric designs, you could try sashiko, a Japanese embroidery technique that creates repeating patterns on cloth. We have the Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook by Susan Briscoe, as well as sashiko classes available through Creativebug.

Fabric can get expensive. The Half Yard...series of books focuses on projects that can be completed with only half a yard of fabric. This makes these projects economical, as well as a good way to use up leftover fabric from other projects.

We're big fans of any particularly good giant how-to guide books. Similar to the Sewtionary, a book like this newer title can be helpful to keep by your sewing table as you embark on a self-taught journey.

The Auntie Sewing Squad is a real life group of women of color who banded together at the beginning of the pandemic to sew masks for immigrants, incarcerated persons, and other vulnerable groups who badly needed them. The Auntie Sewing Squad Guide to Mask Making, Radical Care, and Social Justice is a book where a series of contributors share essays, poems, recipes and art explaining the history of sewing in their communities, their reasons for sewing, and addressing other issues within their communities. If you're interested in the why of sewing, and how the long and storied history of sewing has impacted diverse communities, this is a great book to add some reflection to your sewing journey.

Many people gravitate towards sewing their own clothes because their own bodies do not fit neatly into the "standard" clothing sizes provided by the grand majority of the fashion industry. The ability to create whatever clothes you want, that fit you correctly, is awesome! Ahead of the Curve is a guide for curvy and plus-sized sewists, with size-friendly sewing patterns and tons of advice for achieving the perfect fit for every curve of your body.