Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts: Basic Techniques for Sewing, Applique, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing, plus 150 Inspired Projects from A to Z Hardcover – March 30, 2010

It’s awesome.

Book is great. Seller is reliable.(Aside)Packages are arriving at my house opened and taped up again. Post offices are responsible.

This book is a godsend: it has many of the features I was trying to get familiar with as a new immigrant to the US. Ms. Stewart's detail-oriented explanations and minuscule, to the "T" information makes every project a breeze. Additionally, very convenient templates are ready for printing on included in the book CD.Photos of most important aspects of projects are included as are shopping lists.The very first pages of setting up a sewing shop with a tip of taping little baskets in drawers under the sewing table top is very helpful, with this tiny detail to use tape stronger than the regular "scotch" tape used to fasten papers (with stronger tape the baskets will stay fastened).I yet have to find time to go through all the projects, but the first now will be to dye some vintage sheer window courtains that lost their white crisp sheer.And, Ms. Stewart's smiling face that is her signature emblem on all her products makes even the most hesitant first timer a little more confident that if the steps are followed, the end product will be just as beautiful as the ones in the pictures.I ordered some other books by her, for entertaining, Christmas and for general housekeeping (cannot remember the title off hand). These usually include recipes for a 100 guests, which I need to scale down to my smaller needs. The housekeeping book has tons of information, but is a bit lacking in detail as opposed to this one (in many cases it states to use mild dishwashing soap or mild detergent as opposed to specific suggestions what to find in stores. Again, I am a first generation immigrant and do not necessarily know which ones are the "mild" ones).Thank you Ms. Stewart for this wonderful book and the others!

I bought this after having reviewed the entire thing at a local B&N, and since I found over half of the projects are things I want to try out or I can change slightly to suit my needs, it is a good book for me. As per some of the other reviews, this is not a beginners' book, nor is it something I recommend for those that cannot think in a 3D mindset. Many of the projects I have to read and re-read the steps to get a clear visual in my mind what I will be doing to make the item. It really makes me focus on what I am doing, and that in turn helps me determine how or if I need to change anything.To date I have made the sock-doggies for my son, the wrap a-line skirt, and used Martha's technique for printing on canvas curtains to make additions to some store-bought curtains I have for a guest bedroom. I have also really enjoyed the beautiful images in this book and have gathered ample home decor and organization ideas from it.

Whether or not you like Ms Stewart, this book is great for all types of needlework. Lots of pictures and step by step instructions. Well worth ordering and keeping for any needlework project.

I am reviewing a publishers review copy for this article. The book was paperback, printed in black and white with VERY poor quality photos, and did not include the CD. I have looked in several places to find out if the CD is both PC and MAC compatible and cannot discover the answer.With that in mind, I assume the final book is in full color. In which case, it will be a treat to look at! And if the CD is Mac/PC compatible, it will be a useful addition.This book is not encyclopedic, as many other reviewers have pointed out. The title is somewhat misleading. It is a book that is FULL of easy sewing projects - everything from making simple stuffed toys to work aprons to turning cloth napkins into decorative pillows. I would have loved this book as a wedding or shower gift when I was a young wife trying to live on a budget.This book would be a nice gift to a young person just starting out on his/her own. Yes, I think there are some men who would find plenty to make from this book, though it has that Martha "girliness" a guy with a sewing machine could do a fine job of decorating and making gifts from the ideas in this book.My 22-yr-old daughter, who is handy with a sewing machine but not yet an expert, saw this book on my coffee table and begged to have it! She loved the projects and felt they were all within her skill level. She liked the variety, and creativeness of projects like putting fancy trim on plain bed sheets, or making your own, dip-dyed shopping bags.I'm not a Martha Stewart fan, don't read her magazines, and haven't seen any of these projects before. I'd say this is a very nice book for beginning sewers who already have an understanding of how a sewing machine works. I have ordered a "real" copy for my daughter and will give it to her for college graduation.

Being relatively new to sewing, I was looking for a book with simple, straightforward instructions to practical projects. This book did not disappoint. There are plenty of projects to get you started from aprons to wall decor. There are smaller projects included to give you confidence to move on to some bigger projects, and simple techniques that add elegance to otherwise more plain fabrics. And one of my favorite aspects is that the patterns are all printable, so you can keep printing them. The price was more than reasonable for this book. I actually had it checked out from my local library for a solid month before I purchased it, and it's probably the best sewing book in my library do far!

I purchased this for myself for Christmas and kept skimming through it all day, the pictures and details are wonderful. I love to do/learn any needle art, I knit and Cross Stitch mostly, and I can sew but want to learn how to do better at sewing and this book, so far appears to be what I am looking for to teach me. The projects for me are inspirational, if you purchase this for nothing else, let it be to cheer you up and inspire you.