This include a lot of great tips for beginners. The patterns are basic but nice. I can't help wishing there was a video playlist to accompany this, even more pictures would help.

Packed with practical tips (don’t use vintage thread—it gets brittle; make notes for your future self about your progress on a project), The Act of Sewing teaches the basics in clear language and explains the importance of habits that veteran seamstresses take for granted. Tracing your patterns with chalk before cutting, for example, might reveal that your fabric’s design aligns with body parts you don’t want to emphasize.

After walking the reader through four simple garments (a top, a shirt with set-in sleeves, a skirt, and trousers), The Act of Sewing describes and illustrates how to adjust the width and length of the patterns, as well as more specific changes to the shoulders, bust, and crotch.

The following chapter is a smorgasbord of optional tweaks to add to your repertoire and make your clothing fancier (different necklines, sleeves, cuffs, yokes, and plackets), better fit for your body (gathering, pleating, tucking, and ruching) and more useful (belt loops and a variety of pockets).

The final chapter brings everything together (literally: top + skirt = dress! top + trousers = jumpsuit!) and encourages the reader to experiment with combinations of the patterns and techniques in the book to create clothing that’s distinctively your own and eminently practical for the way you live.

I strongly recommend actually sewing along with the author’s instructions for the four provided patterns (whether you intend to wear them outside the house or not); it will help you understand the instructions in the later chapters.

For such a short book, only 187 pages, it packs a lot in. A good book for the beginner but an even better book for those who want to go that step further. We are not all model stick thin, straight up and down. Some of us are small on top and big in the hip and patterns are always a standard all over one size. This book will show you how to tailor a pattern to fit your body shape. The illustrations are draw but there are some photos of a real shapely lady. It would have been fantastic if this lady had been use to directly illustrate just how and what alterations were made to make the clothes fit her shape. I know it’s mostly women who make their own clothes but men do too. Although mens tailoring is not mentioned the principle are the same.

This is a handy sewing book for those who are new to sewing or new to making their own patterns. The author is immensely likeable and walks you through using sewing machines, making patterns, adjusting them to your body and more. There are illustrations throughout, and a few photos of her in the patterns. She started sewing in part in order to have clothes that fit her body and the book is very much a body positivity book. The clothes are designed to be comfortable and simple. She teaches you how to do some basic adjustments of things like collars, but it's much more a book for how to sew clothes that fit you and are comfy than a designer kind of book.

I've always wanted to make my own clothes because I have a very hard to fit body. I am basically child-sized (just under 5 feet) but woman-shaped, with big hips and the belly and boobs you get from having 5 kids but also a very narrow waist. Unless something ties around me, I'm pretty much destined to have it fit wrong. I also really like the kinds of clothes that are not now and have never been in style but suit me, like fairy dresses and handkerchief hems (and anything with cleavage). I would love to learn how to just make my own clothes that fit me and my style, but this is not that kind of book. It's a great guide, but it's for rather utilitarian clothes (compared to me anyway, but we've already established I'm odd). It will be a great guide for most folks, as it not only teaches you the basics of sewing but also shows you how to make and adapt your own patterns for shirts, pants, skirts and so on.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

I wanted to read this so badly, however the book (protected PDF) would not download. This will be an amazing guide when published because it is a fresh take on a traditional hobbies. Just wish I could've read it. I will buy when it's available.

The Act of Sewing: How to Make and Modify Clothes to Wear Every Day by Sonya Philip
Publisher: Roost Books
Genre: Crafts & Hobbies | Nonfiction (Adult)
Release Date: April 27, 2021

Growing up, I loved to sew. I enjoyed making clothes and gifts, but as I got older I stopped making the time to continue with this craft. So naturally, I was drawn to The Act of Sewing by Sonya Philip because I've been able to sew more because of the stay-at-home rules with the pandemic.

The Act of Sewing is broken into two parts. Part one, Starting Out, includes: Chapter 1: Basic Tools & Techniques, which discusses tools, basic terminology, fabric, working with patterns, finishing seams and hems & finishing curved edges and Chapter 2: Patterns discusses Sewing a Sense of Self, as well as different garment types. Part two, Make It Your Own, includes: Chapter 3: Adjustments, which discusses Our Bodies, Our Selvedges, changing seams, lengthen & shorten, widen & narrow, shoulder adjustments, bust & chest adjustments, rise & seat adjustments; Chapter 4: Modifications & Embellishments - Getting to Sew You, neckline, sleeves, body, waist, hem, embellishment; and Chapter 5: Combining Patterns - Don't Get Hemmed In, dress, lined tunic, tie-front shirt, and jumpsuit.

This is a great reference tool! There was so much about sewing in 4H that I did not learn, so I'm really excited about getting to try out some new things.

I'm so grateful to Sonya Philip, Roost Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A very servicable "intro to sewing book", although there's not much to distinguish it from comparable titles. It does have good fitting advice, and the very few pictures are of a plus sized model - but why are there so few pictures? There are a lot of good illustrations of technique and pattern, but almost no photographs of finished garments. That's a disappointing oversight in a book like this - why would I want to make these clothes if I don't know what they're going to look like when I'm done?