How to Buy the Right Sewing Book

Tips to Make the Perfect Purchase Every Time

Mar 2, 2008

With sewing and needlecraft books available about everything from quilting and patchwork through to garment design and tailoring, how do you pick the right one?

A sewing and needlecraft book is an investment. Whether it is a book about sewing technique, cross stitch, embroidery designs, quilting projects or another sewing discipline, the money invested in the book should provide a return of some form. This might be increased knowledge, innovative projects or simply an interesting read. A book that is discarded because it is a disappointment is money ill spent, therefore how do you pick the right one?

Reading Between the Lines

It is so disappointing to find that when a much longed for sewing or needlecraft book arrives, that it fails to live up to expectations. This might be because of the writing style, the type or lack of projects, the experience level that the book is targeted at, or a whole host of other reasons.

Part of this problem is that many aspects of marketing a book are subjective. A book that is described as having interesting and innovative projects may inspire one sewer and bore another. 'Contemporary' styles might provide leading edge ideas for someone looking for new designs or just provide another person with a book full of unwearable ideas.

Tips for Buying Perfect Sewing Books

Buying the right book can be quite a challenge, however here are some useful tips to help ensure that the best books are purchased every time.

Word of Mouth: One of the best sources of information and feedback about books is from fellow sewers. Sewing forums, sewing and needlework clubs and friends are great places to ask for opinions or advice when looking for a particular book. This is extremely useful when looking for a book about a specialist subject where the options might not be great.
Professional Reviews: Many specialist websites and magazines will offer reviews of new books. This can be a good way to get a flavor for a new sewing or needlecraft book. These reviews will typicaly have been written by a professional reviewer who is experienced in needlecraft and sewing as well as writing book reviews. This is a useful way to get a professional view of the book.
Customer Reviews: Many of the large online book retailers offer the facility for people to leave reviews of books. This is useful with sewing and needlework books as this gives an insight into what other people have thought of a book. This is particularly relevant with project books, where feedback such as I wouldn't make any of these! can be very illuminating. Not all books with negative reviews should be dismissed, as sometimes these views may be the response of someone with completely the opposite tastes to you. Therefore what they don't like might be perfect for you!
Libraries: Libraries hold a range of sewing and needlework books and this can be a good way to see if a book is going to be worth investing in. Many libraries will order books in if they do not have them on the shelves. This might cost a little money to cover administration, however it is often money well spent.

What to do with Unwanted Books

Sometimes, even given a lot of research, it is possible to buy a book that just isn't quite right, or a duplicate book is received as a gift. The good news is that unwanted books can be resold. This will save cluttering up a book case and will also raise a bit of money. Second-hand books, unless they are rare, do not command a high price and it is unlikely that the cover price will be achieved, however auction sites such as eBay do offer a convenient way to sell unwanted books.