Secrets for Successful Sewing : Techniques for Mastering Your Sewing Machine and Serger

Rating:
Summary: Not as much as I'd hoped for
Review: It's a good book with lots of reference, but it's primarily decorative stuff, like fancy buttonholes, etc. I don't own a serger, don't care if I ever do, but I was impressed with doing embroidery with the machine I do have. I don't use it as much as I thought I would, but perhaps I'll take another look at it and see how I can utilize some of them, like the eyelets.

Rating:
Summary: Great Ideas!
Review: This book has perhaps been mis-named. It's really a book of various sewing techniques, mostly decorative, that you can accomplish with a sewing machine or serger. Everything is clearly illustrated with color illustrations -- in fact, every page is in color. There are few photographs, which would have been more appropriate for more detailed procedures like hemstitching and fagotting techniques (see Carol Laflin Ahles, Fine Machine Sewing). If you want some fresh ideas for your garments, or feel the need to give your sewing machine or serger a complete and vigorous workout, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Chock-a-block!
Review: This has loads of tips and tricks for both sewing machine and serger that would be very helpful to anyone with either/both, and is good on its own for serger information (compared to serger books which often include too much information on the "high-end" coverlock sergers few of us own). The techniques are well illustrated and the stitches themselves, rather than garments, photographed. This is a good one-stop-shopping manual for anyone returning to sewing after a many-year hiatus, with the machines so high-tech now it's like starting from scratch. Full of great, useful ideas. You didn't know your little machine could do so much!