When I decided to teach myself how to sew, the Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing is the first book I picked up. Actually, I still only reference this book, because it really contains everything I need to know.At 352 pages, this thing weighs like a brick, so it has a useful second purpose as a defensive weapon.  I like a book that has a little substance to it – it makes me feel like I’m getting my money’s worth.  Which, by the way, is a cool $16.01 on Amazon.  Not a bad price for all of the information it contains.

What I really like best about Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing is the pictures.  Every technique is fully documented with very high quality photos.  Since sewing is one of those crafts where seeing is essential to learning, this book goes a long way toward making even complicated techniques easy to understand.

As part of my dive into sewing, I also picked up a serger.  This book has a great section on sergers, which is where I’ve been poking my nose the most.  Explanations of stitch types, widths and even threading my machine have saved the day when I get stuck.

With a 4.5 star average rating on Amazon, from 47 votes as of this writing, this book has proven useful to both those who are new to sewing and those with some experience.  If you have just one book by your sewing machine at all times, Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing is the one.