The Merchant and Mills Elementary Skills Book is the perfect starting point for anyone who has ever wanted to learn to sew but didn’t know where to begin.
The Merchant & Mills Elementary Sewing Skills book is a pocket or bag companion, packed full of useful techniques for wardrobe maintenance and alterations. Bound in linen, with crystal clear instructions, sequenced illustrations and beautiful photography, it is both useful and beautiful. This book focuses entirely on the “foundations”—the basic, essential skills that form the building blocks.
It avoids overwhelming the reader with complex jargon, instead focusing on clear, step-by-step instructions for tasks like threading a needle, sewing a straight seam, and understanding fabric types. It is designed to build confidence in every novice maker.
The book’s layout is clean and easy to navigate, with the beautiful, utilitarian photography that has made Merchant and Mills a household name. It encourages you to complete your first simple projects with a sense of pride and professional finish.
Topics include darts and gathering, seams, ease, hems, interfacing and closures such as buttons and zips are all covered alongside advice on using and understanding patterns and performing basic alterations. Successful sewing is very achievable: just make sure that you have this book to hand at all times. Keep it simple & do it well.
Even for those who have been sewing for a while, this book serves as a valuable refresher on the “correct” way to perform fundamental techniques. It is an investment in your future as a maker, providing the solid groundwork upon which all your future projects will be built.
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