When I received an email from Barbara Emodi asking if I’d be interested in being part of a blog tour to promote her book, I was extremely happy to oblige. As it happens, I had already bought her book in the first week of release! I have been aware of Barbara and her sewing skills for a long time, having read her regular column in Australian Stitches magazine many, many years ago. I’ve enjoyed following her blog and instagram, and knew that her book would be a valuable addition to my sewing library. And did you know that the Style Arc Barb pants are named for her?
So, another sewing book. What makes this one different? To me, it’s a combination of things. Barbara writes in a super friendly, chatty and wise way. She often makes me laugh. And she’s super realistic! She says things how they are. I love that! She’s got a wealth of expertise and knowledge to share, and has written this book to pass on sewing wisdom. I’ve been sewing for years and have still benefitted from it, but I think it would be especially good for people who have just started out with garment sewing.
This isn’t a textbook – it’s more written like a conversation about sewing (and don’t those of us who love sewing love to talk about it!) and information is imparted in a variety of ways. There’s anecdotes, mini-lessons, diagrams, photographs, thoughts and discussion. Rather than being straight technical advice, Barbara weaves together the information that you need to know in order to sew garments successfully. She talks about things like when to ignore pattern directions, how to determine what size to sew, and how to choose fabrics. She does all of these in a practical (and often humourous) way that acknowledges the realities of our bodies and our lives.
There is also plenty of information across the sewing spectrum. How to set up a sewing station, what equipment you really need and why, how to alter flat patterns. The mini-lessons include separate techniques that could be applied to a variety of projects. Barbara also has a youtube channel where she demonstrates techniques, which is really useful for those who are more visual learners.
Like Barbara, I learned to sew as a child. I watched mum sew, she taught me the basics and answered my questions, I read the instructions on patterns, and devoured any Golden Hands magazine that I could get my hands on. I continued to read extensively about sewing, gave lots of things a go – after all, it’s only fabric – and progressively improved my skills. However, I reckon that my sewing plateaued for a number of years – until the internet arrived. Being able to interact so easily with other sewers and talk about my hobby has been such a terrific thing. It’s that sharing of personal experiences and collective wisdom that has helped me to step things up a notch. Barbara’s book is definitely part of that conversation and is full of sewing wisdom.
C&T Publishing have offered to give away an eBook copy of the book to one of my blog readers. If you’d like to enter please leave a comment sharing a piece of your sewing wisdom on this blog post, and I’ll draw a name on Wednesday 8th August.
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED.
The blog tour schedule is as follows:
- 8/1 C&T Publishing
- 8/2 Couture et Tricot (Tany)
- 8/3 One on two off (Dawn)
- 8/4 Thornberry (Lara) – that’s me!
- 8/5 RuthieSews (Ruthie)
- 8/6 Sewing on the Edge (Barbara Emodi)
Pop over to their blogs and see what they have to say and maybe enter their book draws too. I highly recommend this book to any new garment sewer, plus those who’ve been sewing for a while and still want to learn more. Many thanks to Barbara for sharing her knowledge so generously.
