There are no doubt hundreds of incredible sewing books on the market today, each with its own spin, patterns, and brilliant ideas.  But if I had to choose my three favorite sewing books, my most beloved friends, my most opened pages, these are the ones that pop immediately to mind.  These are the three I recommend to people who want to learn to sew, or to those who want to revive their sewing after a long dry spell.  These books invigorate me; just spending an hour looking through their pages makes me eager to run to my fabric stash in search of the perfect print.

Without further ado, the first of my three best sewing books is:

Amy Karol’s Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew

This is the one to choose if you’re just learning how to sew.  Amy spends the first part of the book giving candid advice about how to set up a sewing area, what tools you’ll really need, and outlining the types of fabrics that are easiest for beginners to start with.  She also tells you, as the book title suggests, how to make your sewing simpler by knowing which of the strict sewing rules can be bent, and which should always be adhered to.

That is not to say that this a strictly a book for beginners – to the contrary, I find this text to be one of my greatest jumping off points.  I find an idea within the pages that I love, then tweak it just enough to make something that is uniquely my own.  Amy Karol has a warm presence within the pages, with guiding words that encourage the sewer to create beyond the pattern.  Her sense of fun and whimsy are contagious and I always leave the pages of her book feeling as though I have just left a good friend, the type that helps me realize my own creativity and potential.

With a wide range of fun and inspired ideas, and 30 patterns spanning from quilts to baby jackets, cloth napkins to aprons, and dog collars to wallets, you will be sure to find more than a few projects to stitch and love.  I loved making the smock for my daughter and her friends:

With lovely photography and easy to follow pattern directions, Amy Karol’s Bend-the-Rules Sewing (Potter Craft 2007) is a joy to look at and to learn from.  Also a joy is Amy Karol’s blog, Angry Chicken.  I love stopping by to see the patterns, recipes, and fun projects she shares.

I am eagerly anticipating this summer’s arrival of Amy’s second book, Bend-the-Rules With Fabric: Fun Sewing Projects With Stencils, Stamps, Dye, Photo Transfers, Silk Screening, and More (Potter Craft, August 25, 2009).  I can’t wait to see what great ideas Amy has cooked up this time!

Bend the Rules Sewing can be found at Amazon.com.

Check back to read about my other best sewing books in Parts 2 and 3…