More Fabric Savvy: a book review

I come from a knitting background. Some of my favorite knitting books talk about the yarn...not just what to use, but why, what to look out for, what it is made of, how to care for it, and so on. I had been asking sewists for recommendations on books on fabric. I'm sure that there are non-sewists who know more about types of fabric than I. I really needed some help!

Then, this week I went to a local fabric store to look for bobbins. My sewing machine was a gift, and the included bobbins didn't fit! While I was there, I asked the sales associate about my book quest. She started to write down my info, and I walked around the side of the counter toward their book selection. Right in front of me was "More Fabric Savvy," by Sandra Betzina. I picked it up and asked the associate about it. She had never seen it and wondered if someone had left it there by accident, for a second. But no, the book was mine!

The title may be a little confusing; I know I wondered, was there a part one? A little research revealed that some time ago, Ms. Betzina wrote "Fabric Savvy" and this was an updated version of that book.

Ms. Betzina had a genius idea with this book, because instead of making it a boring read, she set it up as if she were filling out a form. On the left side of the page is a photo of a garment made from the fabric. On the right side, there is information on everything from construction materials, appropriate needles, to presser feet. The whole thing is spiral bound which makes it lovely to work from because it lays flat.

Ms Betzina also includes a nice techniques section complete with pictures. I do wish that this section were a little more detailed because if you don't know anything about the particular technique, it isn't going to help you. However, I also recognize that this book can't be everything and her focus is on fabric, not techniques.

If you are looking for a down and dirty book on fabrics and how to sew with them, go check out "More Fabric Savvy," by Sandra Betzina!