Let me start off this review by saying, "I wish that I would have been able to read Sew U: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe when I started sewing 7 years ago." I honestly believe that if I would have had access to her book back then, my first few projects would have gone so much smoother and I would have had a lot more confidence in what I was doing. Yes, that's a pretty bold statement, but let me explain why.

I am a self-taught sew-er. I've never attended a class (aside from quilting) and when I first started sewing, I didn't know anyone else who sewed - so I had no one to answer my newbie questions. Wendy Mullin is also a self taught sew-er - so she understands exactly what the novice seamstress needs to know and she writes in a way that anyone can understand. She also shares her success stories, but isn't afraid to talk abou her mishaps too. Personally, I think that this is so important to see that even the best designers have bad days too. That's not to say that this book is strictly geared toward the beginner - even those with more advanced skills will get a ton of information from this book that will help them expand their creativity, pattern alteration and drafting experiences, and may pick up a few great tips along the way.

With all that said, let's dive into the book! So, what exactly is Sew U about? I like the way Wendy describes it:

With this book, I'm not only offering sewing tips and tricks, but also the tools to create your own clothes. We'll focus on the essentials of a modern girl's wardrobe-the perfect A-line skirt, the shirt with a twist, and sexy pants-using the patterns that form the basis of my collection. I'll teach you how to customize everythig from the fit to the pockets so that the designs are as much yours as mine.

The first five chapters of the book are devoted to 'the basics". Typically, these are the sections of the book that advanced sewers might skip over, but I really found her tips and suggestions very helpful. These chapters deal with everything from "thrifty" tool tips (i.e. what to do when you have no pins), fabric defintions as well as their uses and how work them, workspace setups and storage for patterns and projects, understanding pattern lingo, finishing techniques, and practice exercises for working with your machine. These sections of the book are quite extensive and is a really great reference to have on hand.

With all this infomation now swarming around in your brain, how are you supposed to decide what to make first? Wendy helps you there too -

Take a look [in your closet] at what you love and then figure out what is missing.

From there you can go to the next three chapters - the actual garments! They are broken down into 3 difficulty levels: Easy, a simple A-line skirt; Medium, a button-down shirt; and Difficult, a modern (low rise, but not too low), boot-cut pant. So, what makes this book different from every other garment patttern book out there? Wendy has a wonderful ability to alter a pattern into completely different looks and styles. And she conveys this in a way that you can understand, visualize and create for yourself. This is done through actual pattern alterations (such as adding of pockets, lengenthing and shortening of hems, removing collars and cuffs), fabric selections, trims, decorative stitches.....the list could go on and on. Honestly, this is the section of the book that I found most useful and really need to work on for myslef. I would love to get rid of a majoirty of my pattern stash and concentrate on a core group of patterns and go from there!

To assit you on your wardrobe adventure,Wendy even includes project tickets which helps organize your designs. These include ares for swatches, trims, notes and design alterations. For those who have participated in SWAPs (sewing with a plan) this will look very similar to your design story board. For everyone else, this is a great way to help you visualize your completed garment.

If all this information still seems like too much, but you still want a customized wardrobe, Wendy also supplies a 'Plan B' - tips, tricks, and inforamtion to take to a tailor!

As you can tell from the length of this post, Sew U is jam packed with information. It's fun, easy to read, and there's a lot to learn from this designer. I can definately see myself using the things that I have learned from this book into all my future garment projects. I definatley enjoyed this book and highly recomend it - I am looking forward to future endevors from Wendy Mullin!