August 27, 2011

Nancy Zieman Sewing A to Z Blog Tour and a Giveaway!


THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

It is my turn to host the tour for Nancy Zieman's new book, Sewing A to Z. Nancy has really outdone herself this time by addressing just about anything you have ever had a question about regarding sewing! Seriously, this book is an amazing resource for all kinds of techniques that we tend to forget how to do after a while...or maybe I am just speaking for myself here. I never can remember how to miter the binding on a quilt....oh wait, I know why, it is because I hardly ever do that being a "poser" quilter! (By "poser", I mean that I really don't have the attention span or accurate enough 1/4" seams to get through a large quilting project.....just sayin'!) Never fear, Nancy has covered how to add that pesky binding and how to make it look professional.

That is probably my favorite thing about Nancy...she is a sewing professional in every sense of the word. I love her clever techniques. They save you time and the result is always perfect.

Here are the two techniques that Nancy addresses in her new book that really stuck with me the most:
1. Darts: I have been making darts in clothing for years, but it never occurred to me to do the clever thing that Nancy does to keep the line from the point to the edge of the fabric perfectly angled...she uses a piece of thread as a guide....now that is ingenious! I always "eyeball" it and most of the time it works, but this thread technique works EVERY time! Thanks for that one, Nancy!
2. Easing: There are a couple of places that Nancy addresses easing seams together. This is such an important technique to master, especially when making clothing. There are a lot of times where a seam will need this type of treatment, such as for sewing princess seams or adding a set-in style sleeve. Nancy gives you at least three different techniques to try. I love that she tells you that you might need to practice a little bit to get the technique just right. It does take some practice with easing before you are comfortable, and Nancy puts you right at ease.

The book is arranged as you would think. Since it is literally sewing A to Z, the techniques are alphabetized. This is great because it is like the book is already indexed! Have a question about zippers? Go to the "Z" section. Want to know about facings? Go to "F". Super easy and very well illustrated. Nancy is right there also with helpful tips throughout putting you at ease, which she does so effortlessly.

Be sure to go to Nancy's post, as she has a HUGE giveaway of goodies and you have to visit there to leave a comment in order to be entered.


I am also hosting a giveaway here, so be sure to leave a comment if you would like to win a copy of this wonderful resource book. I guarantee you will love it! It is destined to be your go-to book whenever you have a sewing question. The giveaway here starts now and a winner will be announced on September 10. Please submit only one comment to enter.

Here is the full tour, so be sure to check out everyone's review. There are some great ideas, tips, and even a video or two along the way.

Sewing A to Z blog tour:
15-Aug Nancy Zieman’s blog
16-Aug Whipstitch
17-Aug Sew Mama Sew
18-Aug Diary of a Quilter
20-Aug Amy’s Creative Side
22-Aug Quiltville
23-Aug Crap I’ve Made
24-Aug Eileen Roche’s blog
25-Aug I’m Just a Guy Who Quilts
26-Aug The Free Motion Quilting Project
27-Aug Sew Serendipity
29-Aug Lazy Girls Designs
30-Aug Pat Sloan Blog
31-Aug Tallgrass Prairie Studio
1-Sep True Up
2-Sep Sew News
6-Sep Off the Cuff Sewing Style
7-Sep V and Co.
8-Sep The Cottage Home
9-Sep Colette Patterns

Happy Sewing!