I wasn’t sure what to expect but have been eagerly awaiting my own copy of Make, Sew and Mend and it arrived in my hands a couple of weeks ago. Having been a fan of Ms. Banner’s now for a few years, I knew that she had a book in the works. I also knew it would be a sewing guide of some kind.

This Book is something SPECIAL! The thing that is immediately apparent upon opening the book, is that the photography is clear and beautiful. That’s no surprise considering the author and her acute sense of professionalism, but the content surprised me a bit. In addition to the tools, fiber descriptions and stitch turorials, Ms. Banner included a few extra bits that I find particularly helpful to the stitcher of any genre.

Besides the standard stitch techniques, she also includes instructions for pad stitching, darning socks, adding a sleeve gusset and eyelet lacing. These are all traditional techniques that seem to be on the verge of extinction. So, Bravo Bernadette! for including them in this lovely book. Oh, and did I mention lace insertion or smocking? Those are inside as well.

And one of my favorite parts of this book, is the chapter on fabric identification. Having studied fibers most of my life, I can usually tell the content of a fiber when I touch and see it. However, sometimes a fabric can play tricks with my brain and I’ve misidentified a few. Not the worst thing to do, but it can be embarrassing. Like the time I entered a SILK fabric in the Make It with Wool contest. That would have been a great time for me to have tested my fiber first. And in Make, Sew, Mend, Ms. Banner explains the process in simple terms with simple tools and clear photos that will leave no doubt as to the fiber of your fabric.