More information that most introductory sewing books, for example defines both box feed and elliptical feed types of feed dogs. Oversized models are used to display complex or small details, such as a side view of stitching with and without proper tension. Photographs of the same mechanism on several varieties of machines help the reader identify the mechanism on their own machine, such as pressure-foot pressure adjustment mechanisms.

This is a really useful guide with tons of large photos so you can really see what’s going on. It tells you the proper way to maintenance your machine, what things might be causing issues in your sewing or your machine, and how to fix them. It also tells you when you really shouldn’t be messing around, and just get it to a tech.

This book would go great in any collection of sewing texts because it talks about different machines and how issues present on each one. It also has a handy troubleshooting guide in the back so you can quickly ID your problem and fix it.

I read this book cover-to-cover, which was nice since I wanted basic knowledge, and the way the book is designed lends itself nicely to that. However, this book really shines as a quick reference guide. It’s so easy to flip through the troubleshooting section to ID an issue, go to the corresponding section of the book, and find the fix that’s right for your machine.

I recommend this to avid sewers as well as beginners because it’s important to know how to properly take care of your machine, even if you don’t use it all that often, AND you can save some dollars by not having to take it to get serviced as often. ( )