Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

When I was little my mother's greatest ambition was that I would be a good reader. She saved hard to buy me serious books. However, even when I was a listener, not yet reading on my own, she would never invest in one of those children's books with a fancy picture and a few words on each page. To her getting her money's worth in a book meant getting lots of words on every page! This memory came to me as I eagerly unwrapped my long awaited copy of Islander Sewing Systems I: For Personal and Professional Sewing by Janet Pray. It is mostly a picture book, unfortunately a particularly repetitive one. Having seen Margaret Islander demonstrate her innovative techniques on numerous videos, I had watched for this book's appearance ever since the first rumors of its creation. Anyone who has ever attempted to sew a quality shirt, only to be disappointed when comparing it to a commercial product, will appreciate Islander's researches. Her study of industrial techniques and their adaptation to home sewing dramatically increases the speed and the quality of the seamstress's work. Thus, I hastened, despite the expensive price, to add it to my collection. Sadly, I found the book's elaborate presentation greatly outdistanced its actual content. Its 182 large pages are elaborately bound and profusely illustrated with gorgeous color photographs. The techniques are illustrated clearly and profusely. Each chapter contains one or more approaches to its subject. The chapters deal with ten issues: seam allowances, cutting, operating the sewing machine, curves, quick and accurate pocket sewing, darts and tucks, zippers and waistbands, lined bodice, flat felled seams, and mitering. However, there was no information on invisible zippers, now being used by many top designers. Nor was there any discussion of linings and inner linings. This information occupies 107 pages, although these pages are not all information. Numerous pages are simply full page announcements of the chapter headings or pages for "notes." Even worse, however, is Chapter 11, "Practice Makes Perfect," pp108-152. These pages instruct the reader to practice the suggestions in the preceding chapters and unbelievably repeat for this 42 pages the exact same photographs, without the full text, that appear in Chapters 1 through 10. Pages 154-175 are patterns which can be copied for doing the exercises. 176-182 are a glossary, a short list of resources, and a list of other Islander products. This book will not earn its keep. Although its information is good, there is far too little of it compared to the pages of slick graphics and photographs. One cannot help thinking of the parallel to the Emperor's New Clothes. Suggest it to your local library and check it out. It will be a fast read. My mother, a world class seamstress, would not have thought it worth her money.