Know Before You Sew, the essential guide to all things needle and thread, from Norwich sewing guru, Sandra Derry, is a new reference book for crafters who are just starting out, as well as experienced hand and machine sewers.
Know Before You Sew is published by The Tagman Press (Norwich) on Thursday 20 February 2014, price £7.99,www.tagmanpress.com, t. 01603 666011.
Sandra Derry has poured a lifetime’s experience of making her own clothes and teaching sewing into Know Before You Sew. She carefully explains everything needed to make and mend that perfect garment. The book is packed full of advice about bodkins, seam rippers, frog fastenings, wadding and stuffing, tape measures, pins and pin cushions, needles, scissors, thread, zippers, ribbon, tape, buttons, buckles, fabrics and much more. Sandra’s own drawings illustrate the cover and the beginning of each section.
Sandra was born at Great Yarmouth, daughter to a cowman. She counts herself lucky to have been raised in the country on farms as it allowed her imagination to roam free. “I was never much of an academic,” explains Sandra, “and was drawn to the more creative side of life. I believe it is ‘a must’ to use my hands crafting.”
“I was one of seven children; we had to improvise, as sometimes money was short. This was where my imagination and craft skills came to the fore. I remember making a pair of sandals as a child, from two pieces of wood and nailing fabric across the front for straps. I made my first top at around the same time, all hand sewn. After that there was no stopping me as I made clothes that I could not afford to buy.”
Sandra shares her experience of a lifetime of sewing by giving one to one lessons and also works in the haberdashery department at Jarrold Norwich, where the customers regularly benefit from her encyclopaedic knowledge of the sewing craft.
Know Before You Sew is published by The Tagman Press (Norwich) on Thursday 20 February, price £7.99, www.tagmanpress.com, t. 01603 666011.
Sandra Derry has poured a lifetime’s experience of making her own clothes and teaching sewing into Know Before You Sew. She carefully explains everything needed to make and mend that perfect garment. The book is packed full of advice about bodkins, seam rippers, frog fastenings, wadding and stuffing, tape measures, pins and pin cushions, needles, scissors, thread, zippers, ribbon, tape, buttons, buckles, fabrics and much more. Sandra’s own drawings illustrate the cover and the beginning of each section.
Sandra was born at Great Yarmouth, daughter to a cowman. She counts herself lucky to have been raised in the country on farms as it allowed her imagination to roam free. “I was never much of an academic,” explains Sandra, “and was drawn to the more creative side of life. I believe it is ‘a must’ to use my hands crafting.”
“I was one of seven children; we had to improvise, as sometimes money was short. This was where my imagination and craft skills came to the fore. I remember making a pair of sandals as a child, from two pieces of wood and nailing fabric across the front for straps. I made my first top at around the same time, all hand sewn. After that there was no stopping me as I made clothes that I could not afford to buy.”
Sandra shares her experience of a lifetime of sewing by giving one to one lessons and also works in the haberdashery department at Jarrold Norwich, where the customers regularly benefit from her encyclopaedic knowledge of the sewing craft.
What Sandra Derry’s students say
“Sandra showed me some of the basics as well as more experienced uses of gadgets so that I could get the most out of my sewing machine. It was well worth the time and effort giving me far more insight into better and easier ways of making things. I had been sewing for years, but in a much more complicated way!”
Kathie Ladd
“Sandra is an amazing teacher, an easy person to get along with, has an awful lot of patience and is extremely knowledgeable about her craft.”
Stephanie Czwartacki
“Sandra has great holistic insight, so teaching craft to others is a natural communication skill for her. Learning from her knowledge of sewing and art is an uplifting and fulfilling experience.”
Clare Carey
