This book has some great and really accessible projects in it for a beginner and intermediate sewer. I've done three of the projects so far- the bib, scalloped blanket and charming handbag. All great things. However, I really struggled following the directions, and the sewing process was much more frustrating than it had to be. Vital measurements and directions were inexplicable left out at steps in each project. For instance, indications about whether to sew right sides together were often left out. The handbag directions never provided the measurements for the length of the handbag handles. The scalloped blanket directions did not provide any guidance on how to apply the template to the fabric (my scallops ended up not matching in the corners the first (and second) time I tried). It was really very, very frustrating to have to stop a project mid-way through to figure these things out. Another peeve was that, unlike other similar books, Bend the Rules provides the size of fabric you need to do the project (i.e. 13" x 13"), but not the size of fabric you'd need to buy (i.e. half a yard). This can be figured out of course, but I'm terrible at it. This just added another layer of annoyance to the project.
I think a true beginner would have a lot of difficuly completing these projects successfully. I'd recommend starting with Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects. The directions there are very detailed and very good. Once you've got a few projects under your belt, you'll be able to figure out what's missing in Bend the Rules. I think Bend the Rules is a worthwhile book because the projects are great, but I do wish it had been better edited.