99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special


Faith Blakeney - 2006
    The pattern techniques are simple, and the supplies you’ll need are easy to find: T-shirts, scissors, sewing needle, and thread. The difficulty of each project is rated from 1 to 4, and none take more than 30 minutes to create. You’ll never look plain wearing a T-shirt and jeans again.

Learn New Stitches on Circle Looms


Anne Bipes - 2006
    Loomers of every skill level will find something new and exciting to make.

Scandinavian Needlecraft: 35 step-by-step projects to create the Scandinavian home


Clare Youngs - 2010
    Incorporating the finest elements of Scandinavian crafting traditions, inspiration is taken from a range of backgrounds including classic folk art, as well as more contemporary sources. These delightful designs, each with clear step-by-step instructions and beautiful photography, will have you itching to get stitching. Arranged into five chapters, the projects work with a wide variety of fabrics: there are adorable fleece and felt baby bootees finished with French knots, classic embroidered gingham napkins, and a striped machine-embroidered apron. A wide range of techniques are employed, including appliqué, cut work, patchwork, decorative machine stitching, shadow work, and ribbon work. Basic stitches such as herringbone, cross stitch, Danish knots, blanket stitch, and satin stitch are also used to great effect. Simplicity is always at the heart of Clare’s designs, and with step-by-step artworks and such clear instructions, anyone can have a go and will be surprised how quickly beautiful pieces can be made.

What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume from Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century for Every Level of Society


Melissa Leventon - 2008
    Their works are presented first by chronology and then by subject, so that illustrators, historians, and students alike can choose to follow the path of fashion through the centuries, or study in detail the contrasting styles of individual clothing and accessories. Silhouettes reveal the shape of style through the ages, detailed cross-references draw attention to recurring motifs, and navigation bars help the researcher to travel the complex chronology of costume.With authoritative narrative from leading experts in the history of costume, extraordinary contemporary quotes that reveal the impact of style in its day, detailed annotation, and an extensive glossary, the book provides a magnificent study of the rich vocabulary of style through the ages.

Costume and Fashion: A Concise History


James Laver - 1969
    The concluding chapter by Amy de la Haye, covering the second half of the twentieth century, has now been updated by Andrew Tucker. He discusses the reinvention in the 1990s of the luxury label Gucci, the rise of houses such as Prada and Tommy Hilfiger, and the appointments of relatively avant-garde British, American, and European designers to head classic French houses. All the late-twentieth-century and turn-of-the-century style innovations are included, such as the appropriation of utility clothing by designers like Helmut Lang—who spearheaded the predominantly unisex urban sportswear look—and the impact of workplace dressing down on masculine fashion. The phenomenon of the must-have accessory—the pashmina shawl and the Fendi baguette, for example—is also considered.

The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine


Rozsika Parker - 1984
    In this fascinating study, Rozsika Parker traces a hidden history--the shifting notions of femininity and female social roles--by unraveling the history of embroidery from medieval times until today.

The Sweater Chop Shop: Sewing One-of-a-Kind Creations from Recycled Sweaters


Crispina French - 2009
    She's a great artist who understands texture and how it adds individuality and comfort to a home, not to mention a car, or an old refurbished orange trunk seat!!" - Carly Simon"Crispina makes the most beautiful soulful blankets, pillows, and sweaters, out of people's old sweaters. In this amazing and magical book she shares her secrets so that you can do it too." - Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry's

Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style


Tim Gunn - 2007
    As Bravo's style mentor and Chair of the Fashion Design Department at Parsons The New School for Design, Tim delivers advice in a frank, witty, and authoritative manner that delights audiences.Now readers can benefit from Tim's considerable fashion wisdom in Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style. He discusses every aspect of creating and maintaining your personal style: how to dress for various occasions, how to shop (from designer to chain to vintage stores), how to pick a fashion mentor, how to improve your posture, find the perfect fit, and more. He'll challenge every reader-whether a seasoned fashionista or a style neophyte-to "make it work!"

Merchant & Mills Sewing Book


Carolyn N.K. Denham - 2012
    Making curtains neednt be left to the professionals ; withEasy to Make! Curtains & Blinds you, too, can create stylish window dressings for your home.

How to Get Dressed: A Costume Designer's Secrets for Making Your Clothes Look, Fit, and Feel Amazing


Alison Freer - 2015
    TV and film productions wait for nothing, so her solutions have to work fast. In How to Get Dressed, Alison distills her secrets into a fun, comprehensive style guide focused on rethinking your wardrobe like a fashion expert and making what’s in your closet work for you. She provides real-world advice about everything style-related, including: • Making every garment you own fit better• Mastering closet organization• The undergarments you actually need• The scoop on tailors and which alterations are worth it• Shopping thrift and vintage like a rockstarInstead of repeating boring style “rules,” Alison breaks the rules and gets real about everything from bras to how to deal with inevitable fashion disasters. Including helpful information such as how to skip ironing and the dry cleaners, remove every stain under the sun, and help clueless men get their sartorial acts together, How to Get Dressed has hundreds of insider tips from Alison’s arsenal of tools and expertise.

More Big Girl Knits: 25 Designs Full of Color and Texture for Curvy Women


Jillian Moreno - 2008
    Part knitting instruction book and part sassy style guide, this book goes beyond teaching the basics - size, motif placement, and balance principles - and tackles all-new methods for creating knitwear with brilliant colours and sumptuous textures that big girls can wear.

The Little Black Book of Style


Nina García - 2007
    Here, in one indispensible volume, are Nina’s ultimate rules of style to help you uncover your own signature look.

Street: The Nylon Book of Global Style


Nylon Magazine - 2006
    And if you ask them what magazine gives the best, most authoritative coverage of these outsider fashion incubators, chances are they'll say Nylon.Nylon here combines its street cred and international expertise (the magazine is read in major cities around the world, and has recently launched both Japanese and Australian editions) to reveal the iconic looks in the seven most fashion-forward cities today: London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Melbourne, Copenhagen and New York. Led by acclaimed editor in chief Marvin Scott Jarrett, Nylon's editors, writers, and photographers cover these cities' trends with the same signature flair, enthusiasm, and eye for the cutting edge that has catapulted the magazine to the top of its demographic. Each chapter opens with an introduction describing the city's particular history, traits, and culture, followed by full-page pictures of each city's stylish residents, showing their creativity in full detail, from Tokyo's famous Goth Lolitas to Copenhagen's casual chic and everything in between. Quotes from each subject tell about who influences their personal style, what they love about their city, and their favorite local stores. Edgy, colorful, and fascinating to look at, Street is a chronicle of diverse urban style that you won't be able to put down.

Freehand Fashion: Learn to sew the perfect wardrobe - no patterns required!


Chinelo Bally - 2015
    She wowed the judges with her ability to create stylish, fitted garments using a freehand cutting method that was taught to her by an aunt. In Freehand Fashion, Chinelo lets us in to the secret of how she does it. Using a series of basic garment blocks, she explains how this innovative technique can be used to create a whole wardrobe of fashionable clothes that will fit every shape and size - with no patterns required. Based on a traditional Nigerian technique, Chinelo has developed her own freehand cutting method. The emphasis is on the individual’s own body measurements, and getting the perfect fit. This is a surprisingly simple technique that anyone can learn. No fancy equipment is needed - just a sewing machine, measuring tape, chalk and of course a good pair of scissors. Using step-by-step illustrations, the book shows how to draft, cut and construct the five basic blocks that are used - either singly or in combination - to make every item of clothing in the wardrobe. Once you have your basic blocks, you are ready to tackle the projects - practical garments that are fashionable, modern, stylish and versatile. There are tops, skirts, day dresses and eveningwear. This is an exciting sewing technique that will be brand new to most people, even experienced dressmakers. There really are no limits - and the beauty of this technique is that it can be applied to any body shape.

The Hundred Dresses: The Most Iconic Styles of Our Time


Erin McKean - 2013
    Wearing a dress is a powerful way for women to express themselves--and every style conveys a different message. Inspired by the Eleanor Estes' children's classic The Hundred Dresses, Erin McKean's classic-to-be by the same title, with chic illustrations by Donna Mehalko, is a definitive look at the dresses, vintage and modern, that make an inarguable statement about the woman who wears them.Each evocatively illustrated entry identifies one of a hundred different dresses accompanied by a witty and informative look at the history of that particular style, famous wearers (if applicable), and what message, subtle or overt, is conveyed by the dress. Notes on where such a style could be observed and accessories of the wearer are also included.Featured are The Wench; The Sari; The Vreeland; The Wrap; The Austen; The Beckham; The Siren (any style, as long as it's red); The Chanel Ingenue; The Caftan; The Guinivere; The Jackie; The Slip Dress; The Biohazard (any dress dangerous to bystanders or the wearer: think Lady Gaga); and scores more. The book also includes a suggested reading list of fashion books, dresses from literature, and an index.Part style commentary, part fashion blueprint, part clever field guide, The Hundred Dresses will ensure that no woman (or man) ever underestimates the power of the dress.