Affordable Heirlooms (Creative Machine Arts) [Paperback]

Edna Powers (Author), Gaye Kriegel (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Chilton Book Co (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801986478
• ISBN-13: 978-0801986475
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,943,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Find Heirlooms, Cut up Heirlooms, Sew to new 'heirlooms"., June 13, 2011

By 

Marilyn (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Affordable Heirlooms (Creative Machine Arts) (Paperback)

I can sum this book up in a few sentences:

Get a bunch of fancy linens at a garage sale or your grandmother's attic. Handkerchiefs, hand stitched pillowcases, etc. Then use them on projects, use them as collars, edges on dresses, and anywhere else you can think of. Stitch them on fabrics to make fancy collages, then use those collages to make things like pillows.

Now, if you would like a book to expand upon that, you should get this. It's not that this book is 'bad' persay, it's just not very deep. Once you have the concept down, you can do it! Go, sew handkerchiefs to things! On things! Against things! Find old tatting! Sew it on things! What do you need? A dress! Sew a handkerchief on! A towel? Add tatted lace on the hem!

Every example says things like "supplies needed: Handkerchiefs, hand embroidered pillowcase, commercial sewing pattern of a teddybear." Then, they say, "You should lay out your teddybear pattern something like this! (On the pillowcase and handkerchief.) Then, use the pattern and sew together as directed!


It should be noted, there are NO patterns in this book. There are just "get a commercial pattern". They mostly talk about things like, "if you have a pillowcase, you don't have to put side seams in your dress pattern! So just, chop off the top seam of the pillowcase, and sew it on as the skirt!"

I would not say this is a very good book on affordable heirlooms, on that concept. I'd be happier if they said, "Hey, thread is cheap! Make things fancier and more heirloom like by hand stitching on embroideries!" Or perhaps, teaching you to tat! Instead they just are saying things like, "go find a bunch of already heirloom pillowcases and handkerchiefs, and then chop them up for your projects! Tada!"