14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creative Ideas--Korean Flair, July 22, 2009
This review is from: Free-Style Handmade Bags & Skirts (Paperback)
I am an experienced sewer...I sew everyday...I have made tailored garments and lingerie...I quilt...I do embroidery by hand and machine...and I REALLY like this book. I would say it accomplishes what it sets out to do: provide creative and fun projects that will result in unique bags and skirts.
In response to previous reviews:
The full sized patterns that come with the book are meant to be traced. We in the U.S. are not used to this, but it very is common in European patterns such as Burda magazine. Instructions are clear and concise and do not leave you guessing, but part of the fun is not being dependent on pre-printed patterns that give cookie-cutter results. The strength of the book is its creative, edgy designs.
The basic skirt patterns provided are in size x-small (the book is Korean) and instructions are given to enlarge as needed, but really, any 99-cent skirt patterns would suffice. The book is about embellishment and customizing the look of the basic silhouettes.
Of the 40+ projects, only 2 involve remaking pants into skirts, and they are from the chapter called "Reform and Remake." This re-purposing of unwanted garments is all the rage among "green" sewers....see the popular Threadbanger website. But there are also dainty, sophisticated, and everyday-casual skirts featured in the book's other chapters. This NOT a "take junk and make other junk" kind of book!!
I think the book's projects will appeal to a wide range of ages and tastes. My college age daughters love the book. I plan on making 2 skirts and 3 bags for myself (and my taste in clothes is hardly avant-garde.) And my mother-in-law has requested the reversible tote for her upcoming 78th birthday!
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great for young people, November 23, 2008
This review is from: Free-Style Handmade Bags & Skirts (Paperback)
This book is perfect for teens and twenties. If you like to rehab old clothes or make your own trendy clothes, this is the book. One of the freshest sewing books I have seen! I looked through it at a bookstore, and plan to put it on my wish list so I can make some of the items for my kids.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great for inspiration, October 5, 2009
This review is from: Free-Style Handmade Bags & Skirts (Paperback)
This book is great for inspiration & had some good tips, but at the same time it wasn't what I thought it would be. The fashions are... definitely not from the U.S. or just outdated. The best new information, to me, was on how to work with vinyl or rubber & how to use grommets.
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