Sweat Shop Paris: Lessons in Couture from the Sewing Cafe [Paperback]

Martena Duss (Author), Sissi Holleis (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 15, 2011

From the trendy Sweat Shop—the first sewing café in Paris—a collection of cool sewing, knitting, and crochet projects to inspire community and creativity!

The Sweat Shop Book brings the namesake Paris Sweat Shop founded by Martena Duss and Sissi Holleis to North America with more than 50 DIY fashion and home projects, including instructions and more than 200 helpful, inspiring full-color photographs. The first "cafe couture" sewing shop in Paris, the Sweat Shop was named to highlight the questionable nature in which store-bought clothing is sometimes made. Instead of rewarding dubious labor practices, the Sweat Shop and The Sweat Shop Book inspire crafters to make something unique with their own sweat equity and creativity.

Crafters meet at the cafe and share ideas while renting equipment by the hour. In addition, classes teach novices how to sew, knit, crochet, and much more. Translating the Sweat Shop experience into book form, The Sweat Shop Book features experts in the Parisian fashion industry as they offer "master classes" to share their secrets and techniques.

With help from experts such as Madame Vava Dudu, who creates looks for Lady Gaga, and fashion stylist Sonia Rykiel, crafters of every skill level will learn how to mend a seam, make a dress from a pattern, and design and create something from scratch inside The Sweat Shop Book. Additionally, the book includes recipes for cafe fare, Duss and Holleis's Paris picks, and a French and English glossary. Bring Paris's couturiers home, learn secrets from the pros, and rediscover the joy of handmade, homemade fashion with The Sweat Shop Book.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

More than one year ago, two artist types—in fashion and cosmetics—joined forces in the tenth arrondissement of Paris to open what they call, tongue in cheek, a sweat shop, which is actually a site dedicated to the home- and handmade and to the sociability of a drop-in community. Retailers Duss and Holleis share their visitors’ ideas and crafts in some funky, irreverent pages. More than two-dozen sewing or knitting or customized projects are at the ready, each with great step-by-step illustrations or photographs, all indicating level of mastery—simple or medium or advanced. Try fast-and-easy house booties or a quick-knit fishnet sweater with big needles. More complicated are Delphine’s jeans masks and Todi’s jacket, detailed instructions notwithstanding. This is a potpourri of, well, the unusual and the spirited, the soulful and the sassy, any hip, outré, and fun crafter will gravitate to this crafts home-away-from-home. --Barbara Jacobs

About the Author

In March 2010, Martena Duss and Sissi Holleis opened the Sweat Shop, the first sewing café in Paris, near the trendy boutiques of Canal St. Martin. Duss is a Swiss makeup artist. Holleis is from Austria, where she had her own fashion store and label. In addition to carving a niche in Parisian society, the Sweat Shop has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Elle, the New York Times, Le Monde, the Guardian, and Marie Claire.

Online:

sweatshopparis.com

In March 2010, Martena Duss and Sissi Holleis opened the Sweat Shop, the first sewing café in Paris, near the trendy boutiques of Canal St. Martin. Duss is a Swiss makeup artist. Holleis is from Austria, where she had her own fashion store and label. In addition to carving a niche in Parisian society, the Sweat Shop has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Elle, the New York Times, Le Monde, the Guardian, and Marie Claire.

Online:

sweatshopparis.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; Original edition (November 15, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1449408400
• ISBN-13: 978-1449408404
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #877,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Indie fashions for D.I.Y. types December 1, 2011

By Shala Kerrigan TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

In what's described as the heart of Paris, there is a place called Sweat Shop. It's a cafe couture, you go and rent a sewing machine, or take a class, have a sweet, and sew and socialize.

This book isn't about high couture sewing techniques, making slopers, darts and seam techniques. It's more indie, more personal. It's about designing unique and artistic clothes for yourself.

It really thrills my hippie D.I.Y. soul.

The introduction talks about where the idea came from, some history of the area the shop is in, and photos of neighboring shops with descriptions that will make you wish you were in Paris.

The index has a rating system for how difficult the projects are, and the ratings are accurate, but there is nothing in this book that my 16 year old daughter couldn't do. In the case of the hardest projects which have 3 triangles beside them, there are new techniques to try, but they are all explained well enough that she could make them.

The projects have instructions for drafting patterns and are all photographed and explained so that as long as you know how to use a sewing machine, you can learn the techniques, start with the simpler projects and work your way up to things like the sewn then painted Todti's Jacket. There is knitting, embellishment, sewing, shirring, bead weaving on a cardboard loom, and lots of other fun techniques in this book.

My daughter and I went over this one together, because I was curious to see what would excite her. She liked Sandrine's Flapper Trousers which are lace embellished overalls. I liked the 80s feel to Todti's Jacket and the idea of using it as a canvas. I loved the Plaid Blanket Cape because it reminds me a lot of the drama of my mother's capes, and the easy fit of the Tulip Dress for spring, she preferred The Martena floppy hat, and the Banana Bag which is a very wearable belt bag that doesn't at all look like those awful pouches from the past. We both loved the Quick-Knit Fishnet Sweater for a comfortable look.

A lot of the projects in the book can be made using thrift store and garage sale finds or things that might already be in your closet unworn.

The end of the book is full of recipes so you can really give yourself the feel of Sweat Shop at home with treats like Sissy's Chocolate Cake, made without flour and so pretty with a lace like dusting of powdered sugar. For a more spicy treat for people who don't like chocolate as well, Nordic Cardamon Bread.

Make a treat, brew some coffee, invite some friends and their sewing machines over.

[I received a complimentary copy of the book to review on my craft blog- Don't Eat the Paste. My reviews are always my honest opinion]

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Parisian collection of sewing, knitting, recipes and other projects February 9, 2012

By bluetwilight

Format:Paperback

I have to say wow, this is quite a collection. The Sweat Shop in Paris sounds like a wonderful place and I already want to go. The book starts off with colorful, fun photos and an intriguing introduction to the neighborhood itself; bistros and characters and such.

Then we jump into sewing patterns. It starts with a basic tote and t-shirt pattern that I think I could follow easily. All the patterns are good about having pictures as you go and simple steps such as how to measure pieces. They also are in cm and inches, which was a relief since we use different systems between US and Europe.

I don't think I'd wear/make some of the items like the skort and jackets, but the hat looks cute, the tulip dress quite wearable and the booties really nice for around the house.

Then the book surprised me with a knitting section. Since I knit better than I sew, I was pretty excited. The basic sweater looks very good although I will need to do a little research on some of the steps, which were not quite as clear as the sewing ones.

Next we're onto customizations, another section. It had ideas for sewing doilies onto sweaters and other garments, how to make your own fabric and an awesome cape made from a blanket. The idea for fixing a pair of sound but blemished shoes is genius for shoe lovers.

The book seemed endless - it popped up with some tips for painting walls of your house and a section on French recipes that look incredibly delicious. The last, smallest section was a collection of picks such as restaurants, music, entertainment and other things to do when you're in Paris.

I love that it has a range of easy peasy projects all the way to more complicated.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative ideas! December 3, 2011

By CuteEverythingcom TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

The Sweat Shop Paris is a little place in France run by Martena Duss and Sissi Holleis, that offers people the opportunity to escape everyday life and sit, sew, chat and snack. Since I first began taking sewing classes as a child and continued taking them throughout my teenage years, sewing has always been a big part of my life. So, I was intrigued to get a look into the Paris sewing and crafting scene and enjoyed being able to take my own private "masters class" with their talented experts, like Vava Dudu, who styles for many people, including Lady Gaga. Each artist shares their own creativity with ideas like a cardigan embellished with a crocheted doily, flapper trousers or fuzzy knitted house socks.

The main focus of Sweat Shop Paris is offering suggestions for embellishing your current clothes that may need a little updating. I also love to use thrift store finds for this purpose as well. Sweat Shop Paris gives a fascinating insider look at Paris through this cutting-edge Sewing Cafe and even includes delicious recipes that the ladies serve to their customers and guests!