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Twinkle Sews: 25 Handmade Fashions from the Runway to Your Wardrobe [Paperback]

Wenlan Chia
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

List Price: $24.99
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Book Description

September 29, 2009
Many Twinkle fans were first introduced to Wenlan Chia’s signature fresh, young, whimsical style through her knitting books. But before Wenlan knitted, she sewed. And the pieces in her fashion line, Twinkle by Wenlan, are seen not just on the fashion runways and in the pages of InStyle, Lucky, and Vogue, but in high-end stores with high-end prices such as Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Now, with the easy-to-follow instructions, keen advice, and 25 full-size patterns in Twinkle Sews, you can create your own couture! Choose from one of Wenlan’s coveted patterns, including favorites like her Annie Hall Skirt, Origami Blouse, White Magic Dress, and Flapper Camisole. The patterns come in five different sizes–from 0 to 16–and are included on a CD for you to print at home. Each garment has its own PDF pattern that can be printed on 8½" x 11" (21.5cm x 28cm) paper. Follow the simple instructions to assemble the sheets and voilà—full-size patterns are at your fingertips.

Along with providing inventive patterns, Wenlan teaches core home sewing techniques–how to sew a seam, insert a zipper, and interface fabric–and gives you the building blocks of garment construction. You’ll have all the tools you need to turn what you see on glossy magazine pages into what’s hanging in your closet.

From helping you pick the best fabric for each project to providing valuable sewing tips, Wenlan gives you everything you need to sew, unleash your creativity in fabric, and bring your fashion dreams to life. To wear a Twinkle piece is to feel both flirtatious and smart. To make one yourself is all that and more.

Frequently Bought Together

Twinkle Sews: 25 Handmade Fashions from the Runway to Your Wardrobe + The Party Dress Book: How to Sew the Best Dress in the Room + Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified
Price for all three: $51.30

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In fewer than eight years, WENLAN CHIA went from taking night classes at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology
to commanding the runway at New York’s Fashion Week. Her Twinkle line now includes ready-to-wear fashion, home
accessories, fine jewelry, and hand knitting yarn, available in 300 stores nationwide. She is also the author of Twinkle’s Big City Knits, Twinkle’s Weekend Knits, and Twinkle’s Town & Country Knits.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Potter Craft; Pap/Cdr edition (September 29, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 030740935X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0307409355
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.5 x 10.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
72 of 74 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars 1 shirt = kill 1 tree December 6, 2009
By jeeyun
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
There are some cute designs in the book, and the instructions are good. However, the PDF patterns on the CD are so difficult to work with. I don't understand why the author/publisher did not just simply include the designs on pattern paper.

You need 40+ sheets of paper to print out each pattern. Then, somehow you need to find space to lay out 40+ sheets of paper, tape them together, and then cut out the pieces. Thankfully, I have scrap paper that I could print the pattern onto, so I didn't have to kill another tree to make a shirt. However, I have to wait until I accumulate more scrap before I can print out another pattern. As an alternative, I've thought of cutting up pattern paper to 8.5x11 size, attaching those pieces one at a time to a regular piece of paper for printing, but I'm not feeling crazy enough.

There are no specific instructions on how to print out the pages either (stretch to fit or no?), so I printed them out as is. I'm a fairly careful, detail-oriented person, so I tried my best to get the pieces to match up. The small pieces that take up 1 or 2 sheets of paper usually work out fine, but getting the 4+ page pieces to line up properly was a nightmare.

Unless and until the publisher attaches actual patterns on pattern paper, I strenuously advice against buying this book. All the extra work assembling the pattern pieces is not worth it.
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69 of 72 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Wrong Size Chart November 30, 2009
Format:Paperback
The size chart is COMPLETELY WRONG!!! I am a 5'3" petite girl. Each pattern sizes in the book are in different print out files on the CD. I am a normal size 2 (in womens) or size 3 in juniors. But according to the book's size chart; I am a size 6 (based on my measurements). They don't have a size 6 pattern...they only have patterns for sizes 0, 4, 8, 10, 12. So I had to print out the patterns to the closest measurements (the book said to round up). And so I printed out a size 8 pattern. It took me 3 hours to print, cut, and tape the patterns together. I choose the most simple outfit out of the book to start out with and it took 63 pages of printed pages for this pattern! That is a lot of ink and paper...it took 25% of my ink in my brand new printer. And I used a whole roll of tape that I got at the store (thank goodness I went to the dollar store for the tape). And then to my disappointment, the size 8 was way too big for me. So I printed out the size 4 and did the entire process of printing, cutting, and taping again....another 3 hours, 25% of my ink supply, and another roll of tape later....this pattern was wayyyyyyyy too big still....Very FRUSTRATING!!!! Then, I printed out the size 0 and made some minor adjustments and everything worked out! Just so you know, I have been sewing for more than 16 years and have sewed for a living in the past...so I am a very experienced seamstress....and these patterns drives me Nuts!!! Wasted so much of my time and money, Printing, Cutting, and Taping these patterns together. These designs are cute but you must have a lot of patience if you want to use them. Especially if it is the first item that you are making from this book; must test out your size with 1 project first to get an idea of how the size chart applies to you. Also, printing, cutting, and taping these patterns together, they have cost me wayyyyyyy more than if I were to buy the patterns at the fabric store! So keep in mind that this is not going to be a cheap project! Printer ink do not come cheap! Plus who has the time to spend more than 9+ hours to figure out the right patterns to use. I want to spend my valuable time making the outfits already, not sitting there cutting the patterns.
Also, if you are used to using paper patterns at the fabric store (like McCall's, Simplicity, and Vogue), these patterns are NOT the same sizing chart as the professional patterns. These patterns run much bigger than traditional patterns. These patterns are not as easy and simple to use as the professional patterns. Because you first have to print them out, cut the patterns, and tape all of the pages together first, which takes a lot of time. The professional patterns that you buy at the store can be used and cut right out of the package, but NOT these patterns.
Even with printing these patterns on cheap scrap papers and using my printer setting as "Draft" and low quality (to save on ink), it still ended up costing me more money and time than the patterns at the fabric store.
The most simple design in this book will run you about 50-60 pages to print out the pattern. WOWZers!! And all of the other patterns in the book takes an average 60 pages to print out as well. The more complex the pattern the more pages you will have to use.
I do like this book because all of the designs I can see myself wearing. Young, hip, trending, and fun. But the patterns are NOT user friendly. You must have A LOT of time and patience if you want to use the patterns in this book.
And of course, always test your patterns on a mannequin and make a test sample/draft sample on cheaper fabric before you attempt the design on your nice expensive fabrics.
I do like that each design that are shown in the book, there is a page that includes a picture of all of the pattern pieces for that design. This I like and it was very helpful. Because when my patience ran out and I don't want to waste paper, ink, tape, and time to print out the patterns, I can just use the pictures of the patterns to draft my own patterns.
And if you are not advance enough to make your own patterns from this book, you can be creative and use pattern pieces from many different professional patterns (mix and match) and put together your own pieces to use to create a similar look to the ones shown in this book.
Summary: I do like this book and the designs. I just wished that the patterns were a lot less time consuming to put together and use. The publisher should have just include a set of already printed out patterns with this book (like many other sewing and fashion books).
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67 of 70 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars I'm really excited about this book! October 5, 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I couldn't wait to get this book, and when it arrived, I was even more excited to realize I would actually wear 90% of the clothes in it! A couple of tips though:
The yardages are for 60", so keep that in mind when you are buying fabric!! I ran out once, and came very close a second time.

I have made two items so far (in a weekend!) and they are really cute! The biggest drawback is that you have to print the patterns out on 8.5"x11" paper and then piece it together before you can cut them out, which takes a lot of time, paper, ink, and TAPE!! Also, sometimes the paper "puzzle pieces" do not match up correctly. I found that cutting out pieces as you go helps with this. With that being said, I am having a great time, and once the patterns are put together and cut out, you won't have to do it again!

TWINKLE SEWS!!! PS. It also give tips as to where to buy fabric in some cities which led me to the most awesome fabric store in Atlanta!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE THIS BOOK!
GREAT BOOK! I GIVE IT 5 STARS! The book was written really well, had really great photos, and I also LOVE that the book came with a cd of the patterns that I can print the patterns... Read more
Published 1 day ago by Eva Sugai
5.0 out of 5 stars This is really Twinkle..
Just love this book... beautiful pictures and easy to follow instructions. Great ideas to change a boring wardrobe into something more exciting.
Published 4 months ago by beri
2.0 out of 5 stars awesome designs, terrible patterns
The designs are beautiful. The cuts are ingenious. The patterns themselves are terrible.

First, the patterns are printed as a whole when most patterns are supposed to be... Read more
Published 8 months ago by nouvellegamine
5.0 out of 5 stars Design Away
Some of the patterns seem to never go out of style while some of the patterns are a little outdated. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Brenda Verastique
5.0 out of 5 stars great buy
this is a handy book to have if you like sewing your own things but not if you are in a hurry and are looking for simple quick sew and wear.
Published 13 months ago by AA
5.0 out of 5 stars Twinkle Sews
I purchased this item as a x-mas present for my daughter. She raves about the designs and has already started sewing one of the skirts. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Grams
1.0 out of 5 stars If you buy this book also purchase a reem of paper
In order to print 1 pattern out i had to use 20 pieces of paper, then i had to cut and tape them all together. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Jpalagruto
5.0 out of 5 stars SUPER!!!
This book is an amazing addition for anyone who likes being creative with their clothing. The patterns are easy to follow and take a new spin on classic fits.
Published 20 months ago by coreybell
2.0 out of 5 stars Not for the beginning seamstress
My daughter bought this book; she adores most of the clothing in it. I've made the Take Manhattan tunic and will be starting On The Sidelines tomorrow. Read more
Published on February 23, 2011 by J. B. Dian
2.0 out of 5 stars Yesterday's news
Lotsa poof. Some cute, very youth-oriented ideas that were fine for 2009. There might be one or two ideas that will continue to be usable, but mostly out of date for 2011 -- we're... Read more
Published on February 13, 2011 by Andria Senini
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