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

Faith Blakeney (Author), Justina Blakeney (Author), Anka Livakovic (Author), Ellen Schultz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2006

Extraordinarily clever ways to transform any ordinary T-shirt.

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Collectively known as Compai, Faith and Justina Blakeney, Anka Livakovic, and Ellen Schultz are the force behind the book and the founders of a new fashion movement. Visit them online at compai.com.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 208 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft (March 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307345564
• ISBN-13: 978-0307345561
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 1.1 x 6.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really, WAY too much fun for the young fashionista, May 28, 2006

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special (Spiral-bound)

Ok. Mom. You have a 15 year old daughter. It's summer and school is out, or it's the deeps of winter and the dreaded boredom has set in. What to do? Get this book and have your kid cut up some flea market tee shirts and make any (or almost any) of these 99 styles.

Firstly, this book is probably not filled with designs for those of us, the invisible women "d'un certain age." I mean if you are middle aged. If your tummy hangs out with a lot of dimples and your back is less than sleek and taut. So unless you are whippet slim or very daring with your skin exposure, you yourself are not going to wear most of these items. However, if you do wear young fashions, hang out your midriff with pride, then there are a lot of fun tops in this book and you can have a year's worth of shopping in an instant, or nearly so, by cutting up WallyWorld clearance shirts and having a blast.

My favorite design in the book is "Sarit"--it's a cap-sleeved "shrug-and-v-neck" design. By clever cutting and tying, you get a sort of tied shrug over a window-v-neck fluttery top. Very cute. No one said you couldn't fire up the old glue gun or get out the fabric puff paint and embellish these models, either.

There are a lot of halters (as one would expect), some lace-up sides, and some VERY bare versions that the 15 year old will want and you will ...not want her to wear. Ever. Even so, this book is a closet of summer wear in a spiral bound book and if you have a crafty kid or if you are crafty, you can't go wrong here. Very clever stuff, and some designs are cute-to-die-for.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Book!, March 13, 2006

By 

Rachel Schau (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special (Spiral-bound)

I recently bought this book, and was so pleasantly surprised by it, that I immediately bought 3 more for gifts! The illustrations are just gorgeous, and all of the instructions are easy to follow and simple. This book transformed my wardrobe! Anyone can transform old t-shirts into new and fabulously stylish shirts. The designs in this book are so creative.
Also, this book would make an outstanding gift! I want to display mine in my house, I keep it on the coffee table (when I am not using it to transform!)
I would highly highly reccommend this book to anyone who a) wants to re-vamp their wardrobe, b) is style-conscious or savvy...c) is a beginner or advanced at t-shirt rehab or d) anyone at all! It's great! Buy 3!

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Looks for Your T-Shirts, April 8, 2006

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special (Spiral-bound)

Here's what the San Francisco Chronicle says about the book:
"...an ugly old T-shirt taking up space in your drawer can become something much, much better with a good-quality pair of scissors and a little ingenuity. You can cut new necks or sleeves and holes in strategic places, do lacing or ties. With two swipes of the sewing machine, a boxy shirt becomes a baby T. You can do shirring or ruching (i.e., making attractive wrinkles or bunches), make ruffles or add lace or ribbons, safety pins or other embellishments. T-shirts can become skirts, shorts or bags."
At last, something I can do with the blah t-shirts that I keep shoving to the bottom of the stack. I'd seen some fancied up t-shirts at craft fairs and never imagined that I could make nice looking ones myself. This book gets you past your fear of cutting. What do you have to lose, but a few shirts that you aren't wearing anyway? V.Allain