Threadbared: Decades of Don'ts from the Sewing and Crafting World (Paperback)

by Kimberly Wrenn (Author), Mary Watkins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
No pattern company goes unscathed and no design style is left without remarks, often humorous. Two proud-to-be-southerners, hosts of the Threadbare.com Web site, sharpen pens and tongues on the sewing, knitting, and crocheting trends of the years between the 1940s and the 1980s. Although Wrenn and Watkins admit to knowing nothing about the how-to's of any craft, they gleefully tear apart the styles and mores of the period. Men in cardigans? Yep. Caption a series of make-it-yourself catalog covers? Absolutely. Plus, a number of southernisms are evoked, like grocery-store feet, as well as an implied drawl throughout the monologue. Also, new words appear, such as crobra (that is, a crocheted bra) or manotards (one-piece clothing for men). It's a one-trick, one-read perspective that wears a bit thin after, say, 80 or so pages, but enjoy for a minute or 10. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Authors Kimberly Wrenn and Mary Watkins don't know how to sew...but they'll have you in stitches with their new book. From the kitschy crafting patterns of the '40s to the orange and brown yarns of the '80s, this tongue-in-cheek picture book questions, "What were they thinking?"

--Jezebel magazine

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (November 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307342077
• ISBN-13: 978-0307342072
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #800,656 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Popular Blog turns out witty book, January 15, 2007

By	S. Carrero "slycreations" (San Antonio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love reading Threadbared's blog -- and I thoroughly enjoyed the snarky sarcasm in this book. The only reason I didn't rate it a 5 is because there are too many times that the humor is based on the colors in the photo -- only for us the reader -- all of the photos are in black and white.
Hey gals -- when you get ready to write another book (and I certainly hope you will), try to look at the photos in black and white and re-read your original entries. It'll help you weed out the ones that only make sense in color. (or you could publish the book in color -- but that's probably too pricey of an option.)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will Keep You In Stitches! , January 10, 2007

By	molly32 (USA) - See all my reviews

Not sure what the negative reviews are all about - this book is hilarious! I've been a fan of the Threadbared website for over a year now and was so excited that they had a book coming out! The photos and illustrations are great (how can you not love a "manotard?") and the accompanying text is laugh-outloud funny. What this book is not: a pattern book or a serious analysis of sewing/craft trends. What this book is: a very FUN read and one that would make a great gift for any craft-lover with a sense of humor!

5.0 out of 5 stars Threadbared is a fun read! , June 17, 2008

By	AHC (Tallahassee, FL) - See all my reviews

I really enjoyed the Threadbared book! I was a fan of the authors' web site and was so excited to purchase the book. I have it on my coffee table at home and guests always enjoy flipping through it. We can all relate to looking back through old photos laughing at hairstyles and outfits. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to laugh.