Cheap Frills: Fabulous Facelifts for Your Clothes (Hardcover)

by Jennifer Knapp (Author) "Even if you make ritual offerings of big boxes of chocolate to the Goddess Audrey Hepburn, everybody, from comfy-sweater gal to glamour princess, has one..." (more)
Key Phrases: Needle Thread, Iron Needle, Pins Needle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
You want the beaded skirt but you don't want to surrender your life's savings. You own several so-so sweaters that lack a certain je ne sais quoi and are better left in the closet. Cheap Frills is guaranteed to solve these fashion crises and more. With over forty simple ideas that use ribbons, beads, sequins, and other easy-to-find trimmings, the projects in Cheap Frills will have readers converting their humdrum garments into one-of-a-kind fashion statements before they can say avant garde. From the I Dream of Genie Top accented with sparkly sequins to a Snow Bunny sweater trimmed with soft faux sheepskin, these great do-it-yourself couture ideas range from sophisticated to whimsical, but always wearable. A practical resource guide offers a host of good ideas for where to get the materials used in the book, and an illustrated techniques section makes it a snap to learn all the basic stitches. Illustrated throughout with colorful photographs and drawings, Cheap Frills has something for every mood, be it hot or haute.

About the Author
Jennifer Knapp began her crafty career as the prize crayon-eater of Bay View Kindergarten. She is the author of Go Go Dogs and Retro Revamp.

David Armstrong is a photographer who lives and works in San Francisco. His previous books include Bead Girl.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 124 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811830195
• ISBN-13: 978-0811830195
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,260,039 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars sweet book, but not as useful as I had hoped..., November 1, 2001

By	"notpink" (MN baby!) - See all my reviews

Jennifer takes her folk-art-meets-kindergarden-class explosion to your closet in this follow-up to Retro Revamp, her home decorating/ crafts book.

The strongest thing about this book is the "no-rules" approach as to choosing materials when approaching a project. PomPom balls from tacky old curtains, ribbons of all kinds, fabric scraps from the church basement rummage sale- any scrap, trim, doodad or doohickey is considered fair game whether sewing, re-vamping, or simply jazzing up some of your clothes. You will NEVER read anything about do's and don'ts, i.e., not mixing polka dots and plaid or mixing neon yellow with green zebra stripes. If anything this is ENCOURAGED by the author, and the result is a very freeing and creative alternative to your schoolmarm sewing books. A woman is encouraged to go as loud or as subdued as she pleases.

Also a plus is the simple techniques illustrated and basic materials used. You can find anything you need at a crafts store, or probably even the crafts section of your local discount superstore chain. Don't know how to sew- no problem- the projects will work for crafters of all skill levels.

My only complaint was that a number of the clothes were too costumey for everyday wear- for example, an over-the-top "gypsy skirt" and a puffy, cropped blouson top. And some of the clothes were also a little too revealing for my tastes- lots of cropped shirts and itty-bitty tank tops here. But, some of the projects are real gems- I like the purse and accessory projects best.

Overall, this is a great book to get if you're looking for inspiration to get funky with your clothes. If you're into unusual, loud get-ups, all the better: you can wear this stuff every day. But for those of us with more reserved tastes, this book makes for some nice projects to wear on a fun evening out.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cheap Frills Worth The Purchase, July 15, 2003

By	Eva L. Finnerty (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a look at the lighter side of updating, embellishing and creating new wardrobe pieces. There's a good mix of projects (everything from jazzing up an old pair of pumps to crafting a simple dress from scratch)and the instructions are simple and straight forward.
While the majority of ideas in this book aren't suited for "grown-ups" the creative inspiration and basic techniques make this book an entertainging and worthy resource.
I borrowed this book from the library twice and made several dresses before finally shelling out the bucks to buy and it's earned a promenant place on my craft table.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book For An Eclectic Crafter, July 27, 2004

By	hansel-cat "hansel-cat" - See all my reviews

I absolutely love this book! The day I got it I went straight to work altering one of my white t-shirts into a cute little peasant top. I have also embellished a tank top, and am working on the Bohemian-esque skirt. This book was well worth the money I spent on it. I love how the author lets you be creative with how you make the projects, she provides the standard directions plus variations of the projects. You do not have to be a great seamtress to enjoy this book just a willing one. Also you can use whatever you have at home to bring your old clothes back to life. A snip here, a doodad here and you have a cool piece of clothing!