Make, Sew and Mend

I cannot exactly recall when I first came across Bernadette Banner's YouTube Channel, but it was soon after the first Covid lockdown happened.  I spent days pouring over her lovely videos, eagerly anticipating the next.  It may have began as background noise in the sewing room, but I will admit that I became distracted by the wonderful story telling and did not get a whole lot of sewing done while those videos were playing. 

Part of the draw was memories of my early days of garment sewing, focusing on much more historical silhouettes than I do these days, though my attempts were much more costume-like than historically accurate, I will be the first to admit.

So when I was approached by Page Street Publishing about Bernadette's new book, Make, Sew and Mend:  Traditional Techniques to Sustainably Maintain and Refashion Your Clothes, I was excited to see what she would have to say, especially with her general emphasis on hand sewing.

And the book does a wonderful job of running through the basics, from choosing fabrics, to the importance of pressing (I will second that!).  But the book also includes information on things like clappers and needle boards, some basics on tailoring, and reminders not to get bogged down in obsessing over perfection at each step.  So whether you are a true beginner, or a pro who wants to add another reference guide to the library, I think that this book is an excellent choice.

The inclusion of directions on darning and the most beautiful examples of patching that I have ever seen is a testament that this book successfully leads you from the creation of a beloved garment all the way to caring for and maintaining that item - which is exactly what is promised, right there on the cover of the book.

There are also some wonderful photos of antique clothing innards, which I always find fascinating.  Sure, the photos of Haute Couture gowns are glorious, but show me the insides!!  I want to see how it's all put together!

I would have loved to have this book in my library as I was first delving into apparel sewing many years ago.  Bernadette makes it clear that you can begin your sewing journey with little more than needle, thread, and cloth (and an iron, of course!).  The only reference to machine stitching is found in an image on the Dedication page, an antique hand cranked sewing machine which I believe is the very machine I have seen Ms. Banner use in some of her videos.

Congratulations to Bernadette on her first book!  I would highly recommend Make, Sew and Mend for beginners as well as highly experienced sewists that will be reminded of the joys of taking things slow and enjoying the process while paging through this book.  

Bernadette's enthusiasm is infectious, and I am going to do my best to take her advice to keep up with my mending!  Why is it so very difficult to find the motivation to secure a single button on that purchased cardigan?  I have also been reminded that cartridge pleating has been on my to-do list of techniques to try . . . will this finally be the year?!

[A review copy of Make, Sew and Mend was sent to me, but the opinions expressed here are my own.]

The Dress Thief: A Book Review

One of my dreams is to sit in an haute couture workhouse in Paris for a day or two and watch the artists at work.  Oh, to be a fly on the wall and watch such dreams of silk and lace become a reality!  Reading The Dress Thief has renewed my longing to spend even a few hours in such an environment.

But it is not all delicious silk and sparkly sequins - although there is plenty of that to enjoy as well!  This novel by Natalie Meg Evans is a wonderful look into the heart and soul of a Parisian haute couture house in the late 1930s.  Working your fingers to the bone every day with needle and thread is hard work and not very glamorous, but being surrounded by such beauty might just make up for it.

The story involves the inner workings of design piracy and the lengths involved to get copies of couture garments to customers clamoring for them in New York and beyond.

There is a bit of intrigue, romance, a few secrets, a mysterious character or two to keep everyone guessing, and a gifted young ingénue to guide the reader through to the end.

I would absolutely recommend The Dress Thief as a delightful and entertaining read.  And if you happen to appreciate a well made vintage frock, well, this story is tailor-made for you!

[A review copy of The Dress Thief was sent to me, but the opinions expressed here are my own.]

The Magic Pattern Book: A Review & Giveaway

Today I have a book review for you:  The Magic Pattern Book by Amy Barickman!

The premise of this sewing book is a wearable wardrobe made from six basic patterns which can be transformed into many, many different looks.  Included is a tank top, skirt, dress, cardigan, coat, hat, and tote bag.

The Magic Pattern Book is geared towards the beginner, and uses a very intuitive approach to teach garment sewing.

The book also includes basic construction techniques that will be quite helpful for anyone interested in learning to sew.

Each individual pattern also includes a few sidebars with suggested design changes and fabric choices to keep you thinking of even more creative uses for the base patterns.

The patterns in the book are included on a CD in sizes S-XXL.  Finished garment measurements are noted on the first page of each individual design; for instance, the "Anne" shift dress ranges from a finished bust of 38" - 45.5".  Most patterns work directly from body measurements, so I am not sure why this choice was made.  And yes, these are PDF patterns.  This is my least favorite part of the book, and unfortunately, it seems to be a growing trend.

What I really love about this book is the fact that it encourages beginners to be creative with pattern pieces and fabric choices right from the start.  Six basic patterns may seem limiting, but in reality, it takes away some of the guess work while still allowing for creativity.  (I clearly remember sitting at the pattern book table in JoAnn Fabrics many years ago and feeling completely overwhelmed by hundreds of choices, none of which were exactly what I was looking for - this book would have been very helpful at that moment.)

I think Amy has created a clever approach for someone interested in learning to make their own self-made wardrobe.  There is a lot of wonderful information contained within the pages of her new book, but it remains very approachable.  The illustrated diagrams are clear and concise, and the overall layout of the book is easy to follow.  And best of all, while working your way through several iterations of one basic pattern, you cannot help but learn how to do the same for any design you come across in the future.  

Workman Publishing has generously offered a copy of The Magic Pattern Book to one lucky U.S. resident.  To enter, leave a comment on this post - if you like, tell me what your next sewing project will be.  The giveaway will close at midnight on October 21st PDT.  

And make sure to check out the rest of the blog tour!

October 15          Four SquareWalls

October 16          Pink Chalk Studio

October 17          City Stitching with Christine Haynes

October 20          Cut Out & Keep

October 21          He Sowed, She Sewed

October 22          Chic Steals

October 23          Threads

October 24          Indygo Junction

[A copy of this book was sent to me for review, but the opinions expressed here are my own.]

Blind Stitches: A Book Review

Before my trip to New York, I was contacted about reviewing the latest book from J. B. Chicoine, Blind Stitches.

Well, my knitting did not get much attention during the trip, and neither did the book – there was just too much to distract me in Manhattan.  But on the journey home, I pulled out the book and settled in for some quality time with the novel, and to rest my weary feet. 

I was absolutely exhausted, but the story line immediately grabbed my attention and managed to drown out the noisy children on the plane ride home.  I made it half-way through the novel before my eyes started stinging with exhaustion (thank you, delayed late-night flight).  Thanks to the twists and turns in the plot I was dying to make it to the end to find out the Solvay family secret, but my eyes were not having it.  By the next day, I needed to know the ending!  

The story is compelling and much darker than I was expecting (I do not really agree with the "contemporary romance" classification).  It reads more like a thriller/mystery to me, which makes for an exciting read.

A book review might seem an odd choice for a sewing blog, but there is a definite tie in - the main character is a seamstress by trade, and there are sewing references throughout the book, as one character's bridal gown is a crucial piece of the puzzle.

This holiday weekend, I pulled the book out again . . . mysteries are always worth a second read, in my opinion - I love picking up all the little clues the author left her readers that were missed the first time around!

If you are looking for your next read, I would highly recommend Blind Stitches as a very enjoyable story with wonderfully fleshed out characters and a healthy dose of sewing added to the mix!

"Talented young seamstress Juliet Glitch has been putting the finishing touches on a wedding dress for socialite, Nadia Solvay. When Nadia’s father dies unexpectedly two weeks before the wedding, mother of the bride, Olga Solvay, a former prima ballerina and Russian expatriate, asks Juliet to hem her son Nikolai’s trousers for the funeral. He has just returned to America from England, where he has been attending a “school for the blind.”

Juliet’s life in the small but elite community of Historia, New Hampshire, is complicated. Her nineteen-year-old brother, Rome, has Asperger’s, and their aunt, with whom they live, raises chickens and hoards junk. After meeting Nikolai, Juliet finds herself drawn to the intense and serious young man who is not what she expected. As Nikolai and Juliet spend time together, they embark on a psychological and emotional journey into family dysfunction and repressed memories surrounding his mother’s defection from the Soviet Union twenty years earlier. Set against the backdrop of autumn 1989, during the Glasnost era, Nikolai’s family secrets crash alongside the crumbling Berlin Wall." 

[A review copy of Blind Stitches was sent to me, but the opinions expressed here are my own.]

eShakti Dress Review

A couple of months ago I was contacted by eShakti and asked if I would like to review one of their products.  And I have to admit that the idea of someone making a dress just for me was rather exciting, even if I was quite skeptical about the quality of the garment that would arrive at my door.  So I decided that I would take the opportunity to honestly review the product as someone obsessed with seam finishing and quality craftsmanship, and extremely wary of the mall and ready-to-wear garments.

There are many, many cute styles on the website, so it is certainly worth taking a gander, if only for inspiration on fabric pairings or neckline options.  The choice for a review was limited (which is to be expected) and it was challenging to find something I thought I would be happy with, and something that I could not easily make for myself.

My first choice was a red cotton poplin frock with a bird motif in blue.  The color pairing was not my favorite, and since the company prides itself on its customization, I sent an email asking if it would be possible to swap fabric colors for another cotton poplin (even though this was not an option given on the website) – I knew it was unlikely, but it never hurts to ask.  The more I looked at the dress, the more it seemed that the motifs I originally assumed were appliqués were embroidered directly on the dress.  How wonderful would it be if you could also customize those color choices?!  So I also asked about that.  Instead of an answer to either question, I was sent an email asking me to choose another dress since that particular fabric selection was limited.  Well, that was fine, but I was actually not interested in the given fabric, and what about my actual questions?!

  

In the end, I decided on a knit dress.  My choice has already disappeared from the site, although the same silhouette is still available.

I ordered a size up to avoid looking like a stuffed sausage – which is just my personal issue with knits and the idea of negative ease.

There are numerous sleeve/length options for certain styles.  I wanted to make some sort of alteration to see what the company would do with that information, so I opted for a three-quarter sleeve, a knee length skirt, and removed the pockets.

The skirt is really short, even though height information is entered before purchase – not sure what happened there?!  If it was a suitable knee length for someone who is 5’6” tall, I would get a lot more wear out of this garment, but it would need 3 or perhaps 4 more inches added to accomplish this.  To be fair, I did not mention the fact that I am long-waisted, and the dress is a good 2 inches too short in that area (when I alter patterns, I only have to add ¾ - 1” to the torso length).  And while I think the dress is quite small for the size, the customized sleeves are ridiculously big.

Then there was the issue with DHL delivery.  About ten days after I received an email that the dress had been shipped, I checked in with eShakti regarding my order since I had not heard anything and did not have the dress in hand.  I had supposedly “refused delivery.”  The DHL drivers evidently do not know how to read an obvious sign on a keypad entry system, and therefore could not get into my secured apartment building.  After multiple explanations about this with telephone operators at DHL (they finally called me after, I assume, eShakti called them), I gave up and had the package redirected to my office.  So eShakti completed the custom order in nine days which was a quick turnaround, but then DHL needed eighteen days to deliver.  I have never had a problem with UPS or FedEx delivering to my building, so I am hoping that I never have to deal with DHL again. 

And while this is certainly not the fault of eShakti, delivery was not a pleasant experience.  If you are ordering frocks for a special occasion with a specific date, I would make sure to allow plenty of time!

But back to the dress . . .

It was shown with a belt and the description said it was included, but that portion of the garment never arrived.  My disappointment with that was that I missed out on the opportunity to see how much ease they think is necessary for the given waist measurement.  Since most of the dresses produced by eShakti use elastic at the back waistband, this measurement can be easily fudged on the dress itself.  It is a very clever use of elastic, and much more flattering than using it all the way around the waistline, in my opinion.

The dress also has a side zipper which is certainly not necessary in a dress like this.  With the elastic waistband at the back, and the knit fabric, it easily slips over the head.  And to be honest, the zipper insertion was less than lovely.  They really should  have left it out completely.

As a nice touch, lingerie guards are included (although this particular neckline is not very wide and does not require the feature, it is nice to know they made the effort, just the same).

The care label says machine wash.  However, the embroidery was showing signs of wear as soon as I took the dress out of the package, so I think machine washing this dress would make it look ratty.  There are already fuzzy bits in places which does not bode well for an adventure in a washing machine.  Also, because of the dark navy color, a press cloth would have been advisable during construction.  There are a few spots along the princess bust seams that look a bit shiny. 

But that is my hyper-sensitivity to garment construction rearing its ugly head – the dress is certainly acceptable by most ready-to-wear standards.

Overall, I find the customization rather limited for a company that pushes that angle.  There are cute cotton poplin prints and solids that are only available for one or two dresses or skirts.  I would love to see all woven fabric options listed for each woven dress design, and all of the current knit fabric options available for every dress drafted for knits.  Perhaps this would create an inventory nightmare, but I see many styles I like in a fabric that I would not choose.  Making the majority of my wardrobe these days means I have complete control over these issues, so if I am going to purchase a “customizable” dress, I want more options!

While I appreciate the idea of this company, in practice, it is not different enough from ready-to-wear to get me to put aside my sewing needles and fabric.  But for those who are looking for a cute dress with a few more options than the local mall, eShakti is definitely a viable option.

Just to be clear, I was actually much less disappointed that I was expecting to be.  The cotton knit fabric is quite nice, and the overall dress is cute.  And I certainly appreciate the opportunity to try something new!

If you would like to get your own eShakti dress, feel free to use coupon code "lamades" to get 10% OFF when you shop at eShakti – valid through July 2, 2014.

Please note:

Code has to be entered in the ‘promotional code’ box.   It is not case-sensitive.  

Code can be used any number of times until the validity period. 

It can be clubbed with any other promotional offer, gift coupon or gift card in the same order unless explicitly specified otherwise in the offer conditions.

This discount code is not applicable on clearance / sale, gift cards & overstock categories.

Not applicable on previous purchases.

Dress:  eShakti

Shoes:  Halogen

[Disclosure:  This dress was sent to me for review by eShakti, but the opinions expressed here are my own.]

Draping, The Complete Course: A Review

As you may already know, Laurence King Publishing has a new treat for those of us who love the sewing process!  Draping, The Complete Course is a stunning 320 page tome.  And it is currently available for pre-order (the release date is set for October 1st).

While I have been sewing for many, many years, I know little to nothing about draping.  But this book is going to change all that!

It is HEAVY! Or perhaps a better word would be substantial – and chock full of wonderful inspiration as well as extensive instructional information. 

The book takes you through what might be described as an intensive class or workshop as the pages unfold.

Starting with more basic projects and then working through much more complicated designs, Ms. Karolyn Kiisel runs through skirts, blouses, dresses, pants, working with knits, and even on the bias.  Proportion, design, functionality, shape, and three dimensional form are discussed at length.

The projects include contemporary and vintage designs, classic silhouettes, runway looks and even a few familiar red carpet pieces that the reader can recreate by following clear and concise diagrams.

Stunning photographs of the "finished" garment made from muslin are also included.  Some people might find them odd and perhaps unfinished looking, but personally, I think they are stunning.

And if hundreds of detailed pictures are not enough, a DVD is also included to help walk the reader though the process.  That being said, a basic knowledge of apparel sewing is a prerequisite – I believe this book would be quite overwhelming for a true beginner.

This is a comprehensive look at the art of draping, and if you are looking to scratch the surface or even master more complex designs, this is definitely a book to have on hand!

[Disclosure:  I received this book from Laurence King Publishing in exchange for a review, but the opinions expressed are my own.]