Reviews (3)

Former Sewer
I just love this book.Patterns are easy and the instructions are easy to follow.A lot of fun things to make.My granddaughter is so excited to have fun new things for her new doll.

Great patterns!A real money-saver!
I love the American Girl Dolls, but the clothes can be expensive--more than $20 per outfit!The outfits in this book look at least as nice as what you can find in the catalog, and with a little imagination I'm sure you could duplicate a lot of their outfits.All of the patterns are included in an envelope in the back, which is nice but I could never figure out how to fold the gigantic sheet so it fits back in there!I'm not a very experienced sewer, yet I was still able to make 3 really cute outfits from these patterns.As a bonus, there are crochet patterns for a hat and purse.

Excellent
I've borrowed several of Joan Hind's books from the library to use in teaching my eleven-year-old daughter to sew.The patterns are numbered and simple to read, and the directions clear and easy to follow.This book was my daughter's favorite because the clothing styles are "what girls wear."I liked that it was an easy text from which to teach.There's a section on "Helping Children Learn to Sew," and at the beginning of each project is a little blurb stating whether this is a good one for the beginner sewer.My daughter could go through the book and decide for herself which designs she wanted to try.She started with the Triangle Scarf and moved on to the A-Line skirt.I needed to help her a bit with the waistband on that one.The Pink Top was also simple, and we substituted ribbon for the shoulder straps to make the project even easier.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Doll clothes    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Patterns    7. Sewing    8. Toymaking - General    9. Fishing, angling    10. Toys, teddy bears & dolls   

Reviews (1)

The best of Threads Magazine pattern alterations
Fitting Solutions has in one book all of the pattern alteration solutions covered in Threads Magazine from 1991--1995.Excellent, easy to read and to follow, sensible dialogue with outstanding illustrations.Saves hours of looking through Threads Magazine for articles.Concentrates on problems above the waist and below the waist.Often, more than one solution included with comments by professionals ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clothing and dress measurement    2. Clothing and dress measurements    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Dressmaking    6. General    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Pattern design    9. Sewing    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing    11. Dressmaking & tailoring   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dye    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Textile Arts - General    7. Textile design    8. Crafts & Hobbies / General    9. Needlework & fabric crafts    10. PHILOSOPHY - PHLSPHY GEN TRD PB   

Editorial Review

Whether you've got a collectible heirloom figure requiring a replacementwardrobe or a poor little naked castoff dolly needing a few outfits, you'll find help inRead more

Reviews (1)

One of the best books on doll dressmaking
I have had this wonderful book for over 3 years and it is full of ideas, patterns and embellishments for porcelain dolls of all kinds. It is a treasure chest in bookform for dollmakers. It is also a beautiful coffee table book that interests my guests. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. General    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Miniatures    6. Needlework - General    7. Toymaking - General    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Miniatures    9. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (8)

Schematics????
I do wish more of DB's books had diagrams.Schematics are essential for gaining a quick understanding of shape and fit of a pattern.Many of her patterns feature photographs that do not adequately reveal details such as the type of sleeve join.

LOVE IT,LOVE IT,LOVE IT! So simple, Yet STUNNING DESIGNS
I just LOVE this book.I borrowed it from the library originally and decided to buy it as it has such simple designs that are super fast to knit.My favourite completed project is a little bow-tied bolero jacket which I made in a lovely scarlett red pure wool from Australia.It looks fantastic and gets compliments everytime my daughter wears it.It is a simple stocking and garter stitch pattern which more than rewards you for the minimal time it took to make.I am off on a buying trip tomorrow to buy the yarn to make the littled beaded cardigan in pale blue cashmerino with glass sead beads embroidered on.I have chosen these designs as they were the only ones which went to a size 24-36 months.I will start on some of the newborn sized items as baby gifts next.I have found no mistakes in the instructions thus far as they are simple, clear and concise but I like that you can check on debbie's website and get a complete list of amendments for all her pattern books typos.At least she provides this as many authors dont!!Highly recommended has simple through to more complicated deigns.Happy knitting!!!!

Handknits for Babies and Toddlers.
Typical Debbie Bliss book. Great follow on and companion to her books for younger children.If you are a fan, and I am, this is for you, if not rey a sensible, useful approach, with stylish, achieveable garments. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Infants' clothing    5. Knitting    6. Life Stages - Infants & Toddlers/General    7. Needlework - Knitting    8. Patterns    9. CHILDREN'S CLOTHING    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Fashion    11. KNITTING_PATTERNS   

Reviews (2)

Great!
This book gave tips on how to revise sweatshirts in ways that I should have thought of years ago but never did. Well worth the price-in fact, it was a steal! I would recommend this book to anyone who can sew.

Your service.
you sold a used book that you had already sold and was not available and I have no way to tell you.I wish I did. so this Read more

Subjects:  1. Applique    2. Appliquâe    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Fashion    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Patterns    8. Sewing    9. Sweatshirts    10. Textile Arts   

Reviews (5)

Best Book for Beginning Tailoring
Like the other reviewers, I borrowed this book from the library, and it was so helpful, I decided I had to buy it.
Good Sewing Book
I have found in my experiences with sewing it is essential to have a profoundly helpful guide nearby. This book is the one I have come to trust and live by. A definite must buy.

Excellent information
I checked this book out of my library three times and finally bought it to have on hand at all times. Very knowledgable lady with excellent credentials. Easy to understand and follow. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Coats    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Jackets    7. Sewing    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing    9. Dressmaking & tailoring   

Reviews (2)

Good and Bad
I have made only one bag so far - the pink shell bag.It was simple and looks great.I put some embellishments of my own on it.I can see making several of these bags for gifts, in different colors, different handles and trims.So for this pattern alone, it was worth the price.
diasppointing
Trisha Malcolm is the editor for this book and series but I think something happened to this one as usually the quality is pretty good on this series. First of all, many of the yarns used are very expensive like Trendsetter yarns. Second: since when are baskets considered bags?There's nothing here I want to make but check out the "Hooked bags" by Margaret Hubert which I gave 5 stars.So of the 22 bags only 20 are original here. You'll find a felted laptop bag and a yoga bag here and a freeform bag which calls for a large variety of hard to find materials. Hubert does have two nice clutches here but the yarns are fancier than what she used in her own book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Crocheting    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Needlework - Crocheting    7. Needlework - Knitting    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Knitting    9. Crochet    10. FICTION - FICTION TRD PB   

Reviews (6)

Not bad
I enjoyed this book, more for the ideas it gave me than for the actual designs themselves.There are several examples of totes, purses, and packs and with a little imagination, I think an average knitter looking for a challenge would find the information useful.One can latch onto the basics and develop some interesting original work.Felting seems to be the technique of choice lately; one sees it everywhere.I have yet to try it, so I look forward to learning the technique.This seems a good place to start.

Well, maybe not a dozen.
There are some really great and I mean GREAT bags in this book. The entrelac square bag, for example, gets an ooh-ahh reponse from everyone who sees this bag when done. There's a 'small notions' cosmetic bag which knits quickly, is very versatile, and makes a terrific last-minute gift. There's a tube-shaped bag called 'Soho sling' which everyone should try once and another unusual shape (Three for the road) which is so cool, so fun, and so quick that I've made several in variations. A section on needle felting is very welcome to add some pizazz to those all-look-alike felted totes and a section on zippers takes into account (thanks goodness) that many knitters do NOT sew! The basic bag shapes are well-covered: tote, backback, clutch, market bag, evening bag, beads on a bag.
Another Dozen Hit
I love the Knitter's Dozen Series of books and this one is no excpetion.Filled with very pretty bags with well written instructions, this book will be useful to those who have basic knitting skills and are looking for new projects to work on. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Fashion    4. Handbags    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Knitting    7. Needlework - Knitting    8. Patterns    9. Tote bags    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Knitting   

Reviews (1)

Love it...buy it now
This is by far one of the best Amy Barickman books.It is loaded with images and paper samples for anyone that loves to work with images.It is also quite generous with instructions on how to make various projects.My very favorite so far.Thanks Amy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts And Crafts    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Fashion    6. Handicraft    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Iron-on transfers    9. Transfer-printing   

Reviews (20)

Do yourself a favour, wordsmith
Several reviewers have reported Norris's work as containing many inaccuracies. Be that as it may (and I don't have the time or inclination to research this, especially given the dearth of available clothing from this period), this book is an excellent source of inspiration for the fantasy writer.
Wonderful book, excellent resource
The pictures are beautiful!the historical descriptions are detailed and informative with good representations of materials used and the purpose of each item/article of clothing.

A beginning
I too am always looking for the one book that does it for me. This was my 1st Norris and it was hard to read, didn't have the info i needed and did'nt sight references but it must have done something right. It got me started researching, reading and experimenting. Norris sights Norris. He has the expert at the time the books were written. If you keep that in mind and love history, you can see how we got off base and why. It is a beginning book on basic costuming history. It is repeatative and rambling but valuable for values sake. If it's all you can afford go for it,you will be entertained and inspired. If you need to be exact. Go for something else ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Clothing and dress    4. Design - Textile & Costume    5. Europe    6. History    7. History - Medieval    8. Medieval, 500-1500    9. Textiles & Costume    10. Antiques & Collectibles / Textiles & Costume    11. Costume    12. Dressmaking & tailoring    13. Fashion design    14. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Reviews (4)

Odd designs, not something I'd make
I'm glad I borrowed the book from the library before buying. Are these bags what "hip" people make?I guess I'm not hip. Some of the designs are absurd like the duct tape bag and the newspaper one.Definitely beginner projects.

tiny bags that are kinda silly
All the bags in this book are very small.Also, None are good projects for adult sewers.All were kind of juvinile and not sturdily made.Most weren't sewn at all.

Hip Handbags for Young People
This is a good book for teens who want to sew handbags or for anyone wanting to sew handbags for young people.Many good ideas for people who do crafting and not sewing.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Fashion    4. Handbags    5. Handicraft    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Tote bags    8. Needlework & stitchcraft   

Reviews (9)

Great quick knits
I love this book for making gifts for friends children.I've made the seedling sweater, the flax jax (no sewing together) and the cable-alls sweater many times and my friends love them.I did find an error on the flax jax.You don't need nearly as much yarn as the pattern calls for.

Well, I liked it!
Cabled overalls, bulky vest, kimono, etc. Very cute and quick. No size 3 needles here! One of the top 3 for the 0-3 set I've seen yet! Quick and understandable for the beginner and a new perspective for experienced knitters to keep interested. A good one to keep around.

nEEDED:ONE GOOD PROOFREADER
While reviewing the reviews for this book from others who have purchased it, I was amazed to see that no one remarked on the very obvious mistakes.Being a novice knitter, after completing 2 of the items in the book, I found that to avoid having these mistakes jump out at me while in the process of knitting the item, it would be better if I went over the instructions beforehand.I found so many mistakes, obvious mistakes, like not knowing that a garter stitch is a "knit every row". It was beginning to seem like a nightmare.You purchase all the equipment and then have to pray that the other instructions are correct.This book needs a good proofreader. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's clothing    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Fashion    5. General    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Knitting    8. Needlework - Knitting    9. Patterns   

Reviews (6)

Perfect for those without prior knitting experience
Vogue Knitting American Collection ($) will appeal to knitters with its collection of handknit patterns from top designers. Over forty garments are presented ranging from casual to dressy, each including color photos of finished products, a stitch overview, and step-by-step instructions perfect for those without prior knitting experience.

Don't Be Intimidated!!
Even if you're a relatively inexperienced knitter, you should buy this book.While it is true that most of the projects are for more advanced knitters, you need something to work toward, to look forward to.As is true for all of Vogue Knitting's books, the pattern instructions are clearly written, and the photographs are dynamite.At some point, you will want to try something more challenging, and when you're ready, you'll have this book.Even so, I think several of these designs could be attempted after you have done a couple of more simple sweaters.Just go slow at first, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Another Winner from Vogue Editor Trisha Malcolm
Want a "best-of" collection from the top American knitwear designers, even if you'll never manage to complete half the patterns? This book is for you.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Fashion    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Knitting    6. Needlework - Knitting    7. Patterns    8. United States    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Knitting    10. FICTION - FICTION TRD PB   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Dolls    6. Fashion    7. Sewing    8. Toymaking - General   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. General    5. Fashion design    6. Graphic design    7. Interior design    8. London, Greater London    9. Retail sector   

Subjects:  1. Activities    2. Children    3. Children's clothing    4. Costume    5. Crafts & Hobbies    6. Crafts / Hobbies    7. Design - Textile & Costume    8. General    9. Handicraft    10. Hobbies/Crafts    11. Textile Arts    12. Dress & costume    13. Dressmaking & tailoring    14. Fashion design   

Reviews (4)

Nice but...
Nicely done but too many repeats from their Fall/Winter book.

The basics and beyond
This book contains some glorious patterns--the cropped diagonal aran knit is especially inspiring. I've only had time to briefly run through the patterns but many appear to be fairly easily adaptable to larger sizes and/or the use of different yarns. Someone mentioned earlier that some of the designs are "ordinary" and basic. I personally don't own a lot of patterns so it's nice to have a book that has inspirational designs I may never make as well as others I can use as a template for my own designs.

Hoorah Kim!
I am a fan of Kim Hargreaves because of her simple clean designs. Her patterns in this book not only showcase the beautiful new wools and colors of Rowan this season but the sweaters are fashionable.The sweaters mirror the boxy clean lines of todays fashions. I look forward to making every one of them. The book itself is also very well done and beautiful to look at. I only wish there were more books by Kim to collect. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Patterns    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Sweaters    4. Fashion    5. Needlework - Knitting    6. Crafts & Hobbies    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Knitting   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Fashion    4. General    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Sewing    7. Textile Arts    8. Textile Arts - General   

Reviews (5)

serging
This book is a great help for a new person like myself to learn all about using a serger machine.
Most creative serger book on the market
Truly excellent, I refer to it all the time for creative ideas.Just like other books on sewing, some ideas are a little cheesy for my taste.Having said that, I still think this is the best creative serging guide out there.I love the serged toggle buttons, flatlocked zipper, chain stiched details, serged French seam and the keyhole back placket serging guide.My clothes have never looked better!As for the machine, they have suggestions on how to adapt sergers with fewer stitches.I bought my machine used & factory serviced--it was a much better buy than paying the same money for a new machine with fewer options.

Excellent decorative serger manual.
Subtitled "High fashion techniqus for creating great-looking clothes" the illustrations and instructions are thorough.There are two drawbacks: a substantial amount of decorative stitching described is not available on the average serger.In fact, one of the more attractive decorative stitches in the book was for a Bernina serger that wasn't yet on the market at the time of publication.There are a lot of creative suggestions anyone can use, but you may feel "left-out" because much is geared to coverlockers that also do chainstitching and a lot of the decorative work is chainstitch-based. After reading it, I felt like I needed a new serger and the one I have is less than a year old! Second, the "Garment Gallery" is too long, my opinion.The seamstresses are rightly proud of their work, but it was more than I wanted to see.That said, if you are well acquainted with your serger's basic stitching, and want to explore its creative potential, this is a great book full of tips and ideas. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Fashion    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Sewing    6. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing