Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Sewing    5. Soft toy making    6. Stuffed Animals    7. Toy Arts And Crafts    8. Toymaking - General    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing   

Reviews (5)

A must have for your sewing library!!
I borrowed this book from our public library to get a better look at it and it was great!It has a lot of detail and great illustrations.I am definetly going to purchase this book for my sewing library in the near future.

Excellent reference
This is the definitive book for sewers who want to make linings.Before I bought this book, I thought linings were a waste of time--Armani didn't use them, right?Not anymore!I line most everything I sew.Ms. Long covers lining jackets, dresses, even sweaters--underlinings, classic linings, quick linings.She suggests which fabrics to use, and gives complete directions with construction & insertion.Excellent!Your clothes will hang better, look more expensive, last longer, glide over your skin--great stuff.

Excellent and thorough illustrated guide
Great book, everything I could have asked for to help me get on the way to sewing more advanced patterns that look professional. The instructions are thorough and easy to read, with many illustrations. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clothing and dress    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Linings (Sewing)    7. Sewing    8. Tailoring    9. Underlinings (Clothing)    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing    11. Dressmaking & tailoring   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Sewing    5. Stuffed Animals    6. Toys, teddy bears & dolls   

Reviews (1)

Helpful for First Timers
I found this book to be quite helpful.It was the only book I could find on sewing fur at the time.I would recommend this book for getting started.It lists many of the different types of furs, leather, suede.Giving a solid background even if you just want to know more but don't want to sew.Somewhat outdated.But, hey the techniques work. My only wish would be for more patterns and more pictures & details with the step by step directions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Fur    4. Fur garments    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Leather    7. Leather garments    8. Sewing    9. Crafts & Hobbies / General    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing    11. Handicrafts   

Reviews (6)

Excellentbook!!
I wonder why such a great book is given bad reviews.
Should be called comprehensive guide to quality sewing methods
I think the title of this book was not well chosen, but the information within definitely was. I am an experienced old school dressmaker, and have read many sewing books. This book goes far beyond most others in giving a wealth of information on creating a quality sewn product. The emphasis is on garment sewing, but the methods in the book can be applied to other kinds of sewing as well. The author divides the book into sections on different aspects of sewing, such as seam finishes, buttonholes, linings, etc. and then includes many different options for accomplishing a specific sewing task. Each is briefly and (for the most opart) clearly explained. The book has no eye appeal, as it is not on glossy paper and has no photographs.However, the simple line drawings do the job, and the text is concise and to the point.Readers who are looking for a guide to sewing with a serger will find little information here, but those who want to learn how to use a regular machine to its greatest potential have come to the right place.
The Complete Book Of Sewing Short Cutsby Claire Schaeffer
I bought this book in hardcover at a Bargain rate just because I have been so plesed with purchases of her other more recently published books.I found it to be very informative. Methods are not always a very quick technique, but all are very good and sometimes a good technique is the quickest way to a desirable outcome.I taught Sewing in Home Economics classes for a number of years and this would have been a very good book to have had available for students of all levels.I would reccomend it as well as her other great books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dressmaking    4. General    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Sewing    7. BG-FICTION OVER $5 - BG-LITERARY $5+    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing    9. Dressmaking & tailoring   

Reviews (13)

Best doll clothes' pattern book ever?
Excellent book with beautiful pictures. Leaves plenty of room to your own creativity. Desciptions are straightforward. It's hard for me to say if it would be good for beginners, since I'm trained in dressmaking and patternmaking, but it seems easy to figure out. I can't think of any book I'd rather use when making doll clothes - it has everything.

User Friendly Instructions
Book offers a wide range of details and styles that are described in an easy to follow format.Patterns are not difficult and user friendly.

The Dolls DressMakerby Venus A. Doge
The Dolls Dressmaker Book is the most complete pattern book I have ever found.It includes everything one could want to dress their doll.Clothes, underwear, accessories, hats, shoes.Excellent instruction information on assembly, mix-n-match pieces. Great rcommendations of trims, laces, etc.All full size patterns grouped by size, easy access in back of book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Doll clothes    4. Dolls    5. Dressmaking    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Miniatures    8. Patterns    9. Sewing    10. Toymaking    11. Toymaking - General    12. Toys, teddy bears & dolls   

Reviews (1)

Lots of unique designs w/ an interesting time line for sew.
I have many sewing books, this is my first by this author.By having seen the book I am impressed with the way she addresses several important issues regarding sewing besides just the exact Title of the book. I deducted 1star for lack of ANY kind of pattern layout but commend the way it is done. I like seeing the work of the various artists she used and the idea of hertimeline suggestions. I am anxious to start one of these projects and tryit in the time she allots and see how I do comparitively.I am also verypleased to find a book about a subject that is so current and a type ofsewing that is extremely popular right now, so one can feel quite chic in a'modern' style garment. The author also has several styles included thatwill be useful for many years and combine with current wardrobe selections. ... Read more

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

Reviews (2)

Study, look and create Bleuette's wardrobe
The book starts with a little history of the doll from French and great vintage pictures are added (through out the book) to show how things were back than and there are instructions how to make the right embroidery stitches that were used. Patterns are actual size and easy to trace. Instructions are easy especially when you're an more experienced sewer but also the novice can have an easy start sewing because there are all kinds of patterns to find in this book. From very easy to complicated (more pattern pieces, pleats to make, put trimming on etc.)you will always find the right pattern to start with.
excellent patterns
Louise uses the original French patterns and sews them as they were meant to be done.Her work is inspiring. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Dolls    4. Fashion & Accessories    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Sewing    7. Antiques & collectables: toys, games & models    8. Toys, teddy bears & dolls   

Reviews (1)

The clearest book for beginners!
If you are planning on making simple furnishings and accessories for your home--this is the book for you.There are color photo directions for each step of construction. I made cloud valances for my dining and living rooms and a multitude of pillows for my couch.They look wonderful!Some other books I've used have unclear directions--but this one tells you everything-so there are no unpleasant surprises of getting half way through the project and getting lost. My suggestion is to buy this book and with the money you save on a more expensive book, buy a ruffler attatchment for your machine ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Hobbies/Crafts    3. Home Furnishing    4. House furnishings    5. Interior decoration    6. Sewing   

Subjects:  1. Appliquâe    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Patchwork    7. Patterns    8. Sewing    9. Wearable art    10. Personal appearance & beauty care   

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Hobbies/Crafts    3. Serging    4. Sewing   

Reviews (12)

Very well & simply written; I use it over and over!
The instructions are well written and easy to follow, and the patterns are varied enough that you don't need any other doll patterns.... although I have several of Joan Hinds' other books and they're very good too.
well written patterns and ease of sewing
This is the third book of patterns by Joan Hinds I have purchased to clothe my daughter's American Girls dolls. All of her patterns have well written instructions and come with full size pattern pieces. The sewing is not complicated, I am able to complete an outfit in a couple of hours, I think most of the projects would be suitablefor beginning sewers. The best part is most of the clothing can be made with rements of fabric. I usually cut out several outfits at a time and then do the sewing for them all at once, it alleviates the need to continue pulling out the pattern sheets.

A word to the wise
The book looks wonderful - but it came without the patterns.I would suggest that you ask the seller to double check the book to make sure the patterns are included before shipping. ... Read more

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

Reviews (5)

Not an alteration book
Don't be misled by the title or other reviews.This is not a pattern alteration book (though each body anomaly has a useless little picture of one pattern piece with little pictures of scissors all around it showing where they want you to cut said pattern piece.)This book can be helpful as long as you understand what it really does and this is what you are looking for.
An average book
I bought this book for my sewing class; however, I don't like it because it doesn't have as much substance as the "Fitting & Pattern Alterations" book.In addition, it is over-priced.I like chapters 2 and 3 best out of the whole book.There is a typo on page 3, bullet #4.Most of the clothing sketches are dated; I've hardly seen anyone who dresses in those styles that were illustrated in the book. I personally don't believe that anyone can wear any style because each person has a different figure shape, height and weight.As for the style tip, I'd rather pick up a good how to dress fashion book.

Fitting Isn't Easy
No matter how a sewer tries, learning to fit can be a difficult task.Judith Rasband tries to explain fitting in a different way than the other fit books do.It is worthwhile reading to explore a different point of view on the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Fashion    4. Sewing    5. Fashion & beauty industries    6. Fashion design    7. Textile arts   

Reviews (2)

WOW!Wonderful book !!!
This is exactly the type of book I've been looking for !!!Thank you Elizabeth Searle for writing it and designing all of these ***fantastic*** flowers.The directions look to be very informative and easy to follow.What an awesome assortment to choose from.I AM SO EXCITED !!I just received it today and can hardly wait to begin making some myself.The only problem I foresee is choosing which design to make first !!Got to go !I can hear the fabric calling me !!!THANKS AGAIN !! PS:BUY THIS BOOK NOW !!!

Awesome assortment of Fabric Flowers!
This book is all it promises to be! There is a huge assortment of flowers, lots of different fabrics used, and excellent, step-by-step instructions for each. Plus basic "getting started" instructions that apply pretty much to each type of flower!
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Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Fabric flowers    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Sewing    7. Textile Arts - General    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing    9. Needlework & fabric crafts    10. THEATER ARTS/ DRAMA - Shakespeare TRD PB   

Reviews (10)

At long last, a better fitting method
I used this book to finally make a pattern that fits, as I am unable to buy retail clothing, even though I am of petite size.This book is full of wonderful inspiration and practical wisdom.I noted that one of the customer reviews complained that the book left off before the solution was offered.I couldn't agree more.There is so much in the book that fitting a pattern (and Thank you, Monster Paper!) is done with book in hand and not for the faint hearted, but worth the effort.Only through the princess seaming was I able to get the fit correct.Thank you, Gale grigg Hazen?

This book is a lesson in self-acceptance
OK, I'll try not to get too touchy-feely here...but what I am going to remember about this book is how it has helped me accept my body the way it is! (protruding outer thighs, and small bust and "handles" on the back out of my thighs...in case you were curious! ; ) )It has almost been a spiritual experience! Terrific examples and ideas
I'm just a so-so sewer, and this book was tremendously helpful to me. First, it gave me hope that I might actually be able to sew something that would fit. Second, it gave me focused instructions on how to makeparticular changes. Third, they worked.Read more

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

Reviews (9)

Plethora of Patterns
This is one of the best books on making doll fashions that I have come across. The photos are wonderful; one can really see the details on the outfits. Instructions are easy to follow and some are accompanied by photos. Patterns? There are many and varied patterns. Granted, one has to copy the patterns and enlarge them; however, I do not find this to be a detriment; this allows one to tweek the size of the patterns, for all dolls are not created equal, some are more endowed than others.
Patterns also work for Barbie
I bought this book as I have a couple of Gene dolls and thought it would be nice to try making some outfits for them. I have been making clothes for naked Barbie dolls until now.
Fun and Fabulous - Period & Contemorary Patterns by Haze
When I first got this book I couldn't put it down long enough to get myself to print out the patterns in the proper size as was explained to do.When I did I printed all the patterns and have made a few outfits.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Doll clothes    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Patterns    7. Sewing    8. Toymaking - General    9. Toys, teddy bears & dolls   

Subjects:  1. Clothing Construction    2. Clothing and dress    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Decorating    6. Fancy work    7. Fashion    8. Hobbies/Crafts    9. Sewing    10. Textile Arts - General    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing   

Reviews (8)

Great reference for speed sewing tips.
I bought with caution, seeing the other reviews.I know there are different kinds of sew-ers: some create works of art, enjoy putting 85 hours into an heirloom christening gown maybe one real baby (if any) will wear, or (as in Sandra Betzina's Power Sewing) setting in a waistband with a favorite method in 15 steps.I'm not one of them.I was very disappointed in Power Sewing and regretted my subscription to Sew Beautiful.I don't have the time, and wouldn't want to spend so much of it on sewing if I did.I love my serger because it is fast, and with it I can make a nice finish fast and add tailoring details I used to skip to save time.This book (which incorporates a lot of serging as well as regular machine sewing) helps a lot in that respect.It is not the items she makes, but how they are made.Some information was familiar, but there was a lot in here that was news and new ways of looking at things. If you sew a lot, especially clothing, and want efficiency AND speed, this is a great book.

What a Stinker!
This book does NOT deliver. From the title, you expect to see three ways--fast, faster, and fastest--to do the same thing. But that's not what you get. Let's take sleeves for example. You don't get three ways to do a sleeve, you get three different sleeves. OF COURSE a drop sleeve is faster to sew than a set-in sleeve but those two sleeve styles are not interchangeable, so what's faster about one over the other? If you are looking for quality sewing techniques, you WON'T find them here. GOOD IF YOU LIKE HER SAMPLES
THIS BOOK IS GOOD IF YOU LIKE THE CLOTHING SAMPLES THAT SUE HAS ON THE BOOK AND PLAN TO MAKE SOME FOR YOURSELF, FOR MOST OF THE ILLUSTRATION AND TIPS THAT SHE GIVES CIRCLES AROUND THE CLOTHING SAMPLES. HOWEVER SHE DOES SHARE SOME GOOD TIPS ABOUT CUTTING, SEWING AND HOW TO HANDLE SILK OR THIN FABRICS. I AM LOOKING FOR MORE POWER SEWING TIPS, SO THIS BOOK DOES NOT REALLY MEET MY NEEDS. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Machine sewing    5. Sewing    6. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing    7. Dressmaking & tailoring   

Reviews (7)

Fun and Easy Tiny Toys
This is a very cute book and it has been a lot of fun making all the tiny toys it has to offer.The great thing about it is there are many toys to make, all of them are fairly easy and cute, and none of them take too much time to finish.All you need to make anything in this book is a little bit of spare fabric and a small amount of sewing knowledge.Most of the projects I have made from this book took me less then two hours total to finish, most of time even less than that.All in all, this book has been great fun!
Great Book!
This book is sooooo easy to use.It is also great to carry around with you.I am twelve and was worried that I wouldn't be able to make these little animals, but it turns out that they are much easier then they look.This book is a must have!

A Great Book For Anybody Who Sews...or Anyone Who Doesn't
This is a really great book for anybody.You don't have to be experienced to understand how to do it because it explains everything from stitching to what kind of fabric to use.There are tiny animals to sew from all around the world.There is an elephant, a giraffe, a polar bear, a cat, a dog, a lion, a tiger, people, an otter, a parrot, and even a mushroom!There are 52 full size patterns.This book even gives tips on designing your own little creatures.The directions are very clear and easy to understand.The book also gives ideas of how to use them like making them into Christmas tree ornaments or using them as party favors.It even shows how to make joints out of buttons and how to paint the creature so it looks more realistic.This is a great book that is easy to understand and pretty simple.I know I've had fun with it and I hope you do to. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beanbag toys    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Sewing    6. Soft toy making    7. Stuffed Animals    8. Stuffed animals (Toys)    9. Toymaking - General    10. Soft toys   

Reviews (3)

Beautiful but the price is higher than the value
This is a lovely, lovely book, full of wonderful patterns and excellent information. But it's not worth over a hundred dollars unless you plan to use it on a daily basis. It's a good read and the pictures are inspiring but unless it's re-issued at a lower price I don't recommend buying it. (I do encourage the publisher to re-print, however, as I would happily have paid the original price for it.)

Beautiful but quirky
This is a beautiful book for costumers and fiber artists, packed with pictures and practical project information, but it is not without its flaws. The author does a fine job in describing the appearance and sometimes construction of modern era ethnic clothing, but this is not a history book. Many of her pictures are captioned, but very few are dated, though they all appear to be from the 20th century or perhaps the late 19th. Some of the uncaptioned pictures might be modern reproductions, but it's not clear in several cases.She makes a few comments about the evolution of fitted clothing with which I disagree. Additionally, she comments on the spiritual and talismanic nature of embellishment, which may or may not be her personal religious opinion, which I feel detracts from the presentation of the subject. Lovely overview; written for fiber artists.
I like this book very much. It offers a nice overview of traditional clothing found throughout many cultures, including brief discussions of common garment types (draped, sleeved shifts and tunics, gathered pants, etc), with plenty of old photographs that show how the garments were worn. I wish this part of the text also included line drawings of the garments for more clarity, such as the book, "Cut My Cote." Next is an overview of some common types of embellishment, such as resist dyeing, embroidery, and applique techniques. Some very interesting project ideas with patterns are offered, rated by skill level needed. The final section of the book offerspatterns and detailed sewing instructions for garments: a kimono, a Polish vest, Tibetan panel coat, a Syrian dress and Moroccan burnoose--these will be familiar to owners of Folkwear's patterns.The book concludes with an excellent bibliography. Fiber artists, sewists, and costume makers will find plenty of useful material here. Very few books on ethnic costume provide information slanted toward duplicating and adapting techniques and garments--finally one that does! Note that you'll find this material weak if you need to do serious research on ethnic dress or are an experienced costumer or fiber artist. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dressmaking    4. Ethnic costume    5. Fancy work    6. General    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Patterns    9. Sewing    10. Tailoring    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing    12. Dressmaking & tailoring    13. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes