A Stylish Guide To Classic Sewing And Giveaway

I'm so excited to be part of the second book released by Sarah Gunn and Julie Starr.  Earlier this year Sarah invited to be one of the contributors.    I was delighted to have an opportunity to be one of a select group of fabulous sewists/designers.

The look and feel of "A Stylish Guide To Classic Sewing" sets it apart from other sewing/style related resources.  It is well written and beautifully illustrated.  It's a great resource to help you sew and create a wardrobe to die for.

"A Stylish Guide to Classic Sewing" examines 30 garment types that allow you to explore history, styling, sewing tips.  My favorite chapter is the Classic Garment Gallery.  This chapter features over 50 impeccably made garments.  Each photo is labelled with the style and references the page in the book.  This allows easy look up for interested style information.

Also, there is a classic pencil skirt pattern included with detailed instructions on how to make a beautifully tailored modern pencil skirt.  It doesn't stop there.  The resources section lists a plethora of vendors and references to help you fulfill your classic wardrobe dreams.  It's a winner all the way around!

"A Stylish Guide to Classic Sewing" is available in paperback or for your Kindle.   If you would like to purchase a copy, it is available on Amazon

To my readers, I am happy to announced a book giveaway!  Please leave a comment with your name and e-mail address by tomorrow, December 8th , for a chance to win your very own copy!  The winner will be announced on my blog the following day.   The book will be shipped from the publisher C&T Publishing.  The winner residing in the USA will receive a hard copy. Those who reside outside of the USA will receive a digital copy. 

Book Release Blog Tour

As part of book release, Sarah has arranged a blog tour with several creators who are featured in the book's gallery.  Please stop by to hear what they have to say about the book.

Dec 2  Lori VanMaanen /    Blog - girlsinthegarden.net / Instagram -@girlsinthegarden

Dec 3 Andrea Birkan /  Instagram - @andreabirkan

Dec 4 Anita Morris /  Blog - anitabydesign.com  / Instagram - @anitabydesign

Dec 5 Karen Helm / Blog - fiftydresses.comfiftydresses.com / Instagram - @fiftydresses

Dec 6 Alex Florea / Blog -sewrendipity.com  / Instagram - @sewserendipity

Dec 7 Lucy VanDoorn / Blog - myloveaffairwithsewing.com / Instagram - @myloveaffairwithsewing

Dec 7 Cennetta Burwell / Blog -themahoganystylist.blogspot.com  / Instagram - @cennetta_burwell

Dec 8 Manju Nittala / Blog - sewmanju.com / Instagram - @sewmanju

Dec 8 Dorcas Ross / Instagram – @lonestarcouture

As alyways, thank you for stopping by my little space is the cyber world.

Now is the time to start creating "A Stylish Wardrobe".

Happy Sewing!
C

More Fabric Savvy by Sandra Betzina

Good evening all,

I wanted to take some time to talk about books written by Sandra Betzina.  This first one is the updated edition of her Fabric Savvy guide for selecting and sewing fabric.  This time it's titled, "More Fabric Savvy".  The book provides exactly what's indicated on the cover, a quick resource guide to selecting and sewing fabric.  The book includes a brief introduction followed by a list of 101 different fabrics, glossaries, more helpful tips for handling fabrics, sources, and index.

It is a handy hard cover book with spiral binding so the book lays flat on the table for hands free reading. The pages are nice light weight card shock that can withstand tons of page turning. 

I really like how the book is organized.  The fabrics are listed in alphabetical order with two pages of content devoted to each one.  Each section includes facts about the fabric, what it's suitable for, and sewing tips.  Tips for working with the fabric include recommendations for preshrinking, marking and cutting, interfacing selection, the best thread and needles to use, stitching guides, seam finishings, pressing, and hems.  A photograph of a garment made from each fabric type is included on the fabric fact page to provide a clear illustration of how the fabric can be used.

You can purchase the book on the Power Sewing website for the reasonable price of $24.95. I highly recommend this book. The holiday season is upon us and this would be a nice stocking stuffer for yourself or for your crafty sewing friends.

Parting Shots:

Ron Collins at the September 2012 Power Sewing Retreat demonstrating how to do a burn test. 

Also below is a quick reference sheet for determining fabric fiber content using the burn test.  Caution:  hold fabric with tweezers and have a cup of water to extinguish the flame when conducting your burn test.