So Sew Something!

I have been in a book collecting mode lately, so I thought I’d share with y’all some of the purchases I’ve made lately.  These are all books that I’m hoping to explore cover to cover this summer…..keeping my fingers crossed!

1. Design It Yourself Clothing by Cal Patch

First of all, how can you turn down a book by an author named Cal Patch?  What an awesome name!!!  Second, I’ve read a lot of pattern-making books over the years, and this is the very first one that has actually gotten me excited AND hopeful!  I usually give up somewhere around chapter 2, but this book has actually become a bathtub book for me!  Hilarious, I know, but I do read this book for relaxation in the bathtub…that has to tell you something!

The book is designed to take you from a simple skirt all the way to a tailored pair of pants – all from scratch using your personal measurements.  So, I’m hoping this summer to embark on atleast a couple of Cal’s projects.  Feel free to join me!

2. Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol

I have read this book cover to cover at Barnes & Noble atleast 3 times…so I finally decided to purchase it.  of course, ever since I bought it, I’ve not opened it up once!  If I could write a sewing book, it would be very similar to this one in that it would be full of “tricks” and “tips” for sewing faster and easier but still with fabulous results.  I love Amy’s use of fabric paints and extra details.  I really want to make everything in this book this summer, but I’ll settle for 5 things.

3. The Stylish Dress Book by Yoshiko Tsukiori – a book and patterns written in Japanese

I was lucky enough to happen upon the blog entitled VERY PURPLE PERSON thanks to my dear friend Erin Tyrell who is the queen of artsy blogging!  I realized after browsing around verypurpleperson’s blog, that I had found my Japanese twin/counterpart.  I really think she just might wear dresses more than I do!  Anyway, she raves and raves about a 3-part book series entitled The Stylish Dress Book.  Since I love everything she creates, I knew I had to have atleast the first one in the series (actually, I wrote the blogger asking which of the 3 to get and she directed me to #1 – I’d do anything she suggested!)  This book is written almost entirely in Japanese – so you’ll need to have ample sewing knowledge to be able to complete the projects; however, if this is you, you’ll LOVE it.  The photos are so fresh… and Japanese style is 2nd to none, I love it.  Thank you Erin for turning me onto verypurpleperson and thus The Stylish Dress Book and Japanese style.

Okay, I’m off to write out my summer plans….let’s see if I can stick to them!