Spring Book Reports: Mending, Drafting, Dressmaking, Outdoor Gear

I would like to begin this edition of Book Reports by acknowledging that I am never going to publish a book. This blog is good enough for me.

I actually have friends who have published books, gone on book tours, had to hire their own editors for their books and book their own tours.
It's harder than it looks, and I appreciate that.

But that isn't stopping me from being a pain in the ass about these books.

Designing Clothes with the Flat Pattern Method by Sara Alm

http://www.saraalm.com/

She's all over Bluprint (formerly Craftsy). I have not taken any of her classes. She is well regarded.

Which is why this fell flat for me.

Her straight edge skills and manicure are on fire.

The course of study in this book, nope.

There's just not enough to go on in this book. Partly it's the editing: text and photos don't line up all the time.

Partly there's some magical thinking

Yes, you will have to click on these to read them. I'm sorry. You can just skip to the punchline below.

If your raised waistline is smaller than your waist -- Think about this for a minute.

I'll get a cup of coffee and a short bourbon. I'll be right back*.

The golden rule of publishing anything: Editors cost money for a reason. They are worth their wait weight in gold.

My main issue with this book : we're so caught up in drafting, we aren't seeing what we're drafting towards.

Why can't we see an example of this turns into? How about a drawing? The text goes on to suggest adding a flounce to the flounce. Why?  That could be fun, it could also be a nightmare. Also, grainlines? If you mention it, you should show it.

At no point in this book does the flat pattern piece get turned into it's 3D counterpart on a dress form. You see those samples on the cover?

That's it. We don't refer to them specifically. Use your imagination.

I have other issues, but they are similar to this.

Look, I get it, this is a complicated course of study. I assume Sara Alm knows her stuff. 

This is not enough book. I would have started with one thing and worked it all the way through to the piece on the dress form. Just one. 

Further!

Mending Matters by Katrina Rodabaugh

Mending is hot. Visible mending is super hot.

#visiblemending and #remademay on Instagram are busy little hashtags 

If you are picking this book up, I will bet my lunch money that this is the chapter you are looking for:

This is why it's worth reading this book. Reinforcing denim is tricky and Rodabaugh has a nice set of photos on how to do this. How nice? You go look at it. She's considering use, wear, how to deal with stress points (patching for knees is a different case than patching a hole on the thigh or the hem)

I would recommend this as an Ebook.  This section is thirteen pages out of 200 plus. The precis of the book is about reducing waste. This book is very shiny but do you really want a pretty book about reducing waste and being thrifty? Maybe you do: it's darn pretty. Pun unintentional.

The upcycle part isn't very exciting. Nothing as novel as the sashiko meets denim on your knees (which I cannot recommend enough: she's thought it all the way through).

And just to be clear, it's spelled  Eileen Fisher.

Editors!

So you want a good review?

This was nice

Dressmaking: The Indispensable Guide by Jules Fallon

I believe you can judge a book by its index. If you can find it, you'll use it.

Darts?

Darts, page 72

Page 72. Allllright! This is what I wish Alm's book had. You can move those darts all over the place. She shows you how. Page 73 should have been in Alm's book.

I also believe that no matter how many sewing books I've read, I learn something new in a basic sewing book because reading is fundamental.

 Sleeve center should be just behind the shoulder line? I did not know that. It makes so much sense (which way do my arms move? Well, mine go forward mostly).

Sew and Repair Your Outdoor Gear by Louise Lindgren

This was really good as well. Sadly out of print, but available at reasonable prices. I got this one at Half Price Books for...half price.

It's a pretty good basic sewing book, if you have one of those people who need a project to get them to start sewing. Camping gear is a gateway drug to sewing.

She's so casual about 'turning the tent right side out'. That's a whole afternoon activity right there. Cats love it.

I didn't know this either (the spools having different twist directions). This is gold.

This is a mistake I have made. And it explains a smell in the gear storage area.

There's some good advice on heat sealing fabrics, but the best advice given in this book is to use a wood burning tool to cut your fabrics. In a well ventilated area.

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*If you have a waist, which frankly I don't, it's often the narrowest part of your torso. Or we like to think so in western culture. If the area above your waist is narrower than your waist, I would ask you to remeasure and reassess where your waistline is. It's up to you. I don't have one anymore, and I'm not here to judge. Sometimes language gets away from us, and the structure of a paragraph makes us take directions that in hindsight....make no sense. Editors are angels from a better place.