Knit It, Stitch It, Rip It, Button It!
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-- School Library Journal, 03/21/2007
How can you guarantee that "one of a kind" fashion look? Why, sew it yourself, of course! Low on cash but in need of something new? Try taking some scissors to a well-loved but out-of-style T-shirt. Think the clack-clack-clack of knitting needles is the sound of old ladies? Tell your fashion-conscious teens to think again. Homemade doesn't necessarily mean homespun!
ALVARADO, Melissa, Hope Meng, & Melissa Rannels. Sew Subversive: Down and Dirty DIY for the Fabulous Fashionista. Taunton. 2006. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-56158-809-1.
Gr 7-12–Creative teens with fashion sense but few sewing skills will love you for bringing this title to their attention. The co-owners of a San Francisco drop-in sewing center walk readers through the process, from filling the bobbin to creating a dress from a pillowcase. Nicely illustrated with detailed how-to information and great photographs, this is guaranteed to convince teens that there is more to sewing than darning socks.
BLAKENEY, Faith, et al. 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, & Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special. Knopf. 2006. spiral $19.95. ISBN 978-0-307-34556-1.
Gr 7-12–Anyone with a drawerful of T-shirts will love browsing this design catalog. The five young Florence, Italy based designers say it began with "a pair of scissors, bundles of…clothes, a little cash, and a lot of style." Fashion- and budget-conscious readers will agree that there are a lot of ways for their shirts to experience a second life, with patterns like #9 "The Rachel–for a good girl look" to #85 "The Evanka–for an ice-princess look." Each project includes time estimates, most of which are under 20 minutes.
BRUDER, Mikyla. Button Girl: More Than 20 Cute-as-a-Button Projects. Chronicle. 2005. Tr $12.95. ISBN 978-0-8118-4553-3.
Gr 7-12–Fun and easy, cheap and cheerful–these projects with buttons will keep creative teens busy and get them on their way to more complicated sewing and jewelry projects. Explanations are clear, and, with over 20 great craft ideas, ranging from button-enhanced mule slippers to button-rimmed sunglasses, fashionistas of every skill level will find something to suit their interest and attention span.
IBOMU, Afya. Get Your Crochet On!: Hip Hats & Cool Caps. Taunton. 2006. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-56158-850-3.
Gr 7-12–The author, owner of a custom-order crochet business, provides designs that will delight teens looking for an urban or hip-hop look, and the instructions are easy to understand and well illustrated. Patterns have great names–how about putting together a Talkin' Blues, a Soon Come, or a Kool Rock Ski?
IVARSSON, Anna-Stina Lindén, Katarina Brieditis, & Katarina Evans. Second-Time Cool: The Art of Chopping Up a Sweater. tr. from Swedish by Maria Lundin. Annick, dist. by Firefly. 2005. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-1-55037-911-2; pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-55037-910-5.
Gr 7-12–The authors of this title are part of the Swedish Do Redo project that encourages recycling in creative ways–in one case, the reuse of wool sweaters by washing in hot water and "felting" them. This stiffer bonded material can then be made into sturdy mittens, moldable hats, and highly embellished slippers. Other projects include turning sweaters into leg warmers and purses, or unraveling them to crochet or knit something brand-new.
MAGGIO, Kathleen. Altered Clothing: Hip Fixes and Transformations with a Needle and Thread. photos. by Tim Maggio. Quarry. 2006. pap. $24.99. ISBN 978-1-59253-246-9.
Gr 7-12–Maggio, an instructor at the Parsons School of Design, shows crafty teens how to repurpose old standbys–a cardigan, a tunic, a nylon windbreaker–into cool new tops and bottoms that will get noticed. The before/after photos that accompany each project illustrate how seemingly hopeless, drab clothing can be transformed into tomorrow's fashion hits.
MEYRICH, Elissa. Rip It! How to Deconstruct and Reconstruct the Clothes of Your Dreams. Fireside. 2006. pap. $15. ISBN 978-0-7432-6899-8.
Gr 7-12–Teens looking to update their wardrobes will learn how to cheaply and easily change their favorite jeans into a skirt, add a fake fur collar to a hoodie, or make those old-school peg denims into hip, swinging bellbottoms! Meyrich runs a New York City sewing boutique, and provides readers with basic sewing and alteration tips on how to transform all kinds of clothing items into cool new "must-have" fashions.
Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors of NoveList, NoveList K-8, and Book Index with Reviews (BIR), leading resources for readers' advisory services and collection development. For more information, see epnet.com.
