![]() | Fashion DIY: 30 Ways to Craft Your Own Style by Carrie Blaydes
Buy new: $14.36 / Used from: $5.00 This is a lovely book. Deals with stuff to wear. Ten techniques are explained (trimming, beading, colour manipulation) and then three projects for each technique are given, each progressively more advanced. I'd wear everything in this book. Cool ideas, stylish and hip without being unwearable even if you're quite conservative. No jeans turned into skirts here.
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![]() | The Crafter's Companion: Tips, tales, and patterns from a community of creative minds by Various
Buy new: $14.41 / Used from: $2.89 I love this book. The layout, the interviews with the various crafters, the pics of their studios, and the projects - mostly things like organisers, pouches, bags, etc, along with a couple of wearable items. Nicely made projects with photos of other projects for inspiration.
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![]() | Sew Stylish: Easy-Sew Ideas for Customizing Clothes and Home Accessories by Katie Ebben
Buy used from: $0.10 Another very pretty book with lovely photography. This one is a mix of revamping stuff whether its clothes or homeware, and patching and fixing and thus extending the life of things you love. Fits the crafty philosphy to a tee, and results in stuff that looks good not junky.
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![]() | Craftivity: 40 Projects for the DIY Lifestyle by Tsia Carson
Buy new: $14.96 / Used from: $9.53 Fabulous book with many really cool projects. Includes woodworking class and ceramics, plastic, as well as the usual suspects (felting, crochet etc). Good intro to new techniques. Includes items of clothing, homeware, garden stuff and lots more.
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![]() | T-Shirt Makeovers: 20 Transformations for Fabulous Fashions by Sistahs Of Harlem
Buy new: $18.25 / Used from: $10.71 This is my best tshirt recycling book. Some incredible ideas here. The type you want to buy new tshirts for, they're so gorgeous. A few are a little too bare and clubby for me, but they're still fab. Mostly dressy stuff.
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![]() | Tease: Inspired T-shirt Transformations by Superstars of Art, Craft, & Design by Sarah Sockit
Buy used from: $0.74 Now this one is not all good, but the few I really like make the book worth it. There are a few fillers here (at least for me) - ipod holder, crocheted yoga rug and mat, knitted scarf, totes... I can't see the point of totes made out of Ts, jersey is just too stretchy. Anyway, the cute ideas make up for the others. Cute and hip.
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![]() | 99 Ways to Cut, Sew & Deck Out Your Denim by Faith Blakeney
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $12.58 This is a great book. Unlike their tshirt book (which was cute but mostly a bit too bare for me) the FOs are photographed and not just sketched. Very original ideas for things to wear and accessories, as well as original bags and other stuff for the home.
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![]() | Making Stuff: An Alternative Craft Book (Interior Design)
Buy new: $21.33 / Used from: $8.31 OK, this is a collection of loads of projects that run the gamut from jewellery and things to wear plus stuff for the home, baby things and - um - bits. It's the most eclectic of the lot, but it compares very nicely to what i call the average "bottle top jewellery and tshirt rug" craft book. Detailed instuctions and lots of good photos.
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![]() | Making Vintage Bags: 20 Original Sewing Patterns for Vintage Bags and Purses by Emma Brennan
Buy new: $17.96 / Used from: $6.95 Excellent instructions for a range of bags inspired by the styles of the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s. Range from cute to dressy, but always well finished and wearable. Inspirational.
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![]() | Colorful Stitchery: 65 Hot Embroidery Projects to Personalize Your Home by Kristin Nicholas
Buy new: $14.96 / Used from: $4.48 What a lovely colourful book. Modern, fun takes on embroidery. My best embroidery book. Includes crewel work (using wool not cotton thread). Bright and happy, and full of yummy photos. Full of items I would love to have in my house.
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![]() | Last-Minute Fabric Gifts: 30 Hand-Sew, Machine-Sew, and No-Sew Projects (Sewing) by Cynthia Treen
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $10.24 This is another really nice one. Things I wouldn't hesitate to wear or give as gifts. And of course gorgeous photography.
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![]() | Simple Sewing with a French Twist: An Illustrated Guide to Sewing Clothes and Home Accessories with Style by Celine Dupuy
Buy new: $18.15 / Used from: $15.94 Good for ideas but not for the inexperienced sewer. Some silly fillers - like decorating a trench coat with butterflies cut out of a very specific fabric. Lovely photography.
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![]() | Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing: Patterns and How-To for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects by Lotta Jansdotter
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $13.99 This is simple - at first I thought too simple for me - but is very fresh and happy. Useful items for the home and so on, in lovely Scandinavian fabrics.
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![]() | Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects by Amy Butler
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $11.95 This is also cute. I bought it mainly for her bag patterns but am happy with the bed organiser and a couple of other things. Nice stuff.
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