Product Description

A hilarious look at the home-sewing and crafting crazes of the last several decades, Threadbared is a parade of pictures of the “fabulous” clothes and “darling” decorative items that sent people rushing to their sewing machines, knitting bags, and local notions shops. These vintage photographs from instruction booklets and patterns may bring a smile to your face, but the sassy, snarky commentary provided by Kimberly and Mary will have you in stitches.

Inside, you’ll find everything from speculation about why 1950s sewing patterns models had such incredibly small waists (Girdles? Malnutrition? Tapeworms?) to commentary on ladies’ fashion (“Is there anything sexier than a woman who sews her own underwear?”), to all-too-vivid reminders that the ’60s wasn’t just the Age of Aquarius—it was also the Age of Macramé! Laying bare the hideous history of homemade treasures, Threadbared leads crafters, wannabes, and don’t-wannabes alike to ponder the age-old question: Did anyone really think this stuff looked good?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #532183 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-14
• Released on: 2006-11-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

From Booklist
No pattern company goes unscathed and no design style is left without remarks, often humorous. Two proud-to-be-southerners, hosts of the Threadbare.com Web site, sharpen pens and tongues on the sewing, knitting, and crocheting trends of the years between the 1940s and the 1980s. Although Wrenn and Watkins admit to knowing nothing about the how-to's of any craft, they gleefully tear apart the styles and mores of the period. Men in cardigans? Yep. Caption a series of make-it-yourself catalog covers? Absolutely. Plus, a number of southernisms are evoked, like grocery-store feet, as well as an implied drawl throughout the monologue. Also, new words appear, such as crobra (that is, a crocheted bra) or manotards (one-piece clothing for men). It's a one-trick, one-read perspective that wears a bit thin after, say, 80 or so pages, but enjoy for a minute or 10. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Authors Kimberly Wrenn and Mary Watkins don't know how to sew...but they'll have you in stitches with their new book. From the kitschy crafting patterns of the '40s to the orange and brown yarns of the '80s, this tongue-in-cheek picture book questions, "What were they thinking?"

--Jezebel magazine

Customer Reviews

Popular Blog turns out witty book
I love reading Threadbared's blog -- and I thoroughly enjoyed the snarky sarcasm in this book. The only reason I didn't rate it a 5 is because there are too many times that the humor is based on the colors in the photo -- only for us the reader -- all of the photos are in black and white.
Hey gals -- when you get ready to write another book (and I certainly hope you will), try to look at the photos in black and white and re-read your original entries. It'll help you weed out the ones that only make sense in color. (or you could publish the book in color -- but that's probably too pricey of an option.)

Will Keep You In Stitches!
Not sure what the negative reviews are all about - this book is hilarious! I've been a fan of the Threadbared website for over a year now and was so excited that they had a book coming out! The photos and illustrations are great (how can you not love a "manotard?") and the accompanying text is laugh-outloud funny. What this book is not: a pattern book or a serious analysis of sewing/craft trends. What this book is: a very FUN read and one that would make a great gift for any craft-lover with a sense of humor!

Threadbared is a fun read!
I really enjoyed the Threadbared book! I was a fan of the authors' web site and was so excited to purchase the book. I have it on my coffee table at home and guests always enjoy flipping through it. We can all relate to looking back through old photos laughing at hairstyles and outfits. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to laugh.