Sewing Books X-Ray: TGBSB - Fashion with Fabric

Hold up, you beautiful people. Thank fuck its Friday! Holy Moly, what a week! Well, its Friday, I have had my fill of ignorance, being shafted from one end of my desk to the other, and I have gained a slight hatred for humanity. So, time to direct all that derision and focus it on this regular segment of "Why did I buy this?"....or will I? As I begin to write these, I have opened the book and am reviewing the information afresh, I think this is fairer to produce objectivity but if I hate something because I am in the mood to open a blog can of whoopass.

My very first foray into sewing garments, aside from that one Prima magazine pattern, was a Great British Sewing Bee book. Not this one, I might add. And I didn't have a good experience. In fact, it was appalling and is one of the chief reasons I have been afraid of such resources. So....this is a later book in the series so, could lessons have been learnt....

Well, this was written by Claire Louise Hardie, also known by her instagram name of thethiftystitcher. I follow her on instagram already because I think she is a classy lady but I only realised it was her when I googled her. She was also one of the brains of the original format of the show, I discovered. As I have written before, I haven't seen an episode of the programme so please bear this in mind if I demonstrate ignorance.

Before I even crack that spine, I am struck by the rather flirty look between May Martin and Patrick Grant.

Seriously, if a guy looked at me with as much heat, I wouldn't assume he was admiring me topstitching ability. Also, as an aside, why do women go gaga over Patrick? I don't get it. So, he may not be my velvet crush but I noticed that they did splash out on one of the male models in the book, but we shall get onto that slice of fineness in a small while. The forewords are snooze-worthy so save one minute of your life and skip past those.

Ok, usual sewing kit stuff....ok...common sewing terms hmmm

to quote "Pressing: This is the way you smooth out all your seams and stiching processes. There is a difference between pressing and ironing" Not in my hands. A iron, is in my hand, I iron seams. I hate every minute and I wish I had a posh gravity fed iron. I still burn myself on a humiliating frequent basis. Yep, Im ironing. Would be a good idea to mention pressing clothes and clappers but we'll skip past that and get to the stuff I am actually interested in:

Ok, so usual, I'll have to grade up the arse a bit but its not terrible...wish these books would have PDF options for larger ladies, it just feels so exclusionary.

Ok, onto adjustments and here is a feature I don't usually see, a nod to blending sizes and how to do that. Also a decent explanation of small bust adjustments and full bust adjustments. However, I have yet to see a better explanation of how to do bust adjustment that the Craftsy class that Jenny from Cashmerette did. Yeah, some good information here. However, I assume that may who buy this book might not be existing sewist as they have been influenced to start by the show. I am starting to wonder about the skill level that this book will be pitching to.

So the first section is cotton. Very useful glossary of cotton types.

First project is a simple cami top and oooooh finished garment sizes.....nice. The side view is helpful but why does she look like someone has poked her in the butt. Thats a look of accusation, if I ever saw one.

Thats a look of, you touch me again and its the last thing you will ever do. I know origami and I'm not afraid to use it

Ok, trousers... jumpsuit with a nice ruffle... hack the top of the jumpsuit to make it into a cami, much prefer the cami. Although the straps are so narrow that it would be ill-advised to wear a boob prison, so that one is out for the size of my melons. This teaches French Seams, always good to learn, yet not often highlighted....ah, yes, here we go....hubba hubba time.

Check out this slice of man flesh...

Come to mama....yes, yes, look shy, my future husband, in your wonky seamed shorts crafted my fair maiden hands...but on a serious note, its nice to see some mens patterns. They are pretty rare, so nice big tick for the book there. And we will see the the future Mr Hammy again shortly.

The next section is wools. Ok, thats a bit of a jump, in skill and frankly cost. Wool and other animal fibres. Wow, first project involves silk. Holy shit, they need to prepare people for the cost of that. I see in the alternatives that viscose is named, which is more affordable, would have been nice to see that as a sample. Leather jacket, is pretty swish, but my arse cheeks will not unclench enough to fork out for that one.

Ok Mr Hammy is back, rocking a kilt.

I think this time is trying to create a mood of a pie and a fight but I just keep thinking about what is under that kilt...that being 4.5m to 7.5 metres of fabric. Who can afford that? I mean its a cool project but there is just some things I would buy and a kilt is one of the them.

Next Section is stretch fabrics. Ah, my natural fibre of choice and out of the bat, this ROCKIN' dress.

Really interesting style lines and I want to sew that to know how it goes together. Pockets, people, there is confirmation on pockets. Really, any dress without pockets, its it really a dress?

Cardigan...ok. Childrens...ok I SUPPOSE little people need patterns but not really interesting to my barren, childless existence. However, my observation is but this is building to be a good book for a 2.4 children family as there is something for everyone, including a pretty sweet elephant costume

Ok, luxury fabrics.

Like the wool and silk weren't enough...ok...Im prepared, let's roll.

Ok, so Im openly laughing at this photograph. Nice skirt but the model looks so like that Theranos scam artist Elizabeth Holmes, I'm imagining the model putting on a fake deep voice and trying to sell a bread maker as a revolutionary blood testing machine.

There is a sweet pussy bow blouse with a slight balloon in the sleeve. And an even cuter Corset gown for your 10 year old daughter turned goth

And thats it.

There is a couple of things in here which were quite nice, but the book as a whole doesnt set me on fire. There is too much emphasis on the fabric rather than designs that teach or inspire. However, at the same time, it isn't quite basic enough for the average beginner to dive in with confidence. Extra points for the tutorial stuff and it was interesting to see the upturn from that terrible first book. Hmmm, that blue dress is haunting me but it might be a trace off the pattern and release the book to the world.

Mr Hammy, I'll see you a bit ok?

Have any of you guys used this book. Can you blow me away with any of your makes???

Next book is going to be Breaking the Pattern by Named patterns.