To Make or To Give: DIY Fashion Books
Luxe Knits: Couture Designs to Knit and Crochet by Laura Zukaite
Knitting isn’t just for grandmas anymore. This collection of designs are youthful and stylish. “Shawl Sweater” mixes heavy and light yarns for a graceful drape. “Butterfly Sweater” takes a basic sweater and adds a head-turning design. “Cowl Tank” is something that could have stepped out of a Nanette Lepore collection. “Lacy Halter” is simple in the front, party in the back. This book is not a knitting tutorial, so newbies may want to wait a bit.
Born-Again Vintage by Bridgett Artise & Jen Karetnick
Talk about going green – this book offers some great ways to reinvent wardrobe pieces that don’t fit or bore you. The book is divided by season and offers projects from easy to experienced. An old turtleneck and skirt become a sleeveless slipdress. A sweatshirt and a tunic combine into a high-waisted skirt. A skirt and a scarf become a strapless blouse. An old blazer becomes a corset-style belt. Some of the ideas are a little lackluster, though. A knit cap over a baseball hat becomes – shock! – a cap with a visor. A long jacket can be turned into a cropped jacket – but the example they give isn’t even flattering on the model. Overall, Born-Again Vintage is a great place to start your DIY career.
Switch Craft by Alison Lewis
Go techno-chic with these 20 projects that make your fashion functional, too. Each project has an experience rating for both the craft and tech side, as well as an estimated cost level. A chapter at the back gives you all the basic tech skills you need for the projects. Some highlights: a beaded cuff that lights up; a pillow with a headset in it, allowing you to hook up your phone and talk late into the night in comfort; a tote bag with removable speakers; a hoodie with secret iPod and ear bud pockets; a laptop bag that lights up when you are near a wi-fi hot spot; a voodoo doll that vibrates when you stick a pin in it; a chair cushion that lights up when you sit on it; an evening clutch that lights up when opened; a skirt swirled through with electroluminescent wire; and much more.
The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Jewelry Making Techniques by Vannetta Seecharran
Rather than giving you a list of projects to copy, this book offers you a step-by-step guide to every jewelry making technique you can think of – and a whole bunch you probably can’t. Cutting, piercing, and filing metal are pretty standard, but I have never heard of pickling, quenching, and annealing metal. The book is separated into chapters by material: metal and wire; plastic and rubber; fabric, fibers, and leather; paper and paper pulp; and “other” (wood, glass, concrete, ceramics). A great place for beginners and experienced jewelry makers alike.
101 Wire Earrings by Denise Peck and Chain Style: 50 Contemporary Jewelry Designs by Jane Dickerson
These volumes are focused on metal jewelry; specifically pieces that use wire and beads. Both offer a brief chapter on technique, but the emphasis is on step-by-step instructions for creating specific projects. These are great for beginning designers who are just discovering their style and learning technique.
My Wonderful World of Fashion: A Book for Drawing, Creating, and Dreaming by Nina Chakrabarti
This massive book is like a coloring book for grown-ups. There are page after page of half-done drawings for you to complete and color in. Patterned shoes and intricate henna drawings beg for color. The empty outline of tote bags, bows, and tights scream to be patterned, with cues and ideas written above. Completely blank pages ask you to draw things like the highest platforms in the world. For anyone desperate to create but lacking in a lot of the technical skills, this is the perfect distraction.
Felting for Kids by Gry Hojgaard Jacobsen and Sif Hojgaard Hoverby
These simple projects are great for adults or kids. They can be created with pre-made pieces of felt, or, for more fun, you can make your own felt out of old sweaters agitated in hot, soapy water. The book offers complete technical instructions, with patterns for dozens of projects – everything from baby mobiles to slippers to tote bags to throw pillows to plush toys.
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