DIY Fashion
Selena Francis-Bryden
In a nutshell: A good source of ideas for revamping and recycling your clothes, particularly suitable for the younger audience
This is certainly a book for the zeitgeist, showing you how to revamp clothes that would otherwise find their way into the recycling bin. I found the introductory section covering wardrobe sorting, shopping philosophy, and finding inspiration particularly useful. The author believes “Borrowing ideas is not copying”, and recommends finding something in a magazine and copying it. She suggests several places to shop for ideas such as catalogues, museums, libraries and fashion magazines. Then you can make a “Cut out and keep” board where you pin on a board everything that inspires you, and have it there to refer to when you have a creativity block. I had a go at this, and definitely found it useful.
Next the author provides examples of several projects, suggesting these should be treated as guidelines. A sensible approach. I do not want to duplicate any of the designs exactly, but they triggered inspiration for stuff I do want to make. I love the painted cardigan and would adapt the design featured in the book. Many of the projects are aimed at a younger reader, and I’m not sure could be worn by my forty something self. Though certainly, if I was twenty years younger, I would have made the denim dress, and I think the dress from a lace tablecloth is very imaginative.
Each of the projects is clearly explained but would have benefited from a list of materials required at the start of the instructions. You have to read through all the text to find everything you need.
Have I made anything? Not yet, but painting a cardigan has been added to my growing list of future craft projects.
