2 comments about John Allen's Treasury of Machine Knitting Stitches.

1. This is an excellent book for machine knitters. It doesn't matter what type of machine you own, this book is a great source for ideas. The book has very clear instructions and wonderful color photos of the techniques. If you have a chance to own this book than grab it! You won't be sorry!



2. What a pitty that this book is out of print! I found it at the library. This compendium of stitches is a feast for the eyes. The author presents each one of his samples in glorious colors, with detailed explanation on how to achieve them. The variety of techniques used and the multiple possibilities of experimentation, make of this a wonderful step by step teaching book for the beginner machine knitter, and a source of inspiration for the adventurous expert who wants to go beyond the limits to make of this craft an art.

2 comments about Horst Portraits: 60 Years of Style.

1. Title says everything about this book and pictures inside. There is also 40 pages containg biography of Horst P. Horst.



2. Horst P. Horst was at the top of his game as a photographer for a career that spanned 60 years. The key to his appeal lies in a sound foundation in portraiture composition of the sort that the great painting masters used. To this, he added echoes of form, sensuous light and shadow, and a frequent ability to catch people at their best. While I find his faces often over or under lit for my taste, this book contains dozens of virtually flawless images that you will cherish. One of the nice elements of the book is that Mr. Horst was adept at color photography, as well as black-and-white. The book contains 130 duotone images and 20 in full color. His subjects are usually actors, models, fashion designers, and artists. The three Vogues (American, British, and French) were his most frequent employers. The volume is greatly improved by an introduction that explains how his career developed and his relationship with other photographers and magazine editors. I thought the detailed captions for the photographs were very interesting and impressive, giving the volume a depth that most fine photography books lack. The quality of the book, paper, reproduction, and design are all superb. This show will open in Boston in mid-October, and I plan to see it then!

   Here are a few of my favorite images: Noel Coward, 1933; Coco Chanel, 1937; Deanna Durbin, 1936; Ethel Waters, 1939; Lud, 1938; Janet Gaynor and her husband Adrian, 1940; Merle Oberon, 1942; Salvador Dali, 1943; Muriel Maxwell, 1940; Loretta Young, 1943; Lisa Foussagrives, 1940; Gloria Vanderbilt, 1941; Carmen Dell'Orefice, 1947; Lady Diana Cooper, 1946; Rita Hayworth, 1947; Tallulah Bankhead, 1940s; Carlos Chavez, 1946; Irving Penn, 1951; Lucie Bose, 1952; Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and her sister Lee Radziwell, 1955; Maria Callas, 1952; Franco Zeffirelli, 1964; W.H. Auden, 1970; Diana Vreeland, 1979; Kerry Harper, 1980; Duran Duran, 1986; and Catherine Bailey, 1989.

   After you examine these thoughtful portraits, ask yourself what you want to learn from a portrait. Personality? Occupation? Habits? Relationships? Beliefs? Soul?

   Exude your desire to connect and help others . . . so they will turn to you for aid!

No comments about Fashion Theory: A Reader (Routledge Student Readers).

2 comments about Fast, Fun and Easy Fabric Bags: 10 Projects to Suit Your Style (Fast, Fun & Easy).

1. I bought this book online, admittedly a bit suspicious based on reviews of the "Fast, Fun, & Easy Fabric Boxes", but the pictures looked enticing. Unfortunately, that's about all this book has going for it. The instructions, if you could call them that, are more like suggestions and sometimes very vague at best. I had a hard time figuring out whether the book or I missed a step - or three! I had to skip back and forth through the book searching for what I thought would be a logical next step. I did wind up making a lovely little handbag, but it had almost nothing to do with this book!
   
   I have a lot of experience sewing and quilting, and not only would I not recommend this book to a beginner, I would caution anyone against buying this book if they were looking for good instruction; inspiration, yes, "how-to", no. C&T books are generally very good, and I will credit the book with lovely photos and a few basics to get you started on if you are already competent with reducing bulk in seam allowances, setting zippers, beading, and embellishments. However, this book would have been much more successful if it offered detailed and sequential instruction on just one or two basic patterns, then branched out with options on shapes, fabrics, closures, handles, etc. My suggestion... keep browsing.



2. On first glance, this book looks like the perfect venue for an inexperienced crafter to create very functional bags. I can sew a seam, but I'm not an expert, so I purchased this book for the projects. As promised, the projects looked quite nice. However, the book itself lacks a level of detail necessary for the novice crafter to successfully complete the projects.
   
   For instance, one of the projects is a box-type bag. While the point is to provide a guideline for creating many different bags using a single technique, the directions were confusing, there weren't enough illustrations for the 'tricky' aspects of the seaming and construction, and the directions didn't take you through a sample project with precise directions and specifications. For beginner projects, this is essential--you want to make the first project using the precise directions. Once you master the technique, THEN it's time to branch out and use your creativity.
   
   I liked the projects in this book, but I wish the author and the editors took the time to consider their audience and not assume specific experience and knowledge of sewing. There are better books to look at--try "Mary Mulari's Accessories With Style: Quick & Clever Sewing Projects to Wear & Carry."

5 comments about Fashion Illustration Now.

1. Its such a wonderful book. I am a fashion major and its nice to see other people's fashion illustration. I have struggled to find my own drawing style and this book has definately helped open my creativity.



2. This books illustrations are dated and not very good. I only bought it because I seen, " Fashion Illustration Next" in the bookstore and thought it was great. I went on amazon to find it and this looked cheap to add so I did thinking it would be equally as impressive. I got it today, and am returning it today. Unless you are really interested in how much fashion illustration has progressed within the last 6 years buy the new edition, and leave this one in the discount bin.



3. Although, this book may just seem like a pretty picture book, it is a really good reference if you're trying to discover a style/technique of illustrating. As a fashion major, this book comes in handy to see how other artists approach the figure and to learn a variety of ways to illustrate instead of referring to the same textbook croqui.



4. Okay so it took me FOREVER to find and buy this book only to find out its the samd as Borrelli's Stylishly Drawn...and I mean EXACTLY like it nothings different aobut the 2.

   Despite that I love the illustrations in it. They are very very very inspiring and helpful to fashion students and illustrators alike. ENJOY!




5. I'm currently trying to create my own fashion portfolio for entry into university, the problem with me is i usually have tons of wonderful ideas, but because i'm a complete beginner my presentation skills and methods are limited. This book enlightened me on many kinds of media i could explore with.
   This book gave me numerous ideas, and i always return to the book for more inspiration whenever i feel stuck.

   Whether you're someone who's into classical methods or someone who loves to design digitally, this book is for you.

No comments about Cool Hot Colors: Fabrics of the Late 1960s (Schiffer Design Book).

No comments about Casual to Classic Fashions.

5 comments about Vintage Clothing 1880-1980: Identification and Value Guide.

1. I generally highly value my books on vintage clothing, however I gladly got rid of this book several years ago. It has some good basic information, but the values are very high and far too many of the illustrations are of items in period catalogs and magazines and not of actual garments. This may have been one of the first books on vintage clothing but it certainly is not one of the better ones.



2. This book deserves better reviews than it has received here. First of all, it was one of the very first "guides" written for vintage clothing collectors, and I still appreciate and value the nearly 300 pages of fashion images both illustrative and photographic.

   As for the "value" guide; we know, or should know, that prices of vintage clothing can vary wildly depending on where you live, what is hot and what is not, if the seller wants to sell low and if the buyer wants to buy high. I think the prices indicated in this guide, though nearly ten years old, are still fairly accurate, adding 30 to 40 percent to the higher-end, rarer pieces and giving or taking 10 to 20 percent on the low end.

   I believe Maryanne Dolan knows vintage clothing, and knows the field well. Her historical research is good, and her appreciation and passion for costume is inspiring. Her overviews of the periods at the beginning of each chapter are well-written, clear and easy to read.

   It is true, however, that the book needs an index, some copy editing and perhaps a more sophisticated design layout for today's collectors. All seriously considered books need an index; just a fact of life in a costume or fashion researcher's world. Perhaps in a next edition?

   It is wise to note that one isn't going to get rich buying and selling vintage clothing today -- a nice living perhaps, if you have a decent collection already established -- but a fantastic hobby is always a possibility.

   An update is in order, but all in all, this is a good book worth having in your fashion history, vintage clothing or collecting library. Besides, when you can get 300 pages of pretty decent material for less than $10, how can you go wrong?




3. I have a number of vintage clothing books in my library and have been collecting vintage clothing and accessories for almost 20 years. This book is the only one I have regretted buying. Many of the "illustrations" are black and white drawings that explain color and cut. The descriptions are not adequate-there are few if any makers names listed and there's no index to help in the process of looking up an item. Many of the models that are used do not carry the clothing well and since the photographs are in black and white you cannot see the pieces properly. The one thing that I can say that's positive is that she does list the time periods for the items she shows, and she does pack many plates into her book.



4. If you are looking for information on clothing between 1880 and about 1919, by all means, this is the book for you. But, if you're like me and you are looking for a book on clothing from 1930 on, pass this one up. More than 3/4 of this book is dedicated to victorian clothing. You can also tell which decades this author favors. While pictures of models (if you can really call these women models) in victorian clothing are carefully posed and accessorized, the more current clothing is slapped on just about anyone who would stand still long enough to have their picture taken. Example - the 60+ year old woman in the WEDDING DRESS. There are really no clothing from the 70s or 80s in this book and the 50s and 60s are very sparse. The prices are also unreasonably high for the average collector. I was EXTREMELY disappointed with this book. But I do have to admit I did get a couple of giggles from some of the pitiful pictures.



5. I have just started studying and researching vintage clothing. I did not find this book to be all that helpful. The value guide seems to be very high. Some of the pictures are interesting and the summaries at the beginning of the chapters are somewhat helpful, however, I feel there are better books available for research.

No comments about Bette Davis Paper Dolls.

2 comments about My Style, My Place.

1. I purchased this book after seeing the t-shirt quilt pattern on Sewing With Nancy. I wasn't disappointed. The quilt was a easy and quick. This book would be an excellent gift for the young stylist who wants to expand her sewing experience. It contains many great projects.



2. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book and I was blown away at how creative and easy the projects were. This is a must read for anyone that is interested in fashion and creating there own look.