5 comments about Laces: 100s of Ways to Pimp Your Kicks.

1. Ian Fieggen describes and illustrates so many lacing options. He suggests horizontal, vertical, twisted, and even stars. A couple of options relieve toe pressure, a bonus for aching toes! His sketches provide easily understood lace paths. There are plenty of colorful flat and round laces included with the book to encourage practice. The ends of those laces don't go unattended; a whole section on ways to tie them off gets away from the usual bow. Best yet, there is a cure for how to succeed in lacing: get the right length. As an example, for Lug Bar Lacing, compute the following formula:
   ((H+W)x(P+1)+Vx(P-1)+L)x2
   where P is eyelet pairs, H is horizontal distance between eyelets, W is width of lugs, and L is the amount desired to tie the knot. As other formulas include square root and power of two, it's a great time for calculator practice. In case you still have a cord undersized, several lacing options are available for short laces. There are other opportunities for Ian Feiggen's designs, such as new cut T's, side-cut jeans, scrap booking (lots of eyelets there), and maybe even storage tarps (your outdoor grill would look so good).



2. I love this book and so do my two kids, a 7 yo boy and an 9 yo girl. I originally bought the book to help my son learn to tie his shoes. He is left handed (and I am right) and has some fine motor difficulties. We tried my way and a few ways on the internet and just couldn't come up with an easy enough way for him to learn to tie.
   
   The book has the lacing on the outside. It is designed so that the book folds open in order to view the instructions alongside of the lacing. He learned one of the tying methods on a car trip in less than 5 minutes.
   
   The kids take the book in the car and try different lacing patterns. My daughter loves changing the lacing pattern on her shoes. They have both changed their lacing patterns numerous times since we bought this book.
   
   I have learned so many things from the book too. Some of the lacing patterns are to help shorten those long laces that come on kids shoes these days. There are lacings for making shoes fit tighter, looser, for keeping the laces out of bicycle chains, and not to mention making a fashion statement.



3. This book was a surprise ! I picked it up because, as a graphic designer, I was interested in its unusual book design. But, after leafing through it, I found lacing styles for all kinds of shoes -- not just children's shoes and athletic shoes. Want to know how to do a Roman lacing for your dress shoes ? This book has it. How about a useful lacing style for hiking boots or bicycling shoes ? It's here.
   
   Of course, the stars of the book are the neat decorative lacings. Adding a flair to your everyday shoes, a decorative lacing will set you apart from the crowd. My favorites are "starburst" and "checkerboard."
   
   With a little creativity, you can apply the lacing styles to anything with a lace-and-eyelet system. For example, Renaissance faire performers, such as myself, will enjoy this book for new ways to lace up their boots, tunics, bracers, doublets, and corsets.
   
   In short, this is a great book for creative folks all ages.



4. My 11 year old daughter was able to immediately tie some fun laces. She loves this.



5. Brilliantly desinged book! The front cover mimics the top of a sneaker so you can practice all of the wonderful lacing and tying techniques on a table without bending down. Instructions are clear and the diagrams are self explanitory. I work on my feet all day and found that "Straight Bar" lacing(page 24) makes a big difference in how my feet feel at the end of the shift. Read pages 122 to 155 and put an end to having your shoe laces coming undone without resorting to double tying. I highly recommend this book as the definitive reference for tying and lacing footware. A must for kids, athletes, workers, and sneaker enthusiasts.

2 comments about Bracelets, Buttons & Brooches: 20 Projects Using Innovative Beading Techniques.

1. I realize that beginners have to start somewhere, but 99% of the bead books available seem to cater to the newest of the new: people who can't thread a beading needle, or need to be told what a seed bead is. And frankly, as I read the first chapter of Bracelets, Buttons and Brooches, I thought it was another one of the same. That is, until I got to the projects:
   
   Yay! These projects are NOT for beginners, except for one or two at the beginning that appear to be put there so that an adavanced beginner who bought the wrong book won't take it back to the store. The rest of the instructions, while complete and thorough, don't assume that you can't tell a Delica from a Treasure or a Charlotte. And this book makes liberal use of all three, along with 11/0 beads, 15/0 seeds and 8/0 Delicas and seed beads.
   
   I love the new (to me) methods of surrounding a cabochon with beading on both sides at the same time. The method is ingenious, and I gave myself one of those "why didn't I think of that" smacks in the head when I saw Ms. Davis' clear and easy to understand diagram. I was also thrilled when I looked at the twenty projects and realized that they were merely the springboard for many, many more projects simply by adding some of the steps in other projects or subtracting an edging or a bit of netting that is too fancy for the cabochon or button that you're using for that particular project. You can also fancy up a project to your heart's content with netting, edging and pretty links to the other focal beads in your project.
   
   Ms. Davis assumes that the reader can follow a flat peyote pattern, knows netting, brick, ladder and peyote stitches (both flat and round), although she does give one of those one paragraph once overs at the beginning of the book. If you aren't familiar with all of these stitches, plus probably going from one stitch to another, you might want to wait before buying this book. But if you are an intermediate to "almost advanced" beader, you are going to leap for joy because there is finally a book with some new projects for the rest of us!
   
   (I say "almost advanced" because there are advanced beaders who do loomwork in 24/0 beads in twenty shades of yellow, or think nothing of encasing a kitchen chair in Aiko beads. Those people don't need books. They write them, unless they are busy making beaded clothing from handmade beads they got on their last bead-gathering trip to the Yucatan. I'm exaggerating slightly, but people who are that advanced know who they are)
   
   Most of all, the finished projects are pretty and can be finished in a weekend or less. Those are two big deal selling points to me, because I don't want to spend three months working on something that isn't mind-numbingly easy only to find out that using ten shades of taupe doesn't look so good. It also gives you a chance to use those cabochons that you bought because they were so beautiful then stored somewhere because beads without holes present challenges all their own. Or if you have a drawerful of beautiful buttons from your grandmother, and you'd like to make something beautiful that would remind you of her. If those things apply to you, then you will be very happy you spent the money on this book and will shriek at the spouse who says, "Another one of those freakin' books? I'm throwin' this out!" (Or maybe that's just me. I don't think a bookcase dedicated to beading books is too many, do you?) Just sayin'
   
   To sum it up, if you're sick of the average "here's how to make an odd numbered peyote watchband" project, then this book is for you. It's a happy medium between so simple you can bead in your sleep and so tough that you're scared to buy the beads. Best of all, it teaches some very clever techniques that can be adapted to even more projects and you'll refer to the book again and again.
   
   P.S.: The author mounts a lot of her cabochons on a backing, i.e., Lacy's Stiff Stuff/heavy interfacing/bonded felt. It would be a good idea to purchase a little bit of your favorite backing so you have it on hand when the book arrives. That way, you can jump right into beading your next masterpiece. You will also need a good quality white craft glue and a very good quality glue that dries clear and bonds anything to anything else.



2. A beautiful book of creative designs. Directions are detailed w/clear, colorful photos. Can't wait to start my own creation.

5 comments about 9 Heads: A Guide to Drawing Fashion (3rd Edition).

1. I took an illustration class and we used a different book and felt that my illustrations were still horrible, even after the class. I saw this book was being used for the next illustration class and looked at my friend's book and decided to get it. Upon receiving this book, I started really sketching and I got a lot of compliments on my new sketches! This is a great instructional book!



2. i could honestly say i have a ton of books and as a fashion designer this is the best book out there.. it will teach you step by step and the best thing to do is to get colors for modern fashion. You have both of these you are set. I had Nancy R. as a teacher and shes the best! the money is worth it !! it will be your fashion bible! :)



3. I can't explain what a great help this book has been for my studies. It is very indepth and the steps to creating the croqui are excellent. I am a first year fashion design student with very limited skills in drawing and this book has helped me improve in my class by leaps and bounds in just a short span of time. A must for all Fashion Illustrators.



4. This book is a must have for anyone who is seriosly into Fashion Illustration. I do some of my teaching with it, and students go crazy over the simplicity of the explanations.



5. This book is a must have for anyone who wants to learn to draw human figures or wants to go into fashion design. The language is easy to understand and the results are great. Your drawing skills improve and your drawings become more realistic. A must have for artists and future fashion designers.

No comments about ABC of Men's Fashion.

5 comments about The Perfect Bag.

1. I ordered this book because of it's great reviews and that it has actual patterns. I was a bit disappointed..the substance just wasn't there...it's just the same bag over and over again with different fabrics. I ordered "Making Vintage Bags" along with this book and didn't expect to keep "Vintage" but the book was so clear and concise with it's instructions and different styles that I kept "Vintage" and sent The Perfect Bag back.



2. This is an excellent book. The instructions are impressive and include detailed material lists, patterns, tips, hardware types, many ideas for zippers, purse sizes, and alterations. It has a gallery of purses made by the authors friends and is beautifully illustrated also. The intructions for these purses, are by far, the best I have encountered. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn to make a purse or even the experience purse maker. The purses are inspiring.



3. This book has a great selection of bags with great tips on making them. I love the book; well worth the money



4. Need inspiration? Linda McGehee has plenty of ideas to create a beautiful bag or bags for every occasion.



5. I thought this book was very helpful. It gave me other ideas as to how I could use these patterns to enhance or decorate my project. I truly enjoyed the book.

5 comments about Chanel and Her World.

1. Perfectly perfect. Everyone should have this book, and give it as a gift! Wow.



2. I paid almost full price for this book and I don't regret it. I found this coffee table book just lovely.
   
   I am not a fashion expert. I'm just a reader interested in interesting people, so I was looking for a book on CHANEL that gave a brief background on her life and photos of Coco and some of her fashions. Well, this book seemed to fit the bill---for me. I was not disappointed.
   
   I have enjoyed this book very much and it sits on my living room table , ----for the book to be browsed by others.



3. I was looking for a book showing photos of Chanel's clothing designs and styles. This book focuses more on her life and the celebrities and cultural/social trends of her era (spanning 1910's - 1950's), so if you are looking to see her clothing styles and designs, you will be disappointed as there isn't that much coverage of the actual clothing. However, it is a very absorbing, encyclopedic, pictorial collection of the people of Chanel's time and you can spend many a lazy Sunday afternoon thoroughly exploring les temps perdus. There are many many pictures of Coco Chanel - like Madonna, she looks different every few years, a real chameleon. It retails at $65, so the $37 Amazon price is a good deal. It is a heavy thick book with glossy pages.



4. I was disappointed in the text. I guess from the title I should have expected some world history. The story line is somewhat incoherent and doesn't seem to present her life very well. I had to use the index to find a couple lines of reference to her "Boy", a romance started in the story and then dropped, only to be finished much later and with no real detail. Either Chanel was very closed mouth about a lot of her life or the author didn't know her that well. Also, there are a lot of pictures of rather irrelevant items. I wouldn't purchase it again.



5. From an orphanage in France to the Ritz hotel in Paris, Coco Chanel created an entire style empire that lives on. A French fasionista version of Eva Peron for the couture world. Coco remains an icon and legend.

3 comments about The Little Dictionary of Fashion: A Guide to Dress Sense for Every Woman.

1. I bought this book as a gift for a relative who is a fashion aficionado and it was perfect! She owns several other fashion dictionaries, but didn't have this one. If you appreciate the history of fashion, you will love this must have for your book collection.



2. This is a nice little book - not detailed or descriptive enough for someone really interested in fashion. I did enjoy the photographs. If you are looking for more indepth explanation of fashion terms and guidelines, I suggest A Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions. It is organized alphabetically, just like Mr. Dior's book, but has more detailed written descriptions of the items.



3. This book isn't really very substantial; it's essentially an alphabetic collection of the great couturier Christian Dior's comments on various elements of fashion and style. On these terms, however, and for the reader who isn't approaching the book expecting anything world-shaking, it's a very nice little item and a good snapshot of "New Look" fashion ideas. Lots of great B&W photos and drawings, too! (I think it really deserves 3 1/2 stars but Amazon's star system doesn't allow that kind of fine-tuning, more's the pity.)

3 comments about The Worldwide History of Dress.

1. This is one of the most beautiful books I've had the pleasure of reading. If you are at all interested in world culture, or history or people and their clothing, you must add The Worldwide History of Dress to your collection. Within this text you will find everything you ever wanted to know about the history of fashion and gain new insight into the different customs and traditions of world civilization. It is a remarkable book and I highly recommend it.



2. I spent a lot of time over the last week searching Amazon for a book that covers the history of textiles from all over the world, to no avail. I saw this book at Border's this morning and was amazed by it - it's exactly what I've been looking for! I don't know how this didn't show up in searches before, but I'm glad I came across it at the store and had a chance to look through it. This is first on my Amazon to-buy list for when I get my next paycheck.



3. You need this book if you love clothes. Monographs on Dior and Chanel will always be generated by fans and fashion houses. But our design inspiration -the origin of all dress design - can be found on every page of this beautifully illustrated volume. This vast compilation of artisanal, native, and vernacular clothing is compulsory read for the fashion lover, dress historian, and costume or fashion designer. The Worldwide History of Dress fills a gaping void: there is absolutely nothing like this compendium of international dress currently on the bookshelf.

5 comments about Color Me Confident: Change Your Look - Change Your Life!.

1. Great book...all kinds of useful info. I use it a lot for finding colors that complement me.



2. After I read this book in a Barnes and Noble I was so intrigued I had to buy it to keep since I kept going back to check its information. I love the photographs of celebrities that match your skin, hair and eye color and the huge spread of colors that will make you look great.
   
   Right away I started getting complements from everyone at work and at home once I got the hang of which colors worked and which didn't. This is not the fuddy duddy old lady version advocated by Bridget Jones' mother; its a specific list of colors to use plus combinations that are particularly striking to your eyes, skin and hair.
   
   One of my favorite experiences with this system was with a teenage student of mine. At fifteen, over two hundred pounds, she was hiding behind outfit after outfit of head-to-toe brown. I mentioned to her that she might try wearing brighter colors and showed her her pages in the book. When she made the shift to brilliant pinks, fuschias and bright blues, I started hearing kid after kid complementing her on how pretty she looked.
   
   You'll love this book and it will make shopping a whole different experience when you can eliminate 1/2 of what is in the store by color alone and know what will look good on you.



3. This book has taught me how to totally "work" my natural coloring.
   
   I never read Color Me Beautiful aside from a quick flip-through at the library years ago-- I think I was kind of put off because I fell into the "Winter" category but so did a LOT of colorings that were radically different than mine, and trying to weed out which of the winter recommendations applied to me was difficult. This book makes it much more obvious which specific coloring you are.
   
   What I _really_ love about this book is that it not only tells you which colors are best for you, but also gives you LOTS of suggestions on combining your colors that I had never thought of before. I skeptically tried out some of the color combinations in department stores and was truly surprised by how good they looked. This book had me trying on colors I had previously passed over with great results.
   
   I even changed out my lipstick shades and blush from warm to cool shades and it made my eye color pop and I look a lot more vibrant.
   
   The dressing-for-your-body type was also helpful for me as well as dressing for your style (there were more great color combination recommendations there, too).
   
   I cleaned out my closet of clothes that were in colors that don't suit me and had no regrets.
   
   I recommend that you get this book, take note of the suggestions and put aside your personal opinions "oh that won't work on me." Get yourself to a department store and try things on in the colors and combinations they recommend. You'll be surprised!
   
   5 stars!



4. This is a variation on the color system that assigns people to the four seasons. It is an interesting addition to that idea, I was only disappointed that they spent as little time as they did on the color information. A good part of the book is dedicated to body shape and styling tips. By the way, David Kibbe's theories in his book Metamorphosis are the best ideas ever re dressing to suit one's shape, the very best, and yet he seems to get very little attention. People interested in this book might want to check out his, as well. It is out of print, but available used and therefore inexpensive. "Color Me Beautiful," by Carole Jackson is about the original color system--seasonal--and is still a good read.



5. The latest from Color Me Beautiful is well integrated and insightful. Simple 1-2-3 of Style. although art work on facial shapes needs more refinement / More needed on accessories... Jewelry and purses, etc...but wardrobing is excellent..even to accommodate the ubiquious, deathly Black
   
   Lynda in Colorland

1 comments about Ralph Rucci: The Art of Weightlessness.

1. Terrific. I've bought his clothes for years and love his timeless works. Looks as if he has been discovered which is great for him and costly for me.