5 comments about The Monster Makers Mask Makers Handbook.

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1YZV7MCL1M168 This book gave me the basic knowledge I needed to begin casting molds and making my own latex masks. As you can see from the video, I got my monies worth. and it wasn't even that much.
   I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn the basics of making latex masks.



2. Reads like a magazine ad for their products,although it is a step by step procedure using their products to creat one heck of a mask.



3. I only had two qualms with this product and neither of them are really bad things at all:
   
   1) I wish ALL of the pictures were color, especially in the painting section, but that would have probably made this book prohibitively expensive.
   
   2) I didn't realise you got this book free when you made a purchase from their website (one of their mask making kits). Still it was a great read and a nice price.



4. The book does a good job of showing you how to create a single mask type, using a real sized bust(armature) and clay to create a sculpture. All of the basic steps are covered, from the initial sculpture, making a mold, to casting the final mask and using an air brush to paint the design.
   
   However, I would have liked to see the book cover different techniques for creating masks. May times, just one approach doesn't work for everything.
   
   The book is also a bit light, with 41 pages of usable information.



5. This is a great book.
   I have had this book for a while, and would not trade it for anything. For clear, detailed, step by step instructions and techniques on how to mold, cast, & paint a, latex, full head mask, this IS the book for you. A good reference for the advanced artist, and a good starting point for the beginner.(***not really for little kids making halloween masks, more for older kids, and adults interested in special effects makeup and masks) The book details all of the materials used and needed, which are avail at Monster Makers, outstanding, store.
   Arnold, and the people at Monster Makers are great, and they really know their stuff, real indusrty professionals...NO I don't work for them, its just true; I have, however, worked in the "effects" field for over 20 years.
   This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

2 comments about Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Fashions: Transform Everyday Garments into Designer Originals.

1. I love to embroider. I look around for blanks all the time, and embroider them to death. So I have drooled over this book for a while. I finally bought it, and was hugely disappointed. The first few pages are a refresher course on embroidery. It talks about stabilizer, threads, even machines. It shows how to hoop, and basically is a short course in how to get set to embroider. Then you get to the projects. Each project shows you a blank (an piece of clothing that has no embroidery or designs on it already), and it shows you how to dress it up. There is probably something for everyone in the book. There is a sweater, a top, jeans, a few dresses, and much more. Some of the ideas are very unique and original. However, what I really wanted the book for was the designs. What a mistake! The designs are pretty boring, absolutely nothing special. I am very surprised, as Eileen Roche has such beautiful designs through Amazing Designs. Anyway, it was my error to get the book without seeing all the designs first.
   
   One thing that was really excellent about the book is how the placement of the designs was explained. If you have a hard time knowing where to put designs, this is a good book for that. Just don't think you are getting a bunch of gorgeous designs.



2. Eileen Roche is the founding editor of 'Designs in Machine Embroidery' and so brings a special expertise to "Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Fashions: Transform Everyday Garments Into Designer Originals". Enhanced with a profusion of colorful illustrations, as well as the inclusion of a bonus CD offering 30 original designs, "Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Fashions" focuses upon fashion embroidery using the sewing machine. Needlecraft enthusiasts are provided with twenty projects with their step-by-step instructions and coordinating outfit ideas; techniques and tips for selecting and using blanks, notions, designs, templates, stabilizers, hoops and machines; as well as invaluable information on embroidering tops and bottoms, necklines, collars, cuffs, pockets, and trim. A thoroughly 'user friendly' manual of projects and concepts, "Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Fashions" will prove a welcome and even inspiring addition to needlecraft reference collections.

4 comments about Cinderella's Sisters: A Revisionist History of Footbinding (Philip A. Lilienthal Asian Studies Imprint).

1. This study is by a Barnard College professor that I heard lecture at the China Institute in New York City. The traditional Chinese cultural custom of deforming women's feet to make them smaller, resulting in pain, deformity, and disability, is no longer practiced. But it is a complex and controversial subject involving, among other things, sex, social status, and feminism. For me the value of this book is the author's focus on the perspectives of women who experienced, continued, and even promoted the practice, highlighting their views on it's costs and benefits. It's a useful counterpoint and a rich resource.



2. Like a typical Westerner, when I first encountered the story of bound feet Chinese women, I was horrified. How could someone actually do something like that? But my initial disgust grew into interest, and I found I wanted to learn more than simply see the results of the practice of binding feet. The world is full of misinformation of this custom.
   
   After reading Beverly Jackson's Splendid Slippers (a beautiful and informative book), I decided to find a more academic text on footbinding, and selected Dorothy Ko's Cinderella's Sisters. This book has provided me with a thorough overview of the historical context of footbinding. It explores the difference in gender perceptions of bound feet, the different definitions of bound feet, and more. Ko's style is very readable, and I appreciated her using Chinese terms (tiangzu, chanzu, fangzu) and their rich interpretations to illustrate her points and describe the historical context.



3. It's a wonderful book for chinese women's history, let you learn about the history of footbinding in feminism perspective.



4. Dorothy Ko locates the core of interpretation for footbinding lost in so much that has been written on the topic for the last 150 years. Ko has written extensively on the topic, feeling that such a complex phenomenon cannot be adequately explained by a book or two. Not content with prevailing feminist writings which privilege "oppressive patriarchy" as the only worthwhile conclusion, Ko frequently attracts critics who often suggest she glorifies footbinding and undoes strides towards gender equality. It's even been implied she undermines advancements made since the May Fourth events which empowered Chinese women almost 90 years ago.
   Though some readers feel she euphemizes the "crippled feet" by resorting to cultural poetics which justify oppression, she actually advances a much more sophisticated strategy employed by the Han women of late imperial China. Rather than rage conspicuously against patriarchy the path lies in re-appropriating the meaning of footbinding to a custom that subverts the gender inequity; in short, diminishment of the oppression from within its complicity.
   With Cinderella's Sisters Ko addresses the rhetorics called chanzu, tianzu, and fengzu (bound feet, natural feet, and letting out feet, repectively). A conflation of male desires, and a redefined view women had about their own bodies are both at odds with each other yet bound together in a custom whose meaning differs not just across gender and class, but across time and place. Ko produces very original and badly needed insights through new readings of Gu Hongming (1857-1928) and Wang Jingqi (1672-1726) contrasted with (some say) biased western scholars such as R. H. van Gulik (1910-1967) and Howard S. Levy (1920- ).
   By translating women-authored works from anthologies of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Ko delights readers of this latest work who benefit by having the feminine perspective so often missing. When this recovered discourse converges with the new deeper readings of male texts, both anecdotal and scholarly, the subjectivity of a whole society comes together, resulting in unprecedented integrity. Indeed, Dorothy Ko's greatest "fault" is appending the subtitle A Revisionist History of Footbinding to Cinderella's Sisters. This book is not revisionist - this book is vision, belonging on every bookshelf of every library.

3 comments about The Kimono of the Geisha-Diva Ichimaru.

1. Most interesting and a behind the wall look at the Geisha through the fashion.
   Great research for artists and designers.



2. But there could be more pictures, more detail. The art of Kimono is divine and it is an interesting book. Worth having if you are interested in Geisha and Kimono.



3. Collaboratively researched and co-authored the team of by Barry Till, Michiko Warkentyne, and Judith Patt (all of whom are from the curatorial department at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria), The Kimono Of The Geisha-Diva Ichimaru is a visually impressive photographic and informative biographical compendium of the life and success of the world renowned Japanese artist Ichimaru (1906-1997), and her collection of kimonos now owned by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. The Kimono Of The Geisha-Diva Ichimaru presents story of her childhood which found her born into poverty, sold to a geisha house as a young teenager, and of her achieving fame as a singer and musician. Beautifully illustrated throughout, The Kimono Of The Geisha-Diva Ichimaru is very highly recommended to students of Japanese culture.

1 comments about Apparel Manufacturing: Sewn Product Analysis (4th Edition).

1. This was the required textbook for my Apparel Manufacturing class. My teacher ran her own manufacturing company several years ago and told our class that no book she has read even came close to providing the wealth of knowledge available in this book. Seam finishes are explained in terms necessary to complete spec packs, including seam diagrams and stitch numbers used as standards in the industry world-wide. If you plan on putting a technical section in your portfolio or plan to work in the manufacturing side of the industry or plan on being a pattern maker, I recommend this book more than any other. It is rare that I enjoy a textbook so much, but I have read it through and referenced it constantly since the class. Worth every penny.

5 comments about The Decorated Bag: Creating Designer Handbags, Purses, and Totes Using Embellishments.

1. Maybe I am a different sort of artist, I purchase these types of books to aid me when I develop ideas for my own designs. Rarely do I copy what I see in books or magazines - and this goes for all my work from jewelry, purses, clothing, artwork in various types of media (paint, pastel, ink, fabric, collage, metal, fiber, etc.). Therefore, this book is great for doing exactly that, but I do recommend The Decorated Bag primarily for the beginner or even intermediate purse embellishers out there. Yes, it is true that some of the designs are very simplistic as other reviewers mention...but if you use the idea as a stepping stone for a more elaborate/complex project, I know you will be pleased to have this book as a reference. There are a few patterns to use and imagery to follow if you want to practice by making one of the projects completely using the author's guidance. Later if you enjoy working with a particular type of embellishment, such as silk ribbon flowers, find another reference book to expand what you learned in this book and become an expert in it for your future projects. I also want to add that the author's focus in this book is to take an old purse and giving it a new life by various types of embellishing techniques...something we all should do rather than buying a new purse. It is amazing how one can extend the life of an accessory by doing a few creative things with it.
   In summary, I use this book as a tool to get my ideas flowing and dig into my own projects using maybe a technique or two from this book, and additional ideas from other books/magazines/patterns (right side of the brain included). Therefore, I am pleased to have this book in my reference library.



2. Off the chain!! This book is all that you will need to get that project going. Very detailed and colorful. I own this book and I simply swear by it!! Very good purchase.



3. Unfortunately, considering the awesome beaded bag on the cover, the book was disappointing. It's difficult to purchase books online when you can't flip through them. The title is TOO truthful. It's about embellishing bags --not making them, although it redeems itself toward the back with patterns for a few of the basic bags. It does have some good ideas, but there weren't enough to make this book worth it to me.
   
   Incidentally, the green beaded bag on the cover is one that has instructions for both the bag and the embellishment.



4. I bought this book particularly for the cover purse and was very pleased to find concise, simple instructions as well as a full size pattern. I made the cover bag and an very happy with the results.



5. The title of this book is very misleading. I don't think any of these bags could qualify as designer bags and most do not use what I consider embellishments. Like a previous reviewer, I was mislead by the beaded bag on the cover, as well as by other reviews. While the book may have been very well put together and the directions clear, I think the bags themselves have very limited appeal.

1 comments about 60 Civil War-Era Fashion Patterns.

1. The patterns in 60 Civil-War Era Fashions are all drawn from Peterson's Magazine, one of the ladies' magazines most familiar to Civil War re-enactors and costumers. The pattern dates range from 1860 to 1869. The patterns have been enlarged somewhat to fit the book pages, and the book says they have been redrawn, but otherwise they are just like the ones in the original magazines. Patterns in 1860s ladies' magazines tend to be only roughly scaled (that is, they are not drawn to true scale and cannot simply be enlarged without re-drafting). These patterns are no exception. Each pattern includes a brief description of the garment, but no sewing instructions. No period supplementary information (such as dressmaking instructions or fashion columns) was added to make up for the lack of it. However, a highly experienced pattern-drafter and seamstress, who has no access to original issues of Peterson's, will be able to make use of this book.

1 comments about Professional Patternmaking for Designers: Women's Wear and Men's Casual Wear.

1. I have been studying pattern drafting for a while and I found out that the book of jack handford is one that you can rely on its acuracy in drafting a personal pattern.I already read some popular books on the market but it fall short in personal pattern drafting technique.Jack Handford's book teaches the basic of drafting and how to adapt it in other ways, if you studied it carefully it will be very beneficial to designer's and seamtreses who is just starting out.

5 comments about The Costume Technician's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Amateur and Professional Costume Technicians.

1. I do more sewing and tailoring of regular clothes than costumes (which is a hobby). And I use this reference all the time. For example, when taking measurements or doing fittings for family and friends, I pull this out. It actually helped me to understand patterns better, and my tailoring skills have increased dramatically.
   
   I also found it useful when finishing our basement and creating my dream sewing space.
   
   I'm also using it for my research for a class on fabrics and fibers.
   
   I recommend this book as a great resource for anyone making clothes.



2. I am a free-lance costumer that travels around the country a lot for my work. This is the one book that travels with me as a basic reference for whatever the directors might throw at me. Most of the information is presented on a basic level (ie pattern blocks are for slopers, not finished garments), but a book would have to be the size of an encyclopedia to include detailed information on how to construct everything and would still miss something. This book gives you enough information to get you started and you can figure out the rest.



3. I am a former student of Rosemary Ingham's, now graduated and working as the Costume Shop Supervisor for Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va. I use her book almost everyday. Her instructions for sewing, altering, and patterning are easy to understand, clear, and concise. Plus there are great visuals to go along with the words by her writing partner Liz Covey. I can't wait until the next edition is complete. This best thing about it is that you don't have to be a professional costumer to use this book. A must for all sewers.



4. I am a student costumer and I hav had nothing but good experiences with teh Costume Technician's Handbook. I finally learned to draft my own patterns from this book - a skill no teacher has ever been able to drive into my skull. This is an absolute necessity



5. This book is wonderful. I got the book when I was in school and it has been in my tool box ever since. I recently had the pleasure of working with Rosemary and found her working style to be as informative and educational as her book. It has helped me with many projects, both professional and personal, and should be in every costume technician's library.

1 comments about Take-Along Totes: Mix & Match Your Way to Creative Organization.

1. My brain's perking with all kinds of ideas after getting this book today. Not only will this give me great creative totes for projects, but I'm thinking that I can use what I've learned for all those funky handbags I'm making.
   
   I especially like Marilynn's choice and use of fabrics. She writes about this and it's importance.