No comments about 25 More Bags to Knit: Beautiful Bags in Stylish Colors.

1 comments about Metric Pattern Cutting for Children's Wear and Babywear: From Birth to 14 Years.

1. Babywear & children's clothing will no longer have any secrets after you have used Winifreds' book. It explains how to make all styles for all ages and then some. It's easy to use and written in plain english! The best I've ever come across and I would highly recommend it for both beginners and advanced patterns makers.

1 comments about Pierre Cardin.

1. A "must read" for people who are interested in today's fashion. I am a fan of Mr. Cardin. Having worked with Mr. Cardin and his amazing crew for more than 3 years as house model in Paris before going to college, it's easy for me to understand why he is always a leader in fashion. This book documents his powerful journey so wonderfully!

No comments about J-rock Groupies: 200 Photographs of Unique Japanese Girls.

No comments about Shoes, Shoes, Shoes.

No comments about Fashion Production Terms (Language of Fashion Series).

3 comments about Universal Beauty: The MISS UNIVERSE Guide to Beauty.

1. You'll love it! If you were in the Miss USA pageant, Miss Teen USA, Miss Universe you will love this book... Especially if you're a winner. Since it's one big celebration of these pageants or any pageant by Donald Trump complete with him giving a bragging opening ''foreward'', pictures of all the girls, them on the back giving fab reviews for it and talking all about themselves in it with only minor beauty information. Stuff everyone basically already knows- but if you want a guide with some beauty pageant contestants/winners this is it... Other than that don't expect too much.



2. This would be a really great book if you loved pageants. It's got a lot of good tips, but nothing that you haven't already heard in numerous beauty/fashion magazines. It also has lots of photos and information on pageant contestants too. If you're really into that...then go for it. But if you're looking for some real beauty "secrets," then I wouldn't bother.



3. If you want only one 'beauty bible' filled with color and insights, it should come from an authority - and UNIVERSAL BEAUTY; THE MISS UNIVERSE GUIDE TO BEAUTY doesn't get any more authoritative. Contributions come from the former Miss Universe titleholders and pair advice from beauty writer Cara Birnbaum with the experts' insights. From choosing beauty products and understanding labeling to beauty secrets that helped win the crown, UNIVERSAL BEAUTY comes packed with expertise and plenty of color photos.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about Quilted Bags & Purses.

1. This is one of the worst pattern books I have ever purchased. The directions are extremely confusing and there are very few photos or drawings of the construction techniques. In addition, the fact that you have to enlarge the patterns to make the purses and bags further complicates the whole process. I went to two copy shops and was told they couldn't even make the copies because they couldn't print out anything that large. They recommended going to a shop that does blueprint copies but warned me it would be expensive. I don't know why they couldn't have included a pattern packet with the book. Also, the bag "familiarity" seems to be missing two pattern sections, C & D, unless of course it is hidden somplace else in the book and I just haven't been able to find it! Last of all, many of the bags call for hand stitching for some of the final steps -- nothing to make your final product look tacky and homemade than having to sew things down by hand - thanks but no thanks there are better and more professional looking construction techniques available than the ones used in this book. I consider this book to be a waste of money and an exercise in frustration.



2. This is not a book for beginners. The instructions are for experienced quilters or sewers. I love all the ideas and I am going to try to make each bag. I bought this book without reading the reviews or else I might have had second thoughts on purchasing this book.



3. The bags are very beautiful, and the photos of the finished bags clear. The finished photos show front, back, inside, and side gussets well. However, a warning is necessary. THERE ARE NO - NONE - PHOTOS OF IN-PROCESS BAGS. This makes the instructions really difficult to understand. The short instructions for special techniques (applique's various methods, beading, and hand embroidery stitches) are also too short for a first time introduction. Most of the bags have medium to simple construction methods. An experienced sewer should not have much trouble figuring it out, even though the instruction are hard to follow.
   
   An exception is the bag on the cover, which uses about 20 applique pieces. It is the most complex bag in the book. I think making a pattern first using typing paper or muslin would be a REALLY good idea for this bag. Some of the patterns are for the back-side of the fabric. Some of the patterns are on a fold (half sized). The patterns use different seam allowances. I think it would be IMPOSSIBLE NOT to make several mistakes if you were cutting the fabric first. Make sure the patterns are marked with seam allowances and the color of the fabric as well as front or back-side labeled. Glue or tape the pattern pices together to make sure the seam allowances will work. This pattern calls for silk and velvet or microfiber, which are rather expensive, and aggrevates the problem if the cut pieces do not fit together.
   
   I still gave this book 5 stars because, I am not sure if the complex designs of certain bags COULD have been explained simply (short of including full-sized, correctly labeled patterns), and because the workmanship of the bags in the photos are excellent. The color choices and materials are also well thought out. You can just copy the fabric choices as is and get a great bag out of it. For most books on bags, I have to substitute the fabrics on many of the bags because the color choices are bad or the fabrics are too weak for the size and use of the bag.



4. I am not surprised to see the last person's opinion. I am an intermediate to advanced sewer and just wasted $40 in fabric on one of her patterns. I just left a class at the local quilt shop today where we were working on one of Hiney's purse patterns. The teacher and 2 other quilt shop staff present couldn't figure out her instructions for certain elements of the purse. They had caught mulitple other errors in the instructions though and noted them for the class. Don't waste your money on such a sloppy pattern designer and writer.



5. I'm an accomplished quilter and belong to a bag of the month class consisting of 18 people. We have made 7 bags from this book and all but 1 have major problems with the directions, i.e. wrong measurements, etc. The quilt shop owner contacted the author who blamed the publisher. I would not recommend this book nor will I ever buy another book from this author.

4 comments about Marilyn Monroe: The Last Sitting.

1. WOW!!! Even if you already own the HUGE coffee-table book of the complete last sitting, in my opinion this book is still highly recommended! The Bert Stern photos have always been my personal fav of Marilyn & I own books by all her photographers who have had books published. This one is perfect, it shows all the best photos from that magical last sitting with the # 1 Sex Goddess!



2. If you love Marilyn this is a must buy. Greak pics but there is nudity so it should be a purchase for people over 18 years old.



3. I love the variety and quality of the photos. The perfect gift for my daughter, a big MM fan.



4. Its certainly Marilyn as you've never seen her... unretouched photos showing thick makeup caked in her crows feet, a huge surgery scar on her stomach... boozed up and talked into taking her clothes off, as recounted by the photographer.
   
   
   Mostly what I felt as I was looking at the photos was sad for Marilyn... and that she had yet again been taken advantage of by this photographer who kept writing about "how was I going to get her to take her clothes off?!" like a highschool senior before prom.
   
   It particularly disgusted me when he wrote about how the moment he met her his "dream life in new york"... marriage...kids... everything disappeared... and eventually during one of the sessions he leaned in to kiss Marilyn but she said "no".
   
   Hah! Good girl Marilyn.

1 comments about Hidden Underneath: A History Of Lingerie.

1. I saw this book in a local bookstore and as usual came to Amazon to make my purchase. It's a great book with wonderful photography. I recommend it to anyone who needs a little something to take their mind off of a day's work.