Chic On a Shoestring Book Review
I have always had an interest in crafts, and wished that I could be better with the sewing machine that has been gathering dust in my basement these last few years. When I was given the opportunity to review the book “Chic on a Shoestring – Simple to sew vintage-style accessories”, I figured it would be the perfect time to get out my sewing kit and put it to use!
Synopsis: “Chic on a Shoestring”, by Mary Jane Baxter (ISBN: 9780399159596) teaches readers how to recycle almost anything in their closet – old clothes, shoes, scraps of fabric, broken necklaces, buttons – and convert them into stylish, vintage accessories. For crafters, this book includes inspirational ideas for creative projects, many of which do not require a sewing machine. Fashion and couture enthusiasts, will be inspired by the vibrant colors, and designs seen in the books illustrations and photos.
The first 30 pages of “Chic on a Shoestring” are filled with tips, trick and information. The book teaches how to keep to a tight budget by using things you already have at home, and how to shop for treasures at flea markets and antique shops that can then be turned into something new for your wardrobe. There is a list of the basic tools and materials that are helpful to have on hand, a “sewing phrasebook” with illustrations, and descriptions of different hand-sewing stitches, plus a guide to fabric know-how.
This book offers over 40 unique and stylish projects, each with step-by-step instructions and colorful pictures to help you see the creation process, and the modeled finished piece. There are 6 different categories of projects: Customizing, Straightforward Sews, Beautiful Blooms, Jewelry, Hats & Handwear, and Suitcase Essentials. There are also some templates provided in the back of the book.
Some examples of the “Chic on a Shoestring” project ideas include: vintage trims, sensational shoe-stoppers, tie change purse, tea towel apron, sweet and simple fabric flowers, pantyhose petals, 1950’s paste jewelry, sensational shoestring necklace, cashmere beanie, retro headband, silk scarf tops and skirt, vintage collar and cuffs set, and ever-lasting thank you flowers.
About the Author: Mary Jane Baxter is a writer and craft expert. After working as a BBC journalist for 12 years, she left her job to train as a couture hat maker. She is now busy running millenery courses across Europe, and writes and reports for fashion, craft and creativity for BBC television, guardian, Sew magazine, and Cloth and Selvedge. She also designed most of the projects specifically for “Chic on a Shoestring – Simple to sew vintage-style accessories”.
My Review: When I first received the book, I spent some time just paging through and looking at all of the colorful pictures. The projects do all seem to be simple to sew, not a lot of complicated machine stitching and there are many that don’t require a machine at all. My first thought was, “Any of these could be hand-sewn if someone didn’t own a sewing machine.”. There is even a breakdown of hand-sewing that covers the basic steps and stitches, with illustrations that I found to be very helpful.
This book really would appeal to a wide variety of people. I don’t necessarily consider myself to be “Chic”, but many of the projects in “Chic on a Shoestring – Simple to sew vintage-style accessories” lend themselves to the reader’s own imagination for customizing to their own taste. As I was going through the book, I thought of an old sweater that would work for the cashmere beanie project, and some matching fingerless gloves. (I’m still looking for that packed away sweater!) There is a project to make a coin purse out of an old tie, that not only could I see making for myself, but I might also be able to customize it differently for my kids.
Disclaimer: Lauren has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Lauren did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.