When the Aussie dollar got to 96c US recently I decided now was the time to pounce and grab some bargain books from Amazon. I hadn't bothered in the past due to the poor exchange rate and postage fees, but this time it all worked out so well. And why am I so impressed? Well despite me picking the cheapest shipping rate which meant the books I ordered should have taken at least a month, they arrived less than two weeks after placing the order!
So what did I buy? First up I bought the David Coffin book Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing which I know has been given high recommendations from other sewing bloggers. After following this tutorial made by Sigrid over on Pattern Review for the collar stand which came from the David Coffin book, I was convinced. And it was only $13.57 on Amazon, as opposed to $55 for a paperback here in Australia.I also bought Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket. I have 
borrowed this from my local library and it has some great techniques for modern day tailoring, ie not all by hand but some shortcuts by the sewing machine or with fusible interfacing. That may be sacrilegious to some traditionalists, but I like to achieve results whilst at the same time getting things done quickly, so it appealed to me. This is $34.95 in Australia, but was only $12.89 on Amazon.
borrowed this from my local library and it has some great techniques for modern day tailoring, ie not all by hand but some shortcuts by the sewing machine or with fusible interfacing. That may be sacrilegious to some traditionalists, but I like to achieve results whilst at the same time getting things done quickly, so it appealed to me. This is $34.95 in Australia, but was only $12.89 on Amazon.
But most exciting (to me at least) was the purchase of Amy Butler's little stitches for little ones. I have to say I haven't been the biggest fan of Amy Butler's books, because they are quite simple and are for things I don't really make like tote bags and big floppy hats. But since I have a baby coming, and to be truthful I haven't been that clucky about it so far (should I be worried that small children still annoy me when I'm soon to bring forth one of my own?) I thought this would get me in the right mood. And I think it will, looky at these cute things I plan to make:
A cute dirty laundry bag, a handy change table cover and some smart wrap around booties are things I'll definately make. Possibly even a nappy bag or two. This book being a new release isn't even available in Australia yet and who knows what price it will be, but given that her other books are wildly overpriced here I'm sure it will be at least $35 - $40, double the Amazon it was only $16.47.So all up the books cost me $62.93 US including $20 postage, whereas if I had of bought them in Australia it would have cost $108 US plus I would have had to wait. So all round I'm very happy, I just need to get sewing to get my money's worth now!
And in response to elizabethe's question to my last post regarding my technique for sewing double layers, I made that particular top using two methods. For the upper part of the body, I sewed one back piece to the two front cross over bits to create the outside shell, then I sewed one back piece to the two front cross over bits to create the lining shell, then sewed these right sides together around the neckline - this way when I turned it out the edges were contained inside nice and neatly and I didn't have to bother with folding over and stitching or attaching facings. For the lower part of the bodice though I just basted the two layers together at the edges and then treated it as one piece when sewing it to the top part. This meant the side seams and the joining seam of the bodice and lower front were left raw and in the open, and I really should have encased them by doing the same sewing right sides together and turning, but by the time I had the fit right there was no way I was going back to tidy that situation! Anyway, I hope this helps with your sewing, I'm no technical expert but I can recommend sewing thin layers double, it does make a noticeable difference.
And in response to elizabethe's question to my last post regarding my technique for sewing double layers, I made that particular top using two methods. For the upper part of the body, I sewed one back piece to the two front cross over bits to create the outside shell, then I sewed one back piece to the two front cross over bits to create the lining shell, then sewed these right sides together around the neckline - this way when I turned it out the edges were contained inside nice and neatly and I didn't have to bother with folding over and stitching or attaching facings. For the lower part of the bodice though I just basted the two layers together at the edges and then treated it as one piece when sewing it to the top part. This meant the side seams and the joining seam of the bodice and lower front were left raw and in the open, and I really should have encased them by doing the same sewing right sides together and turning, but by the time I had the fit right there was no way I was going back to tidy that situation! Anyway, I hope this helps with your sewing, I'm no technical expert but I can recommend sewing thin layers double, it does make a noticeable difference.
.jpg)
