Black Girls Sew supplies tools, builds skills, and offers encouragement to help young sewists create a powerful sense of self and style Black Girls Sew is a nonprofit organization built on strong messaging: teach and empower young girls to take ownership of and have pride in their clothing. Their first book offers the tools, knowledge, and vocabulary to help young people take back their fashion narrative. Black and brown girls and boys need a space where they do not have to encounter misrepresentation of their culture, and this book provides them with a safe space in which to explore their creativity. Primarily the book teaches basic sewing skills and design principles so that readers can create one-of-a-kind looks. By encouraging them to follow their curiosity, rather than telling them what to create, Black Girls Sew helps young fashionistas learn to take risks and explore creative play in clothing design. The way we dress is a means of expression, and by encouraging boys and girls to immerse themselves in the world of fashion, providing projects to create their own wares, and offering historical looks at prominent Black figures who have impacted the industry, Black Girls Sew is a guide for all who are interested in fashion, design, and building their own powerful sense of self and style.

Sew chic, dark-toned clothes with this stylish sewing book and add a touch of originality to your wardrobe. Basic Black is the English edition of a classic Japanese sewing book which provides sew-it-yourself Western-sized patterns for 26 basic garments, along with detailed, easy-to-follow diagrams and instructions. Author Sato Watanabe has published many books that are favorites among Japanese sewing fans. In this book, she shows you how to make truly professional-quality pieces easily and inexpensively at home. DIY Sewing designs include: Lace Shirred Blouse Tiered Sleeveless Dress Zip-up Vest with High Neck Frilled Shirt in Charcoal Flannel Short Coat And many more… All of the styles and fashion are easily customized to create your own personal style, and there is truly something for everyone and every occasion in this book--from a smart two-texture combo dress to a relaxed, bohemian tunic--and everything in-between. All the styles are thoroughly modern and practical, ranging from softly feminine or straight-line simple to smartly-tailored or loosely-deconstructed. Simple lines make these garments perfect for women of all ages and all sizes. This book includes a complete western-sized sewing pattern for each design that is easily adjusted to fit your body form. The understated, graceful designs in this book are ones that you'll come back to again and again.

Special clothes for special girls! Delight in the details of these 20+ girlish garment patterns from Lindsay Wilkes, creator of The Cottage Mama patterns and blog. Featuring a classic, vintage-inspired aesthetic, you'll love stitching up an entire girl's wardrobe that's more than just dresses. Mix and match pieces to discover new looks, make complete outfits, and create a year's worth of customized, personal garments for your own little gal. Inside you'll find: Step-by-step instructions to make more than 20 garments and accessories. Materials requirements, cutting instructions, and patterns for sizes 12 months to 10 years. Patterns for coats, dresses, knickers, frocks, tops, and more. A "Getting Started" section to help you choose and pair fabrics, select tools, and brush up on garment-sewing techniques. A CD containing print-at-home patterns and cutting layout diagrams. System requirements for CD: Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF documents CD-ROM drive Free hard-disk space to save files

Sew cute and original clothes for your little angel with this easy-to-follow DIY sewing book. Yoshiko Tsukiori's Japanese sewing books provide elegant casual designs for women and children and have made her one of the most popular names in the Japanese sew–it–yourself craze. In Sewing for Your Girls, Tsukiori has done it again, creating eight adorable and endlessly versatile new patterns for clothes that will delight every mother's budget—and suit every little girl's personal style and body type. Tsukiori provides easy–to–follow instructions (in English) and shares the basic techniques for creating all the classic elements of little girls' clothes. Today's emerging legions of DIY mothers will discover how to make: A round collared shirt or tunic A classic smocked sundress Overalls with plenty of pocket room Draw-string pants that fit beautifully A shawl-collared dress or top A gathered neckline shirt, tunic, or dress A pretty dress with shoulder ruffles A raglan top or dress Add ruffles or bows, add tiers or pockets, add sleeves or go sleeveless—each of these garments can be embellished in endless variations to create literally hundreds of different styles. Tsukiori also guides readers on how to select carefree, pretty, and inexpensive fabrics that girls will love to wear every day! Imagination and creativity are the keys to dressing girls stylishly on a budget, and Sewing for Your Girls makes it easy to mix and match the basic components so that each piece is as unique as it is beautiful.

Sew edgy, urban clothes with this stylish sewing book and add a touch of originality to your wardrobe. More and more women are opting to make their own clothes, but most of the books on the market emphasize girly, feminine designs. She Wears the Pants is the first Japanese sewing book (in English) to focus on the increasingly popular "borrowed–from–the–boys" look. Already one of the best–known and reviewed sewing books in Japan, this sporty addition to the sew–it–yourself craze is poised to take the American DIY sewing market by storm. Sometimes women are in the mood for clothes with strong, clean lines and casual sophistication—polish and simplicity without the frills. She Wears the Pants is the book for those times. A graduate of the Bunka Fashion Institute, Yuko Takada provides patterns and instructions for making twenty spare and streamlined wardrobe items, including: Versatile tops that can be either casual or dressy Jackets that are timeless and unique Dresses and skirts that are straight-line or draped Three different pants lengths, from culottes to full-length trousers And much, much more! Patterns can be easily adjusted to suit any body size, and Takada shows readers how to select inexpensive, readily available fabrics and transform them into an elegant new wardrobe. Understated never looked so good!

Sew Fab is a style and sewing workbook for any girl aged 8–13 who loves fashion. It will teach you not just to sew, but how to wear your creations with flair. Start by finding your style tribe, learning to accessorize, identifying the best colors for you, and more. Now get ready to sew. Make yourself a mini studio, stock your sewing basket, and try out some hand stitching. Finally, make some Art to Wear. There's a mix of easy step-by-step projects to sew by hand or using simple machining, from a hair bow to a little black dress (but in the color that suits you best!). Packed with gorgeous illustrations, step-by-step projects, tips, and fun activities, you will be creating unique clothes and accessories in no time.

Sew stylish DIY dresses with an elegant flair using this easy-to-follow sewing book. For parties, weddings, banquets—any occasion that calls for that special dress—this is the book that lets you DIY sew something stylish and elegant, for a lot less than you'd pay for ready-made. These 26 dresses and separates range from short to long, from sweet to sophisticated, and from simple to dramatic to suit your mood, your style and the event. Beautiful photos feature garments sewn in a variety of elegant fabrics to inspire you to choose colors, prints and textures for a dress that is just right for you and for the moment. Sewing patterns include: Gathered-skirt dresses with lacy overlays Simple, elegant shifts and empire-waist styles An easy, flattering shirtwaist dress A pintucked smock style dress Shirt and blouse combos that allow you to mix and match Dresses sporting a few well-placed frills for a look that's both girly and subtle Little bolero jackets for when you want a little more coverage And more… Full-size sewing patterns are offered in six sizes and can be altered to suit most body shapes and personal measurements. The instructions and diagrams are easy to follow. Pick up the book and browse. They're some of the easiest, prettiest DIY sewing projects you'll ever make.

With her "choose-your-own-adventure" approach to sewing, Tanya Whelan offers an invaluable collection of patterns that empowers sewers to become designers. The trick is a set of patterns for 6 skirts and 8 bodices that line up perfectly at the waist, plus an additional 4 sleeve styles and 4 necklines. Tanya gives readers clear instructions and easy-to-follow step-by-step diagrams that allow them to use the enclosed pattern pieces to create up to 219 fitted dresses, including simple strapless designs, sheaths, and halter gowns. The book covers basic dress construction and altering techniques for women of all shapes and sizes.

Winner of the African Photobook of the Year Award A Choice Outstanding Title of the Year A USA Today "Must-Read for Black History Month" An NPR "Goats and Soda" Editors' Pick A BookRiot Favorite Nonfiction Book of the Year An unprecedented visual history of African women told in striking and subversive historical photographs-featuring an Introduction by Edwidge Danticat and a Foreword by Jacqueline Woodson. Most of us grew up with images of African women that were purely anthropological-bright displays of exotica where the deeper personhood seemed tucked away. Or they were chronicles of war and poverty-“poverty porn.” But now, curator Catherine E. McKinley draws on her extensive collection of historical and contemporary photos to present a visual history spanning a hundred-year arc (1870–1970) of what is among the earliest photography on the continent. These images tell a different story of African women: how deeply cosmopolitan and modern they are in their style; how they were able to reclaim the tools of the colonial oppression that threatened their selfhood and livelihoods. Featuring works by celebrated African masters, African studios of local legend, and anonymous artists, The African Lookbook captures the dignity, playfulness, austerity, grandeur, and fantasy-making of African women across centuries. McKinley also features photos by Europeans-most starkly, striking nudes-revealing the relationships between white men and the Black female sitters where, at best, a grave power imbalance lies. It's a bittersweet truth that when there is exploitation there can also be profound resistance expressed in unexpected ways-even if it's only in gazing back. These photos tell the story of how the sewing machine and the camera became powerful tools for women's self-expression, revealing a truly glorious display of everyday beauty.

Casual Sweet Clothes offers you gorgeous tops, dresses, jackets and skirts with a designer edge. Simple step-by-step instructions and diagrams guide you through the process of sewing each garment, and the full-size patterns included at the back of the book guarantee perfectly fitting results every time. The 18 simple but stylish casual pieces in this book make the foundation of a hand-made wardrobe that will last for years.