Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified

Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified Review

If you’ve ever watched Project Runway and wished you were a contestant, or you’re simply ready to take your sewing to a new level, Design-It-Yourself Clothes teaches you the fundamentals of modern patternmaking so that you, too, can create your own inspired clothing.


Until now, the aspiring DIY fashionista has been hard-pressed to find self-teaching tools other than dry textbooks or books with outdated looks. Finally, in Design-It-Yourself Clothes, former Urban Outfitters designer Cal Patch brings her youthful aesthetic to a how-to book. If you want to wear something you can’t find on store racks and make clothes that express your individual style, or if you’ve reached a sewing plateau and want to add pattern drafting to your repertoire, Design-It-Yourself Clothes is the book you have been waiting for.

In five key projects (each with four variations)–a perfect-fitting dress, T-shirt, button-down shirt, A-line skirt, and pants–Patch shares the art of patternmaking. At its core, it’s much simpler than you think. Patch covers everything an intermediate sewer needs to know in order to become a fabulous fashion designer, from designing the patterns, taking your own measurements, and choosing fabrics to actually sewing the clothing. You will also learn how to stylize patterns by using darts, waistbands, patch pockets, and ruffles. Patch offers tips, explanations, options, and exercises throughout that will make the design process that much easier.

But besides showing you how to create clothing from scratch, she also teaches you how to rub off patterns from existing clothing–so if you have a pair of pants that you love but are worn out, or you have your eye on a piece in the store with a prohibitive price tag, you can figure out how to get the looks you want by using your own two hands.

The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)

The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems) Review

The bearded dragons of Australia are some of the most exciting lizards in the pet trade and are taking the country by storm. This updated, revised, and more comprehensive version of The General Care and Maintenance of Bearded Dragons is the most up-to-date and complete guide available for these popular lizards. The authors provide the essential information for choosing, housing, feeding, interacting, and providing proper veterinary care for bearded dragons. A chapter on the frilled dragon may encourage you to also consider this fascinating Australian lizard.

Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Powerful, Practical Program for Parents of Children and Adolescents

Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Powerful, Practical Program for Parents of Children and Adolescents Review

If you're a parent of one of the more than one million children in this country with obsessive-compulsive disorder, you know how confusing, even frightening, the symptoms of OCD can be. You're terrified of losing your child and angry about the havoc this disorder has wreaked in your family. More than anything, you want to be able to unlock the secrets of OCD, understand the cause of your child's bizarre symptoms, and help your child break free of these disruptive, relentless thoughts and actions.

In her landmark book, Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Dr. Tamar E. Chansky creates a clear road map to understanding and overcoming OCD based on her successful practice treating hundreds of children and teenagers with this disorder. In Part I, Dr. Chansky "cracks the code" of the peculiar rules and customs of OCD -- the handwashing, tapping, counting, and so forth. She explains how OCD is diagnosed, how to find the right therapist partner, and how to tailor treatment options to your child's needs. You'll learn how powerful behavioral modification can be and when medication can help. In Part II, you'll learn how not to be pulled in by your child's debilitating rituals at home or at school, how to talk to your child about the "brain tricks" OCD causes, and how to create an effective OCD battle plan that will empower your child to "boss back" the OCD monster. You'll also learn how to cope in moments of crisis.

Part III offers specific advice for how to help your child handle the most common manifestations of OCD such as fears of contamination, checking, getting things "just right," intrusive thoughts, and more. Part IV is an indispensable guide to additional resources, including books, videos, organizations, and websites.

Filled with Dr. Chansky's compassionate advice and inspiring words from the many children with OCD whom she has helped, this book will be your lifeline. Battling back from OCD is hard work, but with the comprehensive, proven guidance in this book, you can help your child reclaim a life free from its grip.

101 Ways to Say Thank You: Notes of Gratitude for All Occasions

101 Ways to Say Thank You: Notes of Gratitude for All Occasions Review

In a world of abrupt, hastily typed e-mails and instant messages, the art of pen-and-paper note writing may seem lost, yet nothing else says “thank you” with quite the same elegance or sincerity. Now you will never again struggle to find the right words for that beautifully penned message. Endorsed by Crane Stationery, Notes of Gratitude provides the perfectly worded thank-yous for nearly every occasion, from baby showers and christenings to business interviews and charitable donations. You’ll learn the etiquette of faxing a thank-you note, the keys to expressing gratitude to lovers, friends, and family members—even the correct uses of the honorific “Ms.” Exhaustive and totally indispensable, Notes of Gratitude will assure that you will never be at a loss for words of appreciation and affection.

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods Review

When Jennifer Reese lost her job, she was overcome by an impulse common among the recently unemployed: to economize by doing for herself what she had previously paid for. She had never before considered making her own peanut butter and pita bread, let alone curing her own prosciutto or raising turkeys. And though it sounded logical that “doing it yourself” would cost less, she had her doubts. So Reese began a series of kitchen-related experiments, taking into account the competing demands of everyday contemporary American family life as she answers some timely questions: When is homemade better? Cheaper? Are backyard eggs a more ethical choice than store-bought? Will grinding and stuffing your own sausage ruin your week? Is it possible to make an edible maraschino cherry? Some of Reese’s discoveries will surprise you: Although you should make your hot dog buns, guacamole, and yogurt, you should probably buy your hamburger buns, potato chips, and rice pudding. Tired? Buy your mayonnaise. Inspired? Make it.

With its fresh voice and delightful humor, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter gives 120 recipes with eminently practical yet deliciously fun “Make or buy” recommendations. Reese is relentlessly entertaining as she relates her food and animal husbandry adventures, which amuse and perplex as well as nourish and sustain her family. Her tales include living with a backyard full of cheerful chickens, muttering ducks, and adorable baby goats; countertops laden with lacto-fermenting pickles; and closets full of mellowing cheeses. Here’s the full picture of what is involved in a truly homemade life—with the good news that you shouldn’t try to make everything yourself—and how to get the most out of your time in the kitchen.

Pot Bellies and Other Miniature Pigs (Complete Pet Owner's Manual)

Pot Bellies and Other Miniature Pigs (Complete Pet Owner's Manual) Review

A growing number of people are finding the ideal house pet in a miniature pig! Here's expert information on how and where to buy pigs, health measures, control of parasites and more. More than 40 full-color photos and black and white drawings. There's even advice on pig-proofing your home!

McGuffey's Eclectic Readers/Boxed

McGuffey's Eclectic Readers/Boxed Review

These phenomenally successful readers feature literary selections that are suited to the age level and interests of students. Faithfully reproduced to the last detail, this delightful journey through legendary America is now available in an attractive boxed edition. 7 volumes. Now available.