Synopses & Reviews
Tween girls love clothing, style, and expressing themselves through what they wear. In fact, the No. 1 dream career for girls ages 7 to 12 is fashion designer, according to The New York Times. Just what a girl needs to learn design and sewing basics, The Fashion Designer’s Handbook and Kit combines a lively instruction book with a kit loaded with tools and trimmings—a doll-sized dressmaker dummy, 27 patterns, rick rack, measuring tape and thread, and three different prints of fabric. Everything, in fact, a young designer needs to create a hip wardrobe for her 11 1⁄2-inch fashion dolls, including, of course, Barbie.
The illustrated, four-color book guides readers from inspiration to design. How to think and sketch like a designer. Getting to know fabrics and fibers. Plus, why knowing your colors helps you put together a really cool outfit; assembling a sewing box; making appliqué and embroidery; and working with patterns.
The 33 delightful projects are hand-sewn (the few basic stitches are taught), and simple enough for girls to complete with little or no adult help. Each is clearly explained with illustrations and modeled by dolls in charming full-color photographs. Plus a bonus: Three of the projects are for girls to make in their size for themselves: a Skirt T-Shirt Dress, Trapezoid T-Skirt, and an adorable tote.
Synopsis
The No. 1 dream career for tween girls? Fashion designer, according to
The New York Times. They love
Project Runway, follow their favorite stars’ clothing lines, and use clothes as a way to express themselves. And now, with
The Fashion Designer’s Handbook & Fashion Kit, girls ages 7 to 12 can learn everything they need to know to start designing clothes—and test their ideas by creating doll-size outfits. Combining a full-color book with a starter set of tools and trimmings—a doll-size dress form, 27 patterns, ribbon, rickrack, and two swatches of fabric—it will inspire any girl to create a fabulously hip wardrobe to fit her 111⁄2-inch fashion dolls, including Barbie.
Fully illustrated throughout, with step-by-step instructions, The Fashion Designer’s Handbook covers design and sewing basics and how to think and work like a designer—from sketching ideas to developing your own style. Plus: four basic stitches; appliqué and embroidery; working with patterns, including adding your own flourishes; and how to use a dress form to design your own clothes.
The 33 delightful, doll-size projects require little to no adult help. There’s Martha’s No-Sew Circle Dress, Mod Mini 1-2-3 Skirt, Cozy Lounge Pants, Little Red Cape, and more. Plus three life-size designs—a dress, a skirt, and a tote—for girls to make for themselves.
Synopsis
Young girls love fashion. They love Project Runway. They love expressing themselves through what they wear. And they want to be fashion designers. It’s the No. 1 dream job for girls ages 8 to 12, according to The New York Times. Here in one kit is everything a girl needs to know to start designing and sewing clothes—a lively, full-color book that comes with a doll-size dress form, 24 reusable patterns, rick rack, embroidery thread, a tape measure, and a piece of fabric printed in three vibrant patterns.
The Fashion Designer’s Handbook and Fashion Kit features 33 projects that range from super easy dresses for 11 1⁄2-inch fashion dolls (including Barbie) all the way to “girl-size” projects for the designer to make and wear herself. It shows how to think and work like a designer—from finding inspiration to sketching to developing a personal style. Getting to know fabrics, fibers, and materials; working with patterns; and creating original designs using the dress form.
The Mod Mini 1-2-3 Skirt. The No-Sew Sock Dress. Little Red Cape and Coco Jacket. Every project is clearly explained in step-by-step instructions and requires little to no adult help.
About the Author
Marjorie Galen is the author of
Summer Crafts: Fun and Creative Summer Projects for the Whole Family. She's written articles for
Country Living and
Martha Stewart Living, and writes quilting patterns and books with well-known quilter Denyse Schmidt. She lives outside of New York City.