Little Green Dresses: 50 Original Patterns for Repurposed Dresses, Tops, Skirts, and More

3 Responses to “Little Green Dresses: 50 Original Patterns for Repurposed Dresses, Tops, Skirts, and More”

1. Ugly Beat says:

   October 7, 2010 at 1:04 pm

   I am a sewing book junkie, and absolutely like this new offering by Miss Sparkles. I live in Austin, and though I don’t know her, reading through this book made me feel like she was a dear friend, guiding me patiently through all sorts of fun projects. Her explanations for building your own patterns are simple and clear and don’t seem more hard than ironing out a pesky tissue pattern and altering it to fit your body. With her instruction, you can really make simple garments that are made based on your measurements, not that of a pattern company’s thought of your size. She has illustrated each project with a sample garment so you know what the finished product will look like. A lot of the styling is not my personal taste (I like 60’s), but it’s simple to envision how you can make the clothes to suit your own taste. I also like how each project has a sidebar called “Mix It Up”, in which she gives you more thoughts to customize each pattern. Seriously, you could take one of her pattern thoughts and do a bazillion different takes on it lacking looking like you’re building the same thing over and over again.
   
   I’m a huge fan of recycling clothing and vintage sheets, etc. so this book was right up my alley. Not only are there instructions for building your own customized patterns, but also repurposing thoughts for existing garments (along the lines of the Subversive Seamster books). I like the inspiration I get from this book…my mind turns into sewing overdrive and I want to sew til my fingers fall off. Seriously. I reflect my boyfriend is starting to look at me weird.
   Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
2. Laurel says:

   October 7, 2010 at 3:00 pm

   I was SO pleasantly surprised to come home today and find at my doorstep a copy of Small Green Dresses, a book written by Austin’s DIY crafting genius, and my long time mentor, Tina Sparkles. Tina has permanently been a huge inspiration to me. Small Green Dresses teaches DIY fashionistas how to transform their wardrobe (or their boyfriends) into 50 unique, simple to sew, timeless pieces while keeping eco friendly. The book comes perfect with patterns, instructions, and fantastic visuals so anyone willing to take on the projects can easily follow along and even expand on the original vision through subtraction, addition, and even folding! I recommend this book to ANYONE!!! It’s truly timeless and extremely simple to follow. Fantastic work!
   Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
3. A. J Terry says:

   October 7, 2010 at 5:51 pm

   When I bought my copy of Small Green Dresses, I expected a book on repurposing–creatively altering–used clothing. As a replacement for, I received what has the air of a repurposed book. That is, I suspect that leader Tina Sparkles wrote, or proposed to the publisher, a beginner book on drafting patterns for and assembling simple, kicky styles that appeal to teenagers and young adults. Then the editor said, “There are a number of such books already competing on the market, but eco-friendly is a hot new trend. Let’s add an eight-page introduction that urges readers to consume responsibly, a twenty-page chapter on the most basic sewing techniques, a tiny handful of projects specifically on remaking clothing, and a sidebar explaining that used clothing can yield notions such as buttons and zippers readers can place on additional clothes. Oh, and as a replacement for of telling them to use new fabric, just advise them to either buy lengths of thrift-store fabric, or to use huge pieces like blankets. The techniques are exactly the same as for using new fabric, so you won’t have to change the assembly directions.”

   Because, that’s exactly what this book is. Don’t get me incorrect, I am entirely in favor of eco-responsibility. For all ages, not just teenagers and young adults. I judge that all home sewing is “green” to some extent. It also helps you to fill your wardrobe with clothes you like and that fit you well, whether these are minis (as in this book), or boho, or what. It is really harder to draft patterns than to buy commercial ones (which you can probably find for all the styles in this book), but young beginners who want to just plunge in seem to feel that drafting patterns is somehow simpler or more creative. And Small Green Dresses is a excellent manual for them, although they will also need some basic sewing experience–or at least another, comprehensive, manual on sewing techniques . . . but let’s get back to repurposing. If what you expect is a book that focuses primarily on altering the styles of used garments lacking cutting them up entirely to get flat fabric, or on taking sleeves and additional parts from two or three garments to make one new garment, or on dealing with stains, tears, etc., . . . this book is not it.
   
   Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5