Book review: Sew U by Wendy Mullin and Eviana Hartman
Sew U: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe
As one that has never been schooled in fashion, I’ve been an avid fan of how-to books that teach you how to sew. I’ve amassed quite a collection of books about sewing and patterns in general, and I simply had to get a copy of Sew U by Wendy Mullins and Eviana Hartman when it came out in September 2006.
The book is an elegantly spiral bound book that lies flat – easy to refer to and work with at the same time. The back holds three full Simplicity patterns printed on brown tissue paper, which unfortunately, I found a little flimsy. There is a work-around this though, and I find myself copying my size onto other paper, as I would need to refer to it often and didn’t want to risk tearing the originals. The pattern offers sizes from 0-12, and XS-L, so if you’re looking for a pattern for larger sizes, you might be a little disappointed.
Wendy, who is the founder of Built By Wendy, an independent womens and menswear designer based in NYC, aims to take the fear out of sewing a complete outfit for beginners, and starts off with introducing the machine, preparing your workspace and getting to know the tools of the trade. Her tone is short and clear, making it a no-frills book that’s easy on the eyes. The book progresses through making a skirt (beginner), a shirt (intermediate) and pants (advanced).
Her instructions are broken into clear points, with lovely illustrations showing every step of the way, which I really appreciate. The book is priceless for the basics alone, a lot of which are covered in the first few chapters. The patterns are simple, but the strength of the book lies in Wendy’s no nonsense lessons that are suitable for all levels of sewing.
The book is not entirely crafty, as the projects featured are limited. But for beginners who are looking to sew an outfit and are boggled or just mystified about how it should go, the book is a godsend. The most important thing to me is that she offers lots of other ideas to jazz up your creation, and inspires by encouraging others to try and build upon her basic patterns. With this in mind, how far you can go (or sew, for that matter) is entirely up to you!
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April 17th, 2007 at 3:59 am
I love the patterns in this book and I liked a lot of her tips; unfortunately the pattern instructions are hard to follow, and I found some errors.
For example, the size chart is buried in one part of the book, the yardage chart is buried in another part, and you don’t find out whether your size is “L” or “10″ until you unfold the paper patterns.
I liked the idea of the diagrams that show the garment put together, with each pattern piece colored differently. But, in my edition (maybe it’s been fixed) the instructions about the pants waistband are vague about which piece is which, and the overview diagram gets it wrong!
The diagrams that go along with the instructions are often not detailed enough to let you see what’s going on (diagrams in your average Simplicity pattern are much much better). I’ve made all three patterns, but I feel like sometimes I was only able to get through the pattern because I’ve made pants and shirts and skirts before, and I didn’t panic when it turned out the jazzing-up instructions left out some crucial details.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I really feel like the book needed some extra attention to the instructions and diagrams, just a little more detail and error checking, and I find it hard to believe that a beginning sewer would be able to make sense of them. On the other hand, I use these three patterns ALL THE TIME. I have 3 pairs of jeans made from this book (wearing one right now), two skirts, and a shirt that I love. Since I’ve made the patterns several times, I know where the pitfalls are and I adjust accordingly. (Actually, when I sew the pants I refer to the instructions from a McCall’s pattern that uses a similar construction).
I’ll probably have a half-dozen Sew U inspired skirts by the end of the summer. I liked the tips on sewing things like piping (the piping package doesn’t come with instructions!) and the advice on working in a small space. The tips on how she ran her small business from a tiny apartment were really inspiring.
The book makes references to a possible sequel, and I can’t wait to see it.
But really - size 12 as an upper limit?? What kind of crazies decided on that?
April 17th, 2007 at 9:25 am
this is one of the books i ordered from amazon when i decided that i am finally going to overcome my fear of the sewing machine and start making clothes that fit and i like. and are cheap. let’s not forget that. anyway, i haven’t tried to make anything yet, but i agree with everything i have heard so far as the tups are good, the chapters and i love the illustration of each different garment on top of the original. i also think that it is crummy that the point of the book is to be able to make your own stuff, yet the sizes don’t go above 12. fortunately i fall into that size bracket, but most women don’t.
April 17th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
I found the pattern for the skirt and shirt needed a little adjustment on my end, mostly because I have a small and high waist, and the shirt needed to be adjusted a little. But because I know how to draw a pattern out from scratch using my body measurements (japanese patterns usually needs you to do this), so the adjusting was a little easier.
But you may be right about the pants – I’ve been putting it off because it’s bold step for me, but I think I might just try it in the coming weeks.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I went all crazy and *started* with the pants, and even though the only thing I’d sewn before 3 weeks ago was a pillowcase (yeah recangles!), mine turned out great! I mean, they’re a little wonky, but I used cheapo fabric and they are quite respectable first pants. Since then, I have made another pair and they turned out *perfectly*.
The tissue paper is a little annoying to work with, and I wish some key info (sizing charts, yardage, etc) was gathered in one central place. But overall, I am impressed. I made pants!!
April 19th, 2007 at 11:00 am
“The pattern offers sizes from 0-12, and XS-L, so if you’re looking for a pattern for larger sizes, you might be a little disappointed” A little disappointed? As a size XL/16, I’d say I am a LOT disappointed. I already feel excluded from so many of the cute clothes I’d love to wear. Boo on her, seriously.
April 20th, 2007 at 4:56 am
This book has been on my Amazon wishlist for ages, and if it is truly a good book for beginners that outlines a lot of the basics, then I might have to just bite the bullet. The patterns are pretty darn cute, but it’s a real bummer that she didn’t include larger sizes.