Simply Sewn

Simply Sewn
Gifted by Interweave
www.interweave.com
Reviewed by Jeanette Benoit, Editor, AllFreeSewing.com
 

No matter what time of year it is, you can easily create your very own sewn wardrobe! Inside Simply Sewn by Michiyo Ito, you will find a lovely collection of wearable clothes for every season. Choose from 31 versatile designs including dresses, shirts, pants, and jackets. All are comfortable, figure-friendly designs. Plus, you'll also find simple accessories such as scarves and bags to add the perfect finishing touch.

This 128-page book contains everything you need to get started sewing your clothes.  When you first open the book, you'll dive right into the beautiful designs. Each article of clothing is displayed with multiple color photographs and are broken down by season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and a fifth "bonus season," Special Occasions.

In the first half of the book, you'll just get a general idea of the clothes themselves; the detailed instructions for each item of clothing are saved for a different chapter ("Project Instructions") in the second half of the book. This is a nice way of organizing a book because it really focuses on the actual articles of clothing themselves and lets the designs speak for themselves. as a reader, you don't have to worry about the technical aspect of any of the beautiful designs until you've actually decided you want to make it. By just looking at the pictures, you can get a really good idea of what the book is about and what types of clothing you can choose from. It's almost like a "look book" of fashions.

If you're new to sewing your own clothes, then you might be especially interested in the "Before You Begin" portion of the book; this section is nestled in between the "look book" and the Project Instructions. Here, you will find everything you need to know about sewing clothes including Selecting your Size, Pre-Washing Your Fabric, Preparing the Patterns, Cutting the Fabric, and Sewing. At the very back of the book, you will find the physical pattern pieces in a wide range of sizes to choose from.

Check out a sneak peek below of some of the projects you will find inside Simply Sewn!

From left to right:  Boatneck Coctail Dress, Summer Wrap Dress, Bolero Cardigan
Images courtesy of interweavestore.com