Radical Sewing: Pattern-Free, Sustainable Fashions for All Bodies

by Kate Weiss

Overview

Radical Sewing is a guide for learning how to make your own clothes. Kate introduces you to the basics and best practices of garment sewing for yourself at home, as well as advice and info on things you wouldn’t even know to ask about sewing. Topics include hand sewing, picking out a sewing machine, adding pockets to anything, sewing a button so it stays on, altering your clothes to fit your unique body, and so much more! Regardless of your sewing experience, gender, or body type, this illustrated guide will empower you to make your wardrobe your own. With loads of encouragement to try things out, all you’ll need to do is experiment and break the rules to create the clothes and outfits that you want to wear.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781648410901
Publisher:	Microcosm Publishing
Publication date:	10/05/2021
Series:	Good Life
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	347,031
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Obsessed seamstress Kate Weiss has been making clothing and tinkering with textiles for over a decade. She is on a mission to spread the magic and power that comes from creating garments, with fabrics you choose, to fit your body. She’s a sewing teacher, pattern maker, and one of her favorite things in the world is making her own jeans. Kate is super proud of her work as a Master Clothing Volunteer where she teaches sewing to young people across Jefferson County. She graduated from the wild institution of Goddard College with a BFA in creative writing and has worked in the book industry in one role or another her entire adult life and a few of her reckless teenage years too. She lives with her husband, Michael, and their exceptionally sweet dog, Perl, in Louisville, Kentucky. She can be found online at katebweiss.com. This is her first book.

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

The Necessities 13

Basic Techniques 64

Machine Sewing 65

Sewing by Hand 73

Measuring Your Body 84

The Politics of Clothing 91

Modifying Your Existing Wardrobe: Pants or Skirts 100

Fit 101

Closures 113

Adjustments for Seated Bodies 115

Fixing Holey Pants: Mending 119

Converting to Cargo Pants: Adding Pockets 123

Expanding Your Wardrobe 130

Cloning Your Clothes 131

Making New Clothes from Scratch 140

Basic Principles of Design 145

Working from a Pattern 151

Bonus Stash Busters 158

Conclusion 171

Basic Sewing Terms (Glossary) 173

Additional Resources: Pattern Companies, Websites, Books, & Suppliers 177

Acknowledgements 184

Bibliography 187