Learn the how, where, when, and 'What the heck?!' of sewing basic garments. This is not sewing like grandma used to do. Grab a bottle of wine and get ready to cut corners and (softly) curse your way through this beginner's guide to stitchery. You'll find the basics of using a sewing machine, insight into patterns and pattern-making, and all of the easiest odds and ends to include in your own garment creations. This guide provides concise, step-by-step instructions to help you conquer your creativity without the Xanax and crying in the corner. Time-saving tips and where to cut corners make this a great guide for people with a wide range of fracks to give.A few topics covered include: - Tools to get your bum in gear - Basic stitches, seams, and hems - Tips on purchasing fabric - The lazy man's road to zippers, buttons, pleats, pockets, and darts - Patterns and instructions for all basic garments (tops, shorts, dresses, etc)Pop the cork and let's go.
Waste not, want not. This crafty guide perfect for anyone looking to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Nowadays, many of us “outsource” basic tasks. Food is instant, ready-made, and processed with unhealthy additives. Dry cleaners press shirts, delivery guys bring pizza, gardeners tend flowers, and, yes, tailors sew on those pesky buttons. But life can be much simpler, sweeter, and richer–and a lot more fun, too! As your grandmother might say, now is not the time to be careless with your money, and it actually pays to learn how to do things yourself! Practical and empowering, How to Sew a Button collects the treasured wisdom of nanas, bubbies, and grandmas from all across the country–as well as modern-day experts–and shares more than one hundred step-by-step essential tips for cooking, cleaning, gardening, and entertaining, including how to • polish your image by shining your own shoes • grow your own vegetables (and stash your bounty for the winter) • sweeten your day by making your own jam • use baking soda and vinegar to clean your house without toxic chemicals • feel beautiful by perfecting your posture • roll your own piecrust and find a slice of heaven • fold a fitted sheet to crisp perfection • waltz without stepping on any toes Complete with helpful illustrations and brimming with nostalgic charm, How to Sew a Button provides calm and comfort in uncertain times. By doing things yourself, with care and attention, you and your loved ones will feel the pleasing rewards of a job well done.
A how-to manual for sewing beginners covers how to choose and use equipment and materials, laying out fabrics and patterns, and tricks and advice for cutting and sewing.
Special clothes for special girls! Delight in the details of these 20+ girlish garment patterns from Lindsay Wilkes, creator of The Cottage Mama patterns and blog. Featuring a classic, vintage-inspired aesthetic, you'll love stitching up an entire girl's wardrobe that's more than just dresses. Mix and match pieces to discover new looks, make complete outfits, and create a year's worth of customized, personal garments for your own little gal. Inside you'll find: Step-by-step instructions to make more than 20 garments and accessories. Materials requirements, cutting instructions, and patterns for sizes 12 months to 10 years. Patterns for coats, dresses, knickers, frocks, tops, and more. A "Getting Started" section to help you choose and pair fabrics, select tools, and brush up on garment-sewing techniques. A CD containing print-at-home patterns and cutting layout diagrams. System requirements for CD: Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF documents CD-ROM drive Free hard-disk space to save files
Think of the money you can save by recovering your favorite chair instead of replacing it. This book covers all of the basic techniques you'll need to reupholster outdated furniture. From wood footstools to over stuffed chairs, there's a good variety of projects you can accomplish with the help of this bestselling book. The fantastic how-to photos and easy-to-understand text make this a must-have for anyone interested in learning upholstery.
Real Skills for Real Life From keeping your home clean and in good repair to preparing your own food, self-sufficiency rocks. Having an understanding of the domestic arts gives you a sense of control over your life. These skills also help you save money, not by chasing deals, but by teaching the principle of the mantra: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Life skills are the essence of frugality. Whether you just moved out of your parent's basement or you cut the apron strings a while ago, you'll learn the skills you need to manage your household. Inside youÆll find: • Quick, easy cleaning solutions for every room of the house, so you can get the job done and get on with life • Instructions for removing stubborn stains and offensive odors from fabric • Simple fixes to wardrobe malfunctions including broken zippers, missing buttons, and fallen hemlines • Troubleshooting advice for common problems with home appliances • A minimum home maintenance guide to prevent or catch major repair problems • A basic plumbing tutorial that includes clearing and preventing clogs, stopping a running toilet and retrieving items dropped down a drain • Ideas for healthy and fast meal planning so you can start cooking and stop relying on takeout or preservative-packed convenience food • Definitions of common cooking terms and techniques found in recipes • Plans for stocking a pantry so you can make dinner (even if you haven't been grocery shopping in a week) and be prepared when disaster strikes • A complete rundown of essential kitchen equipment from knives to pans to small appliances Equip yourself with the skills you need for everyday life.
Whether your home is small or large, an apartment in the city or a country cottage, it is a space that should be at once beautiful and livable. The key to that is managing the upkeep without feeling flustered. Until now, there has never been a comprehensive resource that not only tells how to care for your home and everything in it, but that also simplifies the process by explaining just when. With secrets from Martha Stewart for accomplishing the most challenging homekeeping tasks with ease, this detailed and comprehensive book is the only one you will need to help you keep your home looking its best, floor to ceiling, room by room. In Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook, Martha shares her unparalleled expertise in home maintenance and care. Readable and practical–and graced with charts, sidebars, illustrated techniques, and personal anecdotes from Martha’s decades of experience caring for her homes– this is far more than just a compendium of ways to keep your house clean. It covers everything from properly executing a living room floor plan to setting a formal table; from choosing HEPA filters to sealing soapstone countertops; from organizing your home office to polishing your silver and caring for family heirlooms. Martha Stewart’ s Homekeeping Handbook is organized for clarity and maximum practicality: Room by Room covers the upkeep of the appliances, tools, furnishings, and surfaces found in each room, from the entryway to the kitchen, from the attic to the laundry room. Throughout the House instructs the reader on the proper ways to routinely clean and periodically maintain everything in the home, including dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, polishing, scrubbing, waxing and much more. Comfort and Safety focuses on techniques to ensure your home is running properly and safely, such as recognizing when to clean vents, fixing a leaky faucet, and eradicating pests. A-to-Z Materials Guide provides an invaluable resource that explains the unusual materials that many favorite objects are made of–from abalone to zinc–and how to care for them so they last. Encyclopedic yet friendly, Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook is a seminal work–a must-have for everyone who wants a well-cared-for home that will endure for generations.
The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is an activity the entire family will enjoy. Based on the tradition Carol Aebersold began with her family in the 1970s, this cleverly rhymed children's book explains that Santa knows who is naughty and/or nice because he sends a scout elf to every home. During the holiday season, the elf watches children by day and reports to Santa each night. When children awake, the elf has returned from the North Pole and can be found hiding in a different location. This activity allows The Elf on the Shelf to become a delightful hide-and-seek game.
From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together
Provides general instructions for fitting, constructing, tailoring, and finishing women's, men's, and children's clothing and for making curtains and bedcoverings.
