Deconstructing the old into the new
Elissa Meyrich's 'Rip It!' walks you through the art of reconstruction from start to finish
By Stephanie Levi
Published: March 4th, 2006 | 11:09pm
We've all had the experience of opening up the closet and sifting through drawers only to feel like there isn’t a thing to wear. As the owner of famed sewing store and school Sew Fast Sew Easy and the author of the book of the same name, Elissa Meyrich knows a thing or two about crafty ways to make the old look new again. With her new book, Rip It!, Meyrich guides the faint of wardrobe towards rehabbed fashion perfection. Filled with practical, fun, and easy-to-do projects, Rip It! takes readers step-by-step through methods that deconstruct boring basics and reinvent tired old rags.
An interesting history of fashion and design is followed by an introduction to sewing basics, including supplies, stitches, and other methods. The remainder of the book is filled with projects that are perfect for beginners as well as those with more sewing experience. Each how-to is suitable as a project on its own or as a starting point for something different or more complicated.
Among the many projects, Meyrich shows readers how to make a shrug out of an old cardigan, how to make a super-cute ruched skirt, how to shorten jeans without losing the original hem, and how to make a very sexy bustier belt. The projects themselves are filled with techniques that can be used to alter and reshape clothes that would be perfect with a few adjustments; even if a particular project doesn't interest you, the techniques embedded in the project will.
As a reviewer, I felt that the real test of the book was whether or not I could complete a project. I can barely hem pants and feel like I deserve a gold medal when I sew a button on a shirt, so the thought of adding darts to a blouse or adding cute leaf-shaped appliqués to a skirt seemed like an impossible task. I decided to try to make a wrap sweatshirt according to the book's instructions. I was nervous at first, but Meyrich’s directions and illustrations were so clear and her explanation of stitches so understandable that the project went off without a hitch. A pile of old, boring standbys lies on my bedroom floor waiting for their extreme makeover. With Meyrich's expert guidance in Rip It!, it won't be long before they are back in circulation.
Visit sewfastseweasy.com for more information.
Issue #24
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