Fashion is a frame for our identity: This makes differentiation in fashion not just a desire, but a must. Along with this it's important to know that fashion choices extend beyond the ones dictated to you by retailers. In Sew Subversive, you'll learn how to use sewing as a tool to subvert conventional fashion and put your individual mark on the clothes you wear.

This book is chock full of fashion-subverting sewing projects that bring out the true potential in your clothes. You'll learn how to add cool designs and doodads to the clothes in your wardrobe to make a you statement, alter the fit of your "almost-perfect" clothes, and give a face-lift (or even a whole new life) to the clothes in your giveaway bag.

With some basic sewing knowledge, a dollop of design sensibility, and a little bit of imagination, finding your own fashion is easy. Many projects dont even need a sewing machine-just some scissors and an iron.

Then it won't be long before you're basking in the pride that comes from being asked, "Wow, where did you get that shirt?" and answering, "I made it."

Introduction

Hand-Sewing Basics
Threading Your Needle
The Stitches
Mending a Rip in a Seam
Sewing a Button Back On
Patching Things Up
Hem It Up
Moving on Up to the Machine

You and Your Machine
How a Sewing Machine Works
Know Thy Machine
Finding the Perfect Mate
Learning to Use Your Machine
Threading the Machine
Filling the Bobbin
Loading the Bobbin
Bringing Up the Bobbin Thread
Straight vs. Zigzag Stitching
Changing the Needle
Backtacking
Turning Corners
Working Those Curves

Gearing Up for Your First Sewing Project
The Gear
Fabric 101
Fabric 201: Shopping for Refashionable Clothing
Notions: The Accessories of Fabric
Setting Up Your Sewing Space
Keeping It All Together
Making Something
My First Sewing Project: Pillow Cover
Messing Up

Making It Your Own: Embellishing and Customizing Clothes
Make Your Printer Work for You
A Skirt That Is Sew You
Topstitching: Drawing With Thread
Bye-Bye Boring Britches
Cut It Out! Shirt
All Earsor HornsHoodie
From Big and Baggy to Fit and Flattering
Honey, I Shrunk the Shirt!
Un-Taperfy Your Pants

Refashioning: The Next Life of Your Old Clothes
Tie One On in This Skirt
Totally Tube-You-Lar
Tote That Tee
The Hippest Hip Belt in Town
Get All Ruffled Up
Score Some Pillow Talk in This Pillow Tank Dress
Return of the Leg Warmers
Summerize Your Sweater
Winter Sweater, Meet Winter Hat
Scarf Scrapbook
Vintage Necktie Cuffs and Collars
Im a Sleeve to Wine!
Refashion Yourself

You've seen her. She's the cute hipster on the bus, rocking out to her pink iPod, wearing a halter top she made from a wool sweater. She's the adorable girl at the coffee shop talking on her cell phone, wearing the skirt with a patch on it from her favorite indie band. She is the confidently cool girl driving down the street on a vintage Vespa scooter, armed with a clever tote bag made from an old concert T-shirt. Who is she, and why can't we stop staring at her? She's a lady with individual style. A lass with unique panache. A girl with a little somethin' different. She's the explorer who conquered the fashion world by doing things on her terms.

She could be you!

We -- the self-taught seamsters, the lovers of yard sales, the regulars at remnant bins, the masters of seam rippers, the conquistadoras of mass-produced fashion, the scalding-hot mamas of Sew Subversive -- want to help you find your inner je ne sais quoi, cut it up, sew it, and turn it into a fashion statement of your own. We want you to share in the joy of personalized clothing that brings a smile to your face-clothing that screams your name to anyone who will listen.

Fashion is a frame for our identity: This makes differentiation in fashion not just a desire, but a must. We may have found comfort wearing what everyone else did in grade school, but not today. (It nearly kills us to see our outfit cheating on us with another woman! That naughty outfitrunning off with someone else when we wore it so well!) Part of our mission with this book is to help you see that fashion choices extend beyond the ones dictated to you by retailers. In Sew Subversive, we will show you how to use sewing as a tool to subvert conventional fashion and put your individual mark on the clothes you wear. It won't be long before you're basking in the pride that comes from being asked, "Wow, where did you get that shirt?" and answering, "I made it."

You Can Do It Yourself!

Don't know your bobbin from your feed dog? Never fear! We are the first to admit there is much to learn about the intricacies of sewing, but realistically, you don't need to know it all to get started. We will break it down for you, demystifying the concepts of sewing and the sewing machine. We'll demonstrate that with some basic sewing knowledge, a dollop of design sensibility, and a little bit of imagination, finding your own fashion is easy. A bunch of our projects don't even need a sewing machinejust get some scissors (no running!) or an iron and you'll be on the road to hot action. Caution: While you aren't required to have a machine, be prepared that you may well be scheming to get yourself one when you see how fun and easy machine sewing can be!

Sew Subversive is chock full of fashion-subverting sewing projects that bring out the true potential in your clothes. You'll learn how to add cool designs and doodads to the clothes in your wardrobe to make a you statement, alter the fit of your "almost-perfect" clothes, and give a face-lift (or even a whole new life) to the clothes in your giveaway bag.

You Can Do It Together! Sewing is often viewed as a solo sport, but it's even better as a team event. The three of us have known each other since childhood and share a love of sewing and creating. We have spent many fun evenings bonding in a modern version of the sewing circle, where inspiration and ideas flow freely. But the lack of space for large sewing rooms in the typical San Francisco home made it difficult to widen our sewing circle without the benefit of a large, centralized, commercial space. Thus, the idea of our ventureStitch, an urban sewing loungewas born.

Stitch Lounge is designed for creating and collaborating. It has a well-stocked sewing studio (complete with a coffee machine) where you can rent machines and specialty equipment by the hour or enjoy a sewing class or private lesson with a local designer. If you want to get inspired, Stitch has an Inspiration Section devoted to all kinds of crafty ideas and gently loved clothing with tons of potential, yearning to be turned into your favorite outfit. Stitch also supports the community of up-and-coming San Francisco designers with a boutique exhibiting their wares. The energy at Stitch is all about learning, camaraderie, and simply having fun sewing together. Every day at Stitch Lounge we see the benefits of sewing in a community!

So, when you finish this book (or perhaps even just get halfway through), start callin', e-mailin', and textin' your creative, not-afraid-to-make-mistakes, fun, and unique crafty friends. Get together and start sewin' subversively. Use the skills and tools we lay out to build your own crafty community that encourages creation, inspiration, and self-expression by using what you already have and making your things on your terms!