Sunday 25 September 2011

September Book Analysis (and a giveaway!): Custom Couture


I was offered a copy of Custom Couture by Hélène Le Berre for a review or a giveaway on my blog and the promise of a couture book meant I couldn't say no. Let me start by saying this book is not about couture in its strictest. It is all about refashioning and upcycling which, have no doubt, is a fantastic thing. I am always amazed by refashionistas around the world who pick up the most boring garments and transform them into something gorgeous.

The book features 32 refashion ideas divided into four main chapters: Boho, Jet Set, Retro and Diva. The last two are my personal favourites. Photography is outstanding and illustrations and instructions to transform and create these beauties easy to read.
Whilst this book can be a fantastic source of inspiration for all levels of sewists, I think it will lie best with someone with a passion for refashion and up cycling.
And that is the reason I am also giving this copy away to a reader. Whilst I find refashioning exciting I just can't seem to get inspired to do it. And to be honest, I love the "start from scratch" process.

So if you are into refashioning and would like a chance to win this book all you have to do is leave a comment of this post telling me what refashioning you have done and why you like it.
This is open to readers from all around the world and it closes on Friday 30th September 6pm GMT time.

Good Luck!

19 comments:

  1. Ooh, that looks like an interesting book, please can you enter me? Despite wanting to, I've done absolutely no refashioning at all, I'm never entirely certain where to start - hopefully this book would help with that!

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  2. I love refashioning mainly because I'm into recycling and also it is a good cheap way to update your wardrobe. So far I've turned to shirt dresses into blouses and a pair of curtains into cushion covers (well it's a sort of refashioning). I would love to be entered into this comp as i'm always looking for new ideas for refashioning clothes.

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  3. That book looks so cool! I love to refashion, especially after I've been working on an intense self-made project. Refashioning is a fast, easy refresher! Please enter me!

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  4. A few years ago I did a refashioning project - before I knew that's what it was called! Basically I wanted a denim skirt but couldn't find one I liked but hubby had a lightweight denim shirt he hadn't worn in ages so I liberated it, did some shaping and ended up with the cutest little button up denim skirt for free! I need to do a bit more to it now becaue sadly I no longer fit into it! So some ideas on how to enlarge it a little with some extra fabric or something would be great and I'm sure the book would be fabulous inspiration!

    Thanks for the review! :)

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  5. It looks like a great book and I would love to have some upcycling inspiration. If I don't win I shall be checking out how much it is to buy, and maybe putting on my Christmas list :-)

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  6. Please enter me! I love refashioning. In the past I've turned a denim skirt into a bag and used a dress to line it, and I'm always buying cheap or second hand cardigans and changing the buttons and adding applique to revitilise them. I'd love this book for new ideas.

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  7. This looks an interesting book!
    Count me in please!

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  8. Would love a shot at the book. I have done some refashion. I mostly look for wondeful fabrics - silks and silk blends to use as is or to dye. I'm planning blouse currently from a the skirt of a dress. Fabric is a soft silk cotton.

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  9. Oooh, count me in please!
    I have recently returned to sewing, and most of my projects so far have been refashions; old jeans made into skirts, that sort of thing. Two reasons; one, I have lost a load of weight, and loads of my old things don't fit, but I cannot afford to throw them out. Two; I live a long way from the nearest fabric shop!

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  10. I would be interested to have this book to look through. I have refashioned men's suit coats into hats for myself. I am interested in trying some sweater and cardigan refashions.

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  11. I love refashioning because I can take a super cheap thrift store or yard sale find that doesn't quite suit me and make it over to something great! I've made dresses into skirts, refashioned and added trim to sweaters, used old dresses to cut whole new tops out of, made sleeves out of old pillow cases for baby tshirts.. it's endless what can be done. It's especially fun when you're doing costuming. Refashioning works great for doing steampunk clothing! So please enter me!

    Thanks

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  12. I've only made a couple refashioning projects, mainly fitting and very little modifications. I guess I haven't found clothes that I really want to transform already. But I'm an ecologist, so I love that you can save clothes from the bin that nobody would wear otherwise.

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  13. I have a pile of clothes I want to refashion, and I'd love to learn some couture tricks while I'm at it. Please put my name in the hat for this giveaway. Thanks!

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  14. I hate to throw away quality fabric so I reclaim/reuse/refashion/recycle/upcycle as much as possible (I made a turban from a holey jumper today!)
    Thanks for the review and the chance to win this book, it sounds like one that would make its way into my collection anyway.
    Jane

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  15. I'd love to peep inside this book some more! I am quite unimaginative with refashioning, but have a few things in a pile waiting for inspiration.... I have made sweaters into cardigans (& accidentally shrunk them) & also used my overlocker to reduce the size of a size 18 to more of a 10.... the pictures you're showing are so pretty ...there must be more to refashioning than my minute experiences ...

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  16. Oh that book looks fun! At the moment I'm into using men's shirts plus contrasting fabric to refashion them into tops - I like the range of prints you can find on old clothes and what a good deal you can get in a charity shop!

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  17. Those pictures look totally cute! I haven't done that many refashionings, but they go from shortening-a-skirt hem and adding-lace-buttons-or-embroidery to taking-a-full-skirt-apart-and-making-something-new-from-the-fabric...

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    ReplyDelete

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