Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross Book Signing At Purl Patchwork!
Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross is here! We’re particularly excited about this new title from Stewart Tabori & Chang because Heather is not only the talented designer of some of our favorite fabric (including the fantastic Mendocino and Rabbits and Racecars collections) and the creator of the amazing blog Weekend, but she’s also our friend and sewing teacher at Purl Patchwork.
Book Signing with Heather on February 28th!
We’re so excited to host Heather at a book signing event for Weekend Sewing this Saturday, February 28, 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm at Purl Patchwork (you can find a map to our store here)! Stop by and hang out with Heather and the Purl Patchwork staff. We’ll have plenty of copies of Weekend Sewing on hand if you’d like to pick one up and have Heather sign it for you!
Edited by Melanie Falick, Weekend Sewing is part of a series of craft books by Stewart Tabori & Chang that also contains Falick’s classic Weekend Knitting, just re-released in paperback. Like Weekend Knitting, each project in Weekend Sewing is designed with the weekend crafter in mind, with a range of patterns that suit any sewing ability, budget or time schedule. Sewing with friends and family is strongly encouraged – there are even tips for transporting your sewing machine to a friend’s house for the weekend.
Weekend Sewing‘s projects are a perfect reflection of Heather’s own inimitable style and approach to sewing: easy going, stylish but not stiff, colorful and bright, relaxed and casual.
Weekend Sewing, not just in the patterns, but also in the book’s fabulous and plentiful and charming illustrations that accompany her concise written instructions, like this illustration of the All Weekend Sundress.
Yarnmonster!
And also Kai’s Shirt, a little treasure which can be made to fit any occasion depending on your choice of fabric. Here, in one of Heather’s most adorable prints, the mood is decidely casual!
Weekend Sewing with a very complete sewing and fabric basics section, and good tips right off the bat for organizing and storing your sewing essentials so that they’re easily accessible but neatly tucked away when not in use. You’ll even find deliciously simple, low-maintenance recipes to munch during the many breaks you’ll have plenty of time to take! In short, you’ll find everything you need to make sewing a fun and relaxed part of your weekend, no matter what your skill level.
Here is what Heather had to say about the arrival of her first book:
A few weeks ago a friend turned to me and said “I am so sorry your book is launching during such a rough economy.” The only thing I could think to say in response was “Oh no, you’ve got this all wrong!” I think this is the perfect time for Weekend Sewing! I have been so moved these past months by how much people seem to want to do for themselves and their families in an effort to be more self sufficient, and by how many of us have discovered the opportunity for creative expression that exists in doing so.
It’s so empowering to be able to decide exactly what you need and what you want to wear, what clothing is a match for your lifestyle and for your taste. I am fortunate enough to have come from a long line of creative and self sufficient women, but had I not had such a wonderful Home Ec teacher I think my life would be much different now. Mrs G’s approach was simple: A household (whether it includes just one person or a dozen) is a small business, and should be managed as such with ingenuity, thrift and creativity. Sewing, cooking and a sense of style and design were all equally valued. And, most importantly, she taught us this: this life, this home, is not a beauty contest, and it’s not about perfection. This is about taking care of the people you love, taking care of yourself and being happy. I am so proud to be a part of the sewing/creative living community that so openly shares resources and inspiration, and so proud that Weekend Sewing has been so well received.
get a sneak peak of her new fabric line, Far, Far Away!
We hope to see you at Purl Patchwork this weekend! You can catch Heather at Purl Patchwork for a book signing from 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm at 147 Sullivan St., New York, NY (please click here for a map to our store).
Wish I could be there.
What a fun book! My mom and I are always planning our sewing "marathon" weekends, this book would be perfect for us!
Man, I wish you all had a store out here in the LA area. We need you!
Oh if only I could be there!!!!!
This book sounds wonderful and something I should own! Is someone able to let me know if the book contains metric measurements? (I am overseas)
Her comment about the economy is so reassuring, and I totally agree with that approach to the issue. We should think of these difficult times as an opportunity and really learn from it. I also love the part about her Home Ec teacher, because I absolutely feel the same way. I have a wonderfully crafty family, with two aunts that sew religiously, but my Home Ec teacher was so wonderful in high school and made it such an enjoyable experience. I’m glad it’s something I can connect to with both family and friends.
Such cute stuff!
Break out the sewing machine!
At Christmas I received $30 from my step kids to spend on Amazon. There is just so many books to choose from that I have been bamboozled on how to spend it. That was until I saw this book by Heather Ross. AFter very little thought I went straight to Amazon and ordered it. Now I just have to wait the 16 days (I live in Sydney, Australia) for it to get to me. How many weekends is that??
Hope the signing went well. Wish I was there with my book.
I just purchased this book, and I have to say it is wonderful. This is the first sewing book that has more than three patterns that I would like to make. Every project really strikes me, and I love the variety offered. I can’t wait to see everyone’s projects popping up on flickr and craft blogs.
How I wish I didn’t live a zillion miles away! I will surely attend Heather’s book signing in spirit!
Can anyone tell me if the patterns, like for example the gorgeous summer blouse, are adaptable to plus sizes? I’d love to buy the book but don’t want to end up frustrated and not fitting into the intended pattern sizes.
Hi Bee!
I am well aware that many of us start sewing because the clothing found in stores fits only a portion of the population that tries to shop them. In fact, I started making a lot of my clothes in high school partly for this reason. I am 5’9" tall and weigh about 165 pounds. At 15 I was wearing a bra so big I could use it to gather apples for two pies at a time. I was actually good with it, still am. But sometimes I have a hard time not taking Marc Jacobs sizing personally.
I tried to design clothing for my book that would look great on a lot of different body styles, and I feel like I succeeded. The All Weekend Sundress, Trapeze Dress, and Kimono Dress are all great options for plus sizes (up to at least size 18), and the Yard Sale wrap skirt can be revised very easily (just add one more skirt panel to the 5 identical ones that the pattern instructs you to cut out, 2 extra panels would fit a size 18, three would be a size 22). The Summer Blouse is roomy, but has a narrower upper sleeve than many blouse patterns, and the pajama pant is not as roomy as many similar patterns from other designers.
I hope this helps.
Best,
Heather
I bought this book immediately after reading this little interview. I’d been thinking about learning to sew again recently and Heather’s comments and gorgeous patterns sealed it for me! New York is a long way to go for sewing lessons (from Sydney, Australia!) so my mum is going to teach me. Unless, of course, Purl Soho is interested in opening a store out here? We’d love you!
So have to get this book. It looks delicious.
Where did you get that awesome sewing table?
Help with the Everything Tote.. The yardage has to be wrong. I really want to make this bag, but need help figuring it out.
Hi Danielle,
I looked at the pattern and it does look like the yardage is incorrect. My guess is that you need 1 yard of each fabric rather than 1/2 a yard, but I’m not 100% sure about that. If you want to check with Heather herself, you can contact her through her blog, which you can find at this link:
http://heatherross.squarespace.com/
she has an "email me" link on the right navigation under "links"
Hope this helps!
Joelle
Does anyone know what the fabric is that is used for the Trapeze Dress? I love it.
Thanks!
i love it! i ran out and bought it this weekend. i couldn’t resist as begin my adventures in sewing!
I purchased “Weekend Sewing” last week and I am all ready to start a project. Namely page 77 ( Pajamas for everyone) and the Smocked Sundress on page 113. However I have a question about the Sundress. My grand daughter is a size 3 toddler. The instructions are for a 12 month “with measurements for size 4 included in parentheses”. I searched everywhere in the book and all the patterns but nothing for the larger size. Is there suppose to be a pattern for this dress?? Help, I would like to get started. Did I mention that there was no measurements in parentheses??? Thanks
I purchased "Weekend Sewing" last week and I am all ready to start a project. Namely page 77 ( Pajamas for everyone) and the Smocked Sundress on page 113. However I have a question about the Sundress. My grand daughter is a size 3 toddler. The instructions are for a 12 month "with measurements for size 4 included in parentheses". I searched everywhere in the book and all the patterns but nothing for the larger size. Is there suppose to be a pattern for this dress?? Help, I would like to get started. Did I mention that there was no measurements in parentheses??? Thanks
Hi Joyce,
Please check with Heather about this. You can find her at this link:
http://heatherross.squarespace.com/
she has an "email me" link on her right navigation under "links"
Hope this helps!
I absolutely love this book! I just bought it Friday and have been so inspired by it that I’ve made a couple things directly from it and one little craft (that I’ve been trying to put together in my head) that was solved by some of her clear how-to descriptions! GREAT PURCHASE!
Oh, I am soooo happy Heather answered the post about big sizes! I was worried about the same thing because I live in Spain and won’t like to buy the book, wait for so long to arrive and then I can’t make any garment because I am not a smal size! lol…
Thanks so much for answering Hetaher and ciao! I’m on my way to Amazon!
Hi there,
Another upsizing question: has anyone done pattern adjustments for the shirtdress? I am a beginning-intermediate sewer, and would love to learn both how to make pattern adjustments and to take the plunge into more complicated garment making with this lovely dress.
Thank you!
Hi Amy,
Please check in with Heather about this, she has tons of info about sizing and her patterns on her blog, and you can also email her directly from there. Here is her link:
http://heatherross.squarespace.com/
thanks!
Has anyone done pattern adjustments for the shirtdress? I am a beginning-intermediate sewer, and would love to learn both how to make pattern adjustments and to take the plunge into more complicated garment making with this lovely dress.