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Sewing Books
Heirloom sewing is exquisite...fine fabrics and delicate stitching
combine to create the most beautiful of pieces. The purpose of Pintucks
& Lace is to teach how these lovely stitches can be
made by machine, replicating the true heirloom look. You can then use
these techniques to make baby dresses, wedding gowns, special occasion
outfits, and more!
Pintucks & Lace shows you how to create gorgeous
heirloom look clothing and accessories that you can use and enjoy every
day! Use these delicate, detailed stitches and techniques to add a
touch of femininity and beauty to your projects in a fraction of the
time it took our ancestors. Bring a bit of the past into today!
Once you are familiar with such techniques as puffing, turned
appliqué, endredeaux, sharks teeth, pintucks and more, you will
put your new knowledge to work creating distinctive works of art.
Twenty-four projects, complete with sewing patterns, include items you
will be proud to wear and use yourself, give as gifts or display in
your home. You will create everything from an heirloom gift bag to a
tiered skirt to a tea cozy and an entire baby ensemble. Showcase your
newfound skills with showy blocks on an heirloom quilt – sure to be a
treasure for generations. You’ll utilize every last scrap by making
bookmarks from your leftovers!
Pintucks & Lace takes a lost art that can seem
intimidating and out-of-reach and brings it firmly within your grasp.
You will delight in the ease with which you are able to recreate the
fine skill of heirloom sewing with your machine and incorporate it
effectively into today’s styles.
24 Projects
96 Pages
Spiral Bound
Additional Viewing Pages
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A
few of our projects:
Dress baby from head to toe - literally! Sew up an adorable baby
ensemble including everything from headband to booties. This set will
be a true treasure for any new Mom. Includes patterns for infants size
0 to 9 mos. You will sew a bonnet, headband, dainty slip, pinafore,
fancy panties, booties, a sweet dress and even frilly socks! Techniques
include fancy laces, embroidery stitches, ribbons & more.
Pillows and quilts adorned with fine heirloom detailing allow you to
showcase your newly learned skills and adorn your home in beauty.
In sewing heirloom you will be making the fabric using the heirloom
techniques first, and then cutting out your pattern.
You will be using lighter weight fabrics,
special sewing machine feet, starch, stabilizers, and completing a lot
of precision details. Heirloom sewing is not difficult once you know
the stitches and procedures, but takes time, patience and skill at the
machine. The end result is well worth the time and effort to learn the
techniques!
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Sewing Machine Feet
Although most all heirloom sewing techniques can be completed with a regular zig-zag sewing machine foot, there are a few specialty feet that make the job easier and give a more professional look to the finished technique.
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Pintuck Foot—This foot comes in several widths with either 3, 5, or 7 grooves under the bottom of the foot. The groove directly under the needle position allows room for the fabric to be taken up into a pintuck. The other grooves ensure even spacing between pintucks when a previously stitched pintuck is put under another groove. This foot also works well with tiny piping. If you can
purchase only one new sewing machine foot, this would be the one. Pintucks are used a lot in heirloom sewing.
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Edge Joining Foot—This foot, which has a blade in the middle, butts and stitches two finished edges together precisely and evenly without extra overlapping. You will use this foot to join together laces and laces to fabric.
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Open Toe Foot—This foot allows you to see what you are stitching! It is used mainly for appliqué and fancy machine stitches.
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Gathering Foot—This foot has a small hole in the middle and will automatically gather your fabric for you. Works great for making puffing.
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Walking Foot—This is a special machine presser foot
that feeds the fabric through from the top, allowing the top and bottom to feed through evenly. It works great for thick fabrics, quilting, slick fabrics...anywhere there might be slippage, or fabric creeping during the stitching process. This foot is great for sewing all kinds of fabrics and projects.
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"Pintucks & Lace" review by The Old Schoolhouse store:
Once upon a time, all young girls learned the art of sewing from their mothers and grandmothers. It was a necessary skill and one that no homemaker dared be without. But sadly, this domestic art has fallen largely by the wayside in today's culture. Many mothers themselves lack the know-how to teach their daughters even the most rudimentary sewing skills, and they have no idea where to start. But thanks to JoAnn Gagnon and her excellent instructional manuals, help is on the way!
Ms. Gagnon has written a whole series of books on the art of sewing-for the novice all the way up to the seasoned seamstress. Her first book, Stitches and Pins, introduces beginning skills and simple projects. This review, however, will focus on two of her other books for the more experienced seamstress-Pins & Needles: An Intermediate Sewing Book and Pintucks & Lace: Using Heirloom Techniques on Today's Styles.
Pins & Needles is an 80-page, wire-bound manual that continues where Stitches & Pins left off. It covers more challenging sewing techniques, including waistbands, zippers, and set-in sleeves, while also briefly reviewing basic skills as needed. The format of the book is very easy to use, and I really like the way the instruction in the various techniques is immediately followed by projects designed to incorporate, practice, and perfect the skills that have just been learned. As always, "doing" is the best way to remember!
There are over 30 projects in this manual, including instruction in using a serger, quilting, heirloom sewing, polar fleece, and garment construction. And all patterns are in a handy pocket on the inside of the back cover. Sizes include Girls 8-16 and Misses 8-16. I especially liked the section on appliqué, as this is a technique that I've been interested in for quite some time. All projects are really nice and up-to-date-and there is something for every season!
My 15-year-old twin daughters have been taking sewing lessons for over six years, and I asked them and their sewing instructor to take a look at the manuals. They all agreed that with a good working knowledge of basic sewing skills, almost anyone could follow the step-by-step instructions in Pins & Needles. The directions are well-written, and the methods are well-presented and easy to understand.
Pintucks & Lace is a 96-page wire-bound manual that is designed to teach the experienced seamstress how to use a sewing machine to create heirloom-style clothing for today's wardrobe. There are over 24 projects to choose from (complete with sewing patterns), including a fancy gift bag, an exquisite sampler quilt, an embroidered tea cozy, a whole baby ensemble, and much more!
Of course, new and more difficult techniques must be mastered in Pintucks & Lace, such as puffing, turned appliqué, endredeaux, sharks teeth, pintucks, and more. For that reason, heirloom sewing may seem intimidating and out-of-reach for many seamstresses. But if you are already well-skilled in most areas of sewing, don't despair. According to the front matter of the manual:
In sewing heirloom you will apply heirloom techniques on the fabric first, and then cut out the pattern. You will be using lighter weight fabrics, special sewing machine feet, and starch and stabilizers as you complete a lot of precision details. Heirloom sewing is not difficult once you know the stitches and procedures, but it takes time, patience, and skill at the machine. The end result is well worth the time and effort to learn the techniques!
Once again, I asked my daughters and their sewing instruction for their opinions on Pintucks & Lace. They all agreed that while the manual's format is easy-to-use and the directions are clear and well written, this book is not for the novice. It is definitely for the seasoned seamstress who expressly wishes to learn heirloom sewing and can dedicate the extra time and effort required in order to master this lovely and historic art form.
Both books are soft-cover and retail for $24.95-a true bargain for all of the excellent instructions, projects and patterns that you receive. You can also visit the Bunkhouse Books website to find other resources, newsletters, patterns, ebooks, sewing supplies, and more. It's a veritable treasure chest!
Overall, I highly recommend these wonderful sewing manuals. If you're interested in learning this timeless and profitable domestic skill that has been passed down through the ages, be sure to check out Stitches & Pins and Pins & Needles. And who knows? Before long, you might just be ready to try Pintucks & Lace!
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