Sweatshirt Transformations by Londa Rohlfing
While I was away at the Pittsburgh Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, my book arrived! A few days early even….and this is SEW exciting!!!! I’ve spent the last several days autographing and addressing and standing at the post office mailing over 100 pre-ordered copies! I’m so grateful to everyone for the confidence they showed in laying down their precious $$$ to PRE-order my book!!!
You can order YOUR copy HERE,. At that link, you’ll be adding $5.95 for Priority USPS Shipping. If you’d like to save a couple bucks, and wait a bit longer for delivery, I’ve also created a ‘Book Rate’ where I’ve added just $3 to the price itself – and then 0 is added for shipping. Click HERE for that version. If you’d like a little ‘deal’ and get 1 each of my fusible stay tapes as you REALLY REALLY NEED to create jackets that look good and hold their shape over laundering and wearing… order that deal HERE.
I REALLY have found in developing my style and techniques, that you NEED a GOOD TOP QUALITY sweatshirt or you’ll really, really be wasting your time! And remember…time IS money! The thing is – why waste your time and create something gorgeous only to have it pill and shrink?? If you use a 50 cotton 50 poly commonly-available sweatshirt, THAT is what you’ll have – a shrunken, PILLED jacket. Why will it PILL? Because pills are really what you see in your dryer lint trap – that have NOT let go because the fibers are so strong – like POLYESTER. AND, SHORT, hairy fibers are what was used to be twisted into the yarns that were then knitted into the 50 cotton 50 poly sweatshirt, so the fabric itself has many more ‘hairs’ on it. I hoe that makes sense…it is TRUE! For my jackets, I insist on 80% cotton, 20% polyester, and ‘see’ it as ‘FABRIC AND MATCHING RIBBING’. You’re really only using a comfortable, top quality ‘fabric’ as the base on which to do some awesome wearable art. I love the top quality – yet affordable – sweatshirts that are (at least) DYED IN THE USA! These are the USA Comfort Color Brand and can be found at my website HERE. I carry more scrumptious, wonderful colors of sweatshirts than you can find ANYWHERE – I promise, and at just $28.95 each, that is a great deal! Just figure – even IF you could find this quality of sweatshirt ‘fabric’, it would be say $8.95/yard…and THEN – could you find matching RIBBING as well? Sew…you see, a sweatshirt is JUST comfortable ‘fabric’ and matching ribbing’. On the jacket as shown above from the front cover, the belt is created of the lower ribbing and zipper coil yardage! In the book, you’ll also learn how to create a neck-hugging collar from the lower ribbing.
Sweatshirt Transformations has been published by C&T Publishing – a very respected, large publishing company in the sewing and quilting industry. They have been WONDERFUL to work with. I had THREE editors – so I can assure you that the book is absolutely PERFECT. We assumed that the reader knew next to nothing about garment sewing, as this book will land in many quilt shops where garment sewing is a ‘new’ thing, or w-a-y-y- back in the customers’ past sewing history. ALSO, I have classified the jackets as either Easy, Intermediate, or Challenging skill level. The book begins with fitting methods and all of my basic, stabilizing, binding, and embellishment techniques. THEN those techniques are referred to (by exact page number) in the directions for each specific jacket.
Though my basic techniques are very similar to those found in my own-published book, the specific designs as given for each jacket in this book are DIFFERENT than those found in any of my patterns, or my own self-published book. Below, find photos of other jackets in the book….
‘Adorned’ Jacket
‘Amplified’ Jacket
‘Carefree’ Jacket
I’m busy now starting to make ADDITIONAL sample jackets for each of the jackets (there’s also a hoodie and a vest) in my book. PLEASE send me photos of YOUR jackets created with these instructions – and I”ll post them at my website Gallery, my Facebook account, AND pin them to my Pinterest Board!
I just saw that the publisher, C&T, started a contest – check it out here…all you need to do is tell them about your favorite sweatshirt…