Beautiful outfits you can make from square pieces of cloth. Squares can easily be turned into charming clothing with just a few simple techniques.
Any woman who can sew can write this book. Make some nice photographs and you might even be able to sell it to millions. Good luck!
This is a great way to get children interested in sewing simple outfits that are guaranteed to fit. Great for a teacher to use, or a mother to entertain her children on a rainy day. This could be the only way a mother can send her kids to school with new clothes during a recession.
For instance a poncho is just a square of wool with a hole on the diagonal. An interfacing is easy to make by copying the curve of the hole and turning the fabric in. Any experienced seamtress knows how to do this. It is a whole lot cheaper than a coat and can be just as warm.
I bought a really nice wool jacket made in Mexico several years ago that was a square with simple squares for sleeves made out of an Indian blanket. One size fits all and it looked great on me and I have worn it for years.
My Mother used to make bathing suits for me when I was little out of cotton handkerchiefs and safety pins sort of like a diaper and a halter top held up with a twisted handkerchief around the neck and pined to the halter. Ribbons could have been used, but the simplicity of the twisted fabric was just great!
Mother also made a pleated skirt by folding together repeated sections of plaid fabric until it fit around me. Then she added a waist band which covered the edges and with a length extra that overlapped which she fastened with a safety pin and it was finished. Hooks are now available to fasten waist bands so you don't have to sew a button hole or risk a safety pin. I wore a sweater over the safety pin and no one ever knew. She even made another matching skirt for herself so we were a Mother-Daughter combo! I loved it and I thought my Mother was a genius.
You can also make a gathered skirt or even a tight skirt with a square of fabric sewed up the side and turned under on top and rubber or a string threaded through it and tied to fit. You can hem it any length or just pull out the threads for a fringe around the bottom. Cover the bulky gathered top with a sweater.
You can lay a flat double sheet (or fabric sewn together flat) on the floor, put a pencil in the middle tied to a length of string the length you want your cheer leader style skirt. Add several inches to the string so you can attach chaulk to the other end of the string and inches for the circle in the middle and for the hem. Mark the large circle with chaulk. Cut a circle in the middle the size of the waist and a slit to get the skirt on. Hem the large circle with bias tape and put a waist band at the waist and add an interfacing to the slit to finish the edges.
For a simple sleeveless blouse you can wear under anything, fold a strip of fabric like a pillow case. Measure to fit your model. Make a hole for the neck and an opening in the front or back as desired. Copy curve of neck opening onto facing fabric and put right sides together and sew around edges of opening and turn in the interfacing and iron flat. You can add a button to front or back opening and a loop of braided string to fasten to the button. Sew sides together like with a pillow case leaving openings for the arms. Hem the base of the blouse.
Study a peasant skirt, which has several layers of gathered straight strips, each longer than the next, to make another easy style skirt. They are very popular now and are fun to make and they don't use much fabric. Lace can be added to these if desired.
Hats are easy to make. Just cut two arch shapes or a church window shape and sew together. Fold a cuff and hem edge or gather edge with rubber. Add a pompom to top if desired.
Simple outfits can be made to look expensive with nice accessories and sweaters you can find in a thrift store. If you can find some fabulous wool looks, leathery look fabrics and some slinky fabrics, you can create a fabulous wardrobe for very little money.
I'm not illustrating this because I just want to give you ideas. You write what you want and have fun with it. Pattern companies will see more and more budding seamstresses when they read your book and be glad. Just keep it as simple as possible for the greater readership. Remember, some poor people don't have a sewing machine.
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