Short Kutz

Lisa Arsenault is a public-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

Written for creative sewers, this is an instructional manual for
designing and making children’s clothes from adult’s used clothes
(e.g., adult jeans converted into children’s overalls). Each project
is divided into four categories: measure, mark, make, and notes. (The
notes include suggestions on how to solve problems that may arise while
converting a garment.)

Templates (guides) are provided, which can be customized to make
conventional patterns or can be applied directly to old clothes to
create new garments. Instructions are given for both options with every
project.

The last chapter describes creative ways in which virtually every
article of old clothing (including slippers and shoes) can be taken
apart and reused to fashion new outfits or embellish existing garments.

Clear, concise, fun to read, and spiced with humor, Short Kutz is
recommended for experienced sewers who are interested in using a variety
of recycled materials to create children’s clothes. Although also
useful for sewers using conventional machines, owners of sergers will be
especially interested in this book, as several of the projects are more
easily made with a serger (e.g., sweaters converted into dresses and
pants).