Sunday, July 24, 2011

Simplicity Fabric Guide Book Review + Giveaway!


I feel like Frodo and Sam at the start of the third movie...We've been here before...  Unlike Frodo and Sam, I am delighted to revisit this particular place :)  I was quite happy to receive a complementary copy of Simplicity Fabric Guide: The Ultimate Fiber Resource.  This resource is available this month and you can find it on Amazon UK for pretty cheap.


This has already been reviewed extensively by Peter over at Male Pattern Boldness and Debbie at Stitches and Seams.  Like Peter and Debbie, I love the comprehensiveness of the book, it's spiral-bound (and easy to keep open when sewing) design, and the lovely pictures. 

But there are three things that really got me excited:

1. A chapter on fabric sources...



Oh, did they say the magic word....wool???  You all know how much I am in love with our furry friends and their fabulous coats.  Perhaps it's that the UK still has a somewhat thriving wool industry, or perhaps it's that our weather is so variable that wool is a brilliant fabric choice, or perhaps it's that I still get excited to see little sheepies (and yes, I really call them sheepies), but wool makes me giddy with delight.



















So you can imagine that I was thrilled to learn some new facts about wool.   Did you know that:
  • Wool fibers are very resilient.  They can be bent back on themselves 20,000 times without breaking?  Wool can stretch up to 50 percent when wet and 30 percent when dry and still bounce back to it's original shape.
  • Wool is a great temperature regulator--it can absorb 30 percent of its weight in moisture without feeling damp or clammy.
  • According to this fab fabric guide, there are only 40 different breeds of sheep that provide the more than 200 types of wool currently used for fabric.
  • I was a bit surprised that the UK wasn't in the top five list of wool producers--it's Australia, New Zealand, China, South Africa and Argentina.
So fascinating!!!

My second favourite thing about the book is the inspirational colour storyboards (see picture below and the one at the start of this post).  I love these so much!! I think I might try and do my summer and autumn/winter colour palettes using these as inspiration for layout!  I love how they've arranged the fabric with pins and thread...


My third favourite thing about the book appeals to my obsessive planning nature.  There is space in the back of the book for a fabric journal (brilliant idea!!) where you adher a fabric swatch and write down what it was like to sew with the fabric and details about fabric care.  I just might have to do this...I love organising things in this way!


So there you have it! A very Debi tour of the book :)  Oh yeah, it does have pictures of all the fabrics and guides to care...blah, blah, blah....

Giveaway:
I was super impressed that the publisher thought of us sewers across the pond!!  In celebration of that I'd like to host this giveaway for one copy of the Simplicity Fabric Guide.  This giveaway will be open to those in the UK and Europe.  Just leave a comment on this post by midnight on Wednesday GMT time.  I'll announce the winner on Thursday!

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend! And thank you again for all the lovely comments on my 39 Steps inspired outfit (don't forget that giveaway for that pattern closes tonight!!  Enter here if you haven't already).
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36 comments

  1. I'd love to win this book. Oh....fingers crossed.

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  2. Ooh, yes please! I love the colours in those storyboards. Very inspiring.

    Was thinking about you the other day. Have you ever seen any of the 'Thin Man' movies? I've been working my way through a box set. They were made in the 30s, and Myrna Loy, the leading actress wears some gorgeous outfits. The storylines are pretty fun too :)

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  3. Looks like an amazing book to add to my stash, so please count me as in. Thanks honey. axx

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  4. Looks like a great book with loads of inspiration and interesting bits and pieces.

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  5. What a great book. And what a generous lady to want to give it away ! Please count me in for the giveaway. k x

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  6. That's such an amazing book! I'd love to win it please!

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  7. Wow, what a great book! It looks like a great read. Thanks for having a giveaway! :)
    Ashley x

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  8. Yay! Thank you so much for this. I'd love to take part!

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  9. Oh, I'd love to be entered for this one Debi, thank you! x

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  10. What a fantastic book! Please count me in fir the giveaway :) I'm with you on the storyboards, I love how pretty they look, it's like a fabric scrapbook. I'd love to have something like that as a functional decoration in my sewing space.

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  11. This looks like a great read, it'd be great to win. The swatch idea at the back looks great too, although i always try to start things like sewing journals and my organisation fails me! Thanks.

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  12. This looks fabulous! I love the first color story board. Those colors are divine. :)

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  13. Oooh, count me in! Seems like a great book! :)

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  14. I'm thoroughly convinced that this book needs to be on my bookshelf - thank you for doing this!!!

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  15. Oh wait - I may have misunderstood - is this open to ONLY folks in the UK & Europe? If so, I need to withdraw...... :(

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  16. This is so useful, thanks for giving it away.

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  17. Oooh, please count me in Debi! This book looks brilliant!

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  18. Very interesting book! Count me in for this giveaway.

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  19. I'm looking to expand my sewing library, so this would be wonderful!

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  20. That book seems amazing! I would love to have it. Thanks for hosting this give-away :)

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  21. Oooh, loads of background information... and I love wool too! I'm not specifically excited by the storyboards, but this book seems great none the less. Lots of information and partical to use. Please count me in for the give-away.

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  22. Thanks for such a great giveway, I would love to win it as I need all the information I can get to educate myself about fabric.

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  23. wow that looks like a fantastic book! I want to try my hand at felt making some time so that section on wool will be really interesting! thanks for this great give-away!

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  24. I'd love to win this book. Looks awesome. Great give-away!

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  25. I'd love to win this, thanks for the giveaway:)

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  26. Fingers crossed!
    I'd love this book, thanks for the giveaway!

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  27. Yes please Debi, I'd love a chance to win this beautiful book! Thank you for the great giveaway

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  28. I'd love to win this book! Am new to sewing and have made a couple of bad fabric choices so far...

    Jess x

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  29. What a great giveaway, this book looks fab, please count me in.
    I can't believe I missed your 39 Steps dress, your version turned out so well, those slits are very dareing.

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  30. I'm in Australia so I don't count for the giveaway but I still had to post this. Like you Debi, I have a fascination with wool. An amazing Australian magazine (frankie- can highly recommend this magazine for anyone and everyone) informs me that Angora yarn doesn't come from Angora goats, it comes from Angora rabbits. Now every time I pick up my needles I daydream of bunnies knitting away with the fur off their backs (a very cute image indeed, even if I'm the only one who can see it).

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  31. Excellent giveaway! Please count me in, I'd love a copy of the book! Tabatha x

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  32. I'll fight you for it Double T! Count me in (I promise I'll share if I win ;-)

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  33. Ooohh - the fabric sources section looks useful but the real gems are those colourboards... I'm such a sucker for pretty colours!

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  34. Oh wow, what a fabulous book!

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  35. Haha, just wanted to say I'm glad someone else says "Sheepies" too! Also, I love Jo's daydream bunnies, so cute :)

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I read each and every comment--thank you so much!

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