Sew Serendipity - finally - a designer sewing book for amateurs!

It's so exciting to get a box of something delightful in the mail. So I was thrilled when this book arrived on Monday. Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt. 

I first heard about it from Florence when she reviewed it on her blog, Flossie Teacakes. What really caught my eye was this beautiful coat. I've been wanting to make myself a winter coat for the last two years, but just haven't been able to muster up the courage. The coats I've seen around the stores here are either quite uninspiring, or way beyond my budget. But this coat is perfect - the right cut for me, and I get to choose the fabric.

What I especially like about this book is that she takes you through, step by step, in how to adjust a pattern to your own particular measurements and fit. I've always had a problem with patterns because of the generic measurements they give. I have a small back, but not a small front :o). When my wedding dress was being made, the dressmaker phoned me twice to make sure she'd got the measurements right! So I'm rather excited to find a book that teaches you how to adjust patterns.

There are so many delectable tops, dresses, skirts and coats in here that I want to try out. I'm planning on doing them in the summer, so that gives me plenty of time to plan and hunt around for the right fabrics.
I mean, just look at this gorgeous outfit. Loving the cut and colours of that skirt.

Kay Whitt is a designer for the McCall Pattern Company, so she really knows her stuff. But I love the whimsical drawings that she has included in the book to illustrate the construction of the outfits.

I bought the book from The Book Depository, because for us down-under-ites it really is the most cost effective place to buy books. It brings the price of books down to an achievable level when the exorbitant price of postage is not added. It really is so much cheaper than Amazon, and it arrived before a week had passed since ordering.

I love the look of this sweet summer dress - so fresh and different - I'm pretty sure I will not be able to find a dress like this in the New Zealand stores come summer.