I have just been handed the very first advance copy of Weekend Sewing, and am so thrilled with the way it came out! I can't wait to show Brooke. She is the one who came up with the great idea to print the actual cover with one of my Kokka prints, and even positioned it so that the little green frog is staring at you as soon as you pull back the protective jacket. Brooke is also the one who got stuck with laying out the twenty-odd full size sewing patterns that are printed on both sides of TWO pull out pattern sheets tucked in the front AND the back of Weekend Sewing. Oh, and Brooke is also the one that I forced to climb a tree with a skirt on (in front of her two small children, no less) for a shot that ended up on the cover. She is also the one that had to find space for over one hundred illustrations AND position hand-written type that, in my defense, was something that we both thought was an excellent idea. Melanie tried to warn us against it, but we were all: Oh but it will be so darrrling! Hoo boy.
I still can't believe we did it. A sewing book with actual classic dress styles AND ideas for integrating sewing into your life in a hip and stylish way. They said we were crazy. They told us to "get the %$#! out of their trees", and that we were "the most expensive book to tech-edit of all time". They said they couldn't print a pattern sheet that big. But we did. Well OK, we had to print two pattern sheets on both sides, but STILL. Everyone at STC, Liana and Melanie most of all, worked hard to make this book exactly what I wanted, even when what I wanted was, at best, delusional. I am so appreciative of their level of professionalism and taste and determination, their willingness to pair me with such a patient and talented photographer and gifted, hardworking graphic designer.
And I am so excited to show it to you here!
And if you are planning to be at this Sunday's Bust Craft Spectacular, come by and say hello! I will be at the Reprodepot Fabric booth showing off my book (its the only copy, I promised Melanie I would tie it to my belt loop just in case anyone thought it was a free sample) and some artwork from my newest line of printed fabrics for Westminster "CRAFT BAZAAR", including my clothespin people print and more. My cat is the only one who has seen it so far, so I am looking forward to hearing what you think...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 01:59PM 
Lucy's Kimono from Weekend Sewing, photo by John GruenAm knee deep in deadlines and recovering from the inauguration yesterday (and putting together a few posts for you about both) but wanted to let you know that crafts editor extraordinaire Melanie Falick has just posted two new photo galleries on her STC Craft blog: lots of new images from both Weekend Sewing AND a very cool book called Sewing Green. Her blog (as i am sure most of you know) is about the work that she does as an editor of craft books. STC Craft and Melanie are known for putting out the prettiest books out there, and Melanie has an amazing sense of what will work and what will not in terms of photo styling and photography. Lots of other galleries form past books are on her site too, I find myself looking though the Alabama Stitch Book images whenever I am pining for all things rural.....