Reinvention Spiral-bound – Illustrated, 1 May 2012

I have a number of these kinds of books but this one still had a number of fresh ideas. This is a keeper for my library!

This is a stunning book! Well written and beautifully photographed, it's premise is simple: rescue every day textiles that are bound for the landfill and reinvent them as functional objects of style and simplicity for your home or personal use. Maya (of the award winning blog maya*made) has thoughtfully organized the book by seven designated materials and four corresponding projects for each material (a total of twenty eight!). Her instructions are well thought out and easy to follow with simple illustrations, inspiring a range of sewers from the beginner to the more experienced. Woven into the book are well researched and interesting facts about the history of each material and its environmental impact, sourcing, deconstruction and sewing tips as well as lovely, personal stories of spirit and serendipity that reveal the deep connection between the textile and what it wants to become. Sustainable sewers will feel like magicians as they transform old pairs of jeans into a hammock, a burlap coffee sack into a log carrier or a woolen blanket into a pouf!

I consider myself to be a very experienced sewer and I wholeheartedly agree with the previous 5 star reviews. This is a stunning and inspiring book. I really enjoyed the author's personal recollections. I too would have given it 5 stars until I made the sling bag. I found the directions for measurements and layout confusing. The author provides a template, however, only a partial one. I had to add pieces to the lengths I cut.... so frustrating! I still can't figure out where I went wrong because I had to piece together extra fabric to make my bag long enough to wear as a side sling! I do like the projects in this book and I will definitely be making more, however, I will read and re-read the directions before embarking on the next project. I've learned that the best reviews are by folks that have actually made projects from a book and not just looked at it!

I was curious about the content, so I bought the book. why did I throw those tyvek mailing envelopes away? I could have repurposed them! Great ideas and instructions. Highly recommended. Going through my recycle bin more carefully from now on!

I was looking for a book that contains articles or samples for making differents things with rescued materials, to bring them a second life . And I just discovered "Reinvention"!! It is a very beautiful book, with excellent pictures and easy to understand, I recommend it for sewing lovers , it is really a guide for any person with minimal knowledge in sewing.You can find examples with differents materials, like linen, cotton, denim and others all of them easy to make and have a lot of fun!!!