cover image Sweatshirt Transformations: 
Sew Jackets, Vests & Hoodies

Sweatshirt Transformations: Sew Jackets, Vests & Hoodies

Londa Rohlfing. C&T Publishing, $27.95 (96p) ISBN 978-1-60705-554-9

“Learn to design, fit and embellish a stylish jacket made on a comfortable sweatshirt base,” the author promises in her introduction, and a careful seamstress (or sewist) who is able to follow exacting directions will be rewarded by completing one of the eight designs included. While jackets built from sweatshirts veer awfully close to a 1980s crafting trend, and it’s true that the included designs are not the height of contemporary chic, several designs are quite attractive, especially the off-center closing design called “Innovative.” (The less said about “Invested,” which features jean tops as its bottom, the better.) Rohlfing goes through each step painstakingly, from setting up the sweatshirt base (two methods are provided) to final closures, and photographs are plentiful. This generosity is offset by the author’s note that all needed supplies can be purchased from her Web site (that they can also be found at any sewing supply store is left unmentioned), and the hefty price for a book with only eight designs; after all, these are only fancy sweatshirts. Full-color photos. (Aug.)