Girl with a Sewing Machine

This beautiful, instructive book from The Great British Sewing Bees Jenniffer Taylor shows you how to make and adapt your own clothes without the need for shop-bought patterns. Using Jenniffer's fun and imaginative ideas, this book will teach you how to get started transforming unloved items of clothing into new and exciting outfits; how to customise clothes with doilies, tassels, tie-dyeing and block printing; and finally how to measure yourself, create patterns and make clothes from scratch, including dresses, skirts, tops, trousers and a coat.

The book is packed with all the tricks of the trade that Jenniffer has learned along her sewing journey, and it will get you started on your own #sewingrevolution!Introduction
My sewing journey
Basic sewing kit
Sourcing clothes
Getting started
Pincushion
Scarf top
Jumper gloves and snood
Festival pouch
Customising your clothes 
Doily detail on a T-shirt             
Block printing and tie-dyeing on a shirt and jeans
Tassel T-shirt
Shirt reverse
Making clothes from scratch
Measuring yourself
Carousel skirt
Batwing dress
Kimono dress
Cross-back top
Sumer top with box pleats
Blanket coat
Gilet variation
Dunga dress
Dunga variation
Wrap trousers
Glossary
IndexBooklist 2017
The Great British Sewing Bee was a TV series in the same tradition as the Great British Bake Off, and for four seasons, it featured amateur home sewists (not aired in the U.S. but episodes can be found online). Taylor was a contestant on the second series and has since started running workshops and advocating for home sewing. Here she outlines basics for sewing garments, both from scratch and for altering existing items to remake them into new shapes and functions (both staples of the TV series). Each project is outlined in steps, accompanied by color photographs, which include useful information on making adjustments to fit one’s measurements as well as explanations of why to do things a particular way. Specific skills are highlighted in each project, and each of those skills is indexed for quick reference. Taylor notes throughout that she is self-taught and provides encouragement for aspiring sewists. Basic sewing tools and fundamentals are outlined, and projects include a skirt, dresses, tops, a coat, and more. Measurements are given both in metric and U.S. customary units. — Anne Heidemann

Library Journal 2017
Taylor, a former contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee, brings her retro style to this collection of easy-to-sew projects, including several that repurpose thrift-store finds. The first section focuses on customizing clothes by repurposing or altering them, and the second features easy garments, often showcasing reclaimed fabric. Some garments are a bit sack-like and shapeless, including a top made of two square scarves sewn together, and others are just plain odd, such as the T-shirt that has been altered so “tassels” hang off the arms. Still, Taylor’s easygoing manner and free spirit will appeal to sewists looking for quick, fun projects with a retro vibe. VERDICT Taylor’s easy-to-sew projects will help beginners build confidence, and the down-to-earth tone is a pleasant change from the Pinterest-perfect aesthetic that often plagues similar sewing books.
Jenniffer Taylor's addiction to sewing began when she decided to design and make her own wedding dress. The experience unlocked her creativity and for the first time she found she was able to express her individual style, empowering her to create garments that she always wanted but was unable to get. 

Jenni's husband Kirk recognised her passion for sewing and secretly submitted an application for the Great British Sewing Bee 2014. After the show finished, Jenni was determined to make something of the experience and she is now a prominent and popular personality on the sewing scene, running 'sewing revolution' workshops, presenting on TV and being featured in sewing magazines, exhibitions and shows.