Saturday, July 25, 2009

Book Score

We have this great book store in Anchorage called Title Wave books. It sells new and used books. It's one of those places where you can bring in used books and get "credit" for them and use the credit to buy other used books. Look what I scored for under $30. I've wanted the David Coffin book ever since Melissa of FehrTrade.com raved about it. I've read about of a fifth of it already and I just bought it yesterday. I'm going to have to make my husband some shirts. Well, we'll see if he can hold still long enough. I love how Coffin breaks it down and he draws out everything he describes.


I also found two of these Threads books. They are compilations of previously published Threads articles. They are dated (both published in 1991) but both of them offer in-depth looks at designers, fitting, drafting, and techniques. I think I'm really going to enjoy them both. I have previously checked out the Fit and Fabric one from my library. I liked it then but I find that I understand so much more of what they are talking about now that I have a little experience under my belt.



I figured I deserved a treat after yesterday. My lovely helper-devil-children put, what I think was, a diaper down the toilet. Of course it plugged the sewer line and sewer water flowed into my laundry room and downstairs bathroom. My father-in-law and I spent about four hours snaking the sewer line until we pushed out the mass of nastiness. Then it took me another four hours to completely bleach and clean the bathroom and laundry room. I love them, I really do. Thankfully, my mother is in town so she was able to watch them while I was up to my elbows in shit. Literally.

16 comments:

Lynn said...

I've got the same books. You might want to check out the shirt DVD before you buy it for 17.00 plus dollars. I thought he could have put more on the DVD. I'm waiting for the trouser book. The same thing happened to me. My husband had installed a trap under the toilet and that's where the diaper stuck. I called the Rotar Rooter man, and he got it out.

gwensews said...

All of these books are great. The Shirtmkaing book is invaluable. The techniques are just as usable on women's shirts as well as menswear. Sometimes a girl needs a beautifully tailored shirt with welt seams and a beautifully made collar and cuffs. The Threads books have some really good information in them also. You found really good buys!

Karen said...

Sweetie, you deserve more than a few sewing books after that. But since that's what you got, you got good ones. I love the Coffin shirtmaking book - between his book and Pam Erny's tips on her blog, I've been able to breeze through making shirts for Mario.

I know there are men's shirts aplenty in your BWOF collection, but a great pattern to start with (or keep going with, if it fits him) is KwikSew 3422. I use that pattern consistently, and KS's instructions are really clear - even though Coffin is great, it helps having the basics down on the instructions as well.

meredithp said...

Coffin's book is the first sewing book I read like a novel. Really opened up my thinking about ALL sewing, not just shirts. The DVD is the same as the VHS that I have from years ago. I found the video very helpful. When I get ready to do a shirt, I practice with the video to "warm up" with shirt techniques.

Unknown said...

I have the Coffin book, too. It's a great resource! Sorry to hear about the bathroom incident, sounds like a rough day!

Debbie Cook said...

And I was sitting here bemoaning having NO water today. It could always be worse, right? The only thing that backed up here were the dishes in the kitchen sink and no poop was involved with that. :-) DH got it fixed so we're back to running water. But the dishes are still in the sink. LOL!

Anonymous said...

You deserve a year's supply of sewing books, patterns, notions plus a dinner in a posh restaurant wearing your best dress (naturally made by you!):-)

I have David Coffin's book: its great! - Cat1

mitch1066 said...

The shirt book is absolutely amazing,every single line makes you rethink your sewing doesn't it!
As for the sh*t i've always told my husband i'm going to find a creative way to say i have a phd in sh*t (every mum would be awarded it),they'll probably think its a new office technique LOL.

designdreamer said...

Oh My!
Can't say I've ever had to deal with anything like THAT! Thank Goodness! Well . . . there was that time ds tossed his cookies all over his (carpeted) bedroom floor . . . . in the middle of the night . . . . . and he was (alot)older than your kids . . . . AND he had his own bathroom mere feet from his bed!!! yeah, not a good memory.
Can't wait to see the awesome shirt(s) you make!

Claudine said...

Those are fantastic books. You will love them. The plumbing story made me cringe. I'm waiting for my kids to do something similar.

Anonymous said...

And here I was thinking I was the only one having a "shitty" Saturday. Our septic tank backed up (never happens on a weekday)and flooded the downstairs bathroom and laundry area, plus it took a long time to find someone willing to come out on one the rare nice Saturdays in New England this year. It truly is a small world.

sewellen said...

hehehe...I laugh WITH you, not AT you. These are times when you need your mantra "ilovemychildrenilovemychildrenidon'twannakillthemilovemy children" let's see...diapers down my toilet? oh yes! And, if you haven't had this fun, make sure you keep your interior car lights switched OFF so that your dear sweet lovely children don't leave them on without your knowledge, running down the car battery...the battery won't die at home, oh no, but at the grocery store, Disney World, or somewhere else where you have to search for jumper cables (usually from a stranger). UGH! we sooo love our children, don't we? :)

Robyn said...

We have a book store by the same name in Albuquerque! I guess they all think they're clever, but I bet every city has a Title Wave Books.

http://www.titlewavebooks.com/

Good finds!

BConky said...

Great books. Stinky bathroom mess. Even when they are older you have problems. Like when they drop thier deoderant in the potty and just flush it because it's gross to stick your hand in the potty. Had to replace the potty for that one. When my husband was trying to unwedge the deoderant it cracked the potty. Then once my other daughter dropped the name tag from the reasturant she worked at down the potty- didn't remember it and Mike had to take the whole thing apart to get at it. In both cases they were late teens. I had to remind my husband he loved his daughters on those days too.

Paulette said...

Um, so...hubby is home soon? We sew lots then?!

elizabethe said...

re: sewer back up. OH NO! My toddler hasn't pulled any thing like this on me yet, just poop from his diaper smeared on various surfaces. IMO, this is the cleaning gods paying you back for not cleaning house so you can sew -- they were getting jealous. =)