Rip It!: How to Deconstruct and Reconstruct the Clothes of Your Dreams

Why spend tons of money on humdrum designer duds when it's possible to revamp a piece you already own to create a guaranteed original that looks, fits, and feels just the way it should?

Rip It! shows how simple and fun it can be to transform a tired wardrobe into hip, one-of-a-kind new looks without spending a dime. Elissa Meyrich, owner and teacher at the popular New York sewing boutique Sew Fast Sew Easy, has been passing her sewing secrets and style tips on to students for years. Now she shows beginners and experienced sewers everywhere how to customize pieces found at cheap chain stores, thrift shops, or the far reaches of a closet and create fabulous new designs. Rip It! includes everything you need -- basic sewing and alteration information; quick sewing methods; where to find supplies; advice on which fabrics to use; important cutting rules; plus illustrated layouts, drawings, and instructions that show you how to:

• Jazz up old t-shirts with stretch lace and zippers



• Turn faded, falling-apart jeans into a hot new denim skirt



• Change a pullover into a cute cardigan



• Make a thrift-store dress into a hipster skirt



• Create an instant poncho