Book: Mend & Make Fabulous

Denise’s first book, Mend & Make Fabulous, is a popular mending reference manual that mixes detailed techniques with inspiring, creative DIYs.

Denise Wild helps and encourages fashionistas to give their old or damaged clothes a new lease on life in Mend & Make Fabulous. Dedicated to teaching fashion-conscious sewers how to repair, revive, and revamp their carefully edited wardrobes, Mend & Make Fabulous not only teaches mending basics including stitching holes, hemming, and replacing zippers, it also shows readers how to add creativity, personality, and style to their newly perfected handiwork.

Drooping hems? Worn elastic? Holes? Stains? Broken snaps? No problem! Denise advises how to fix these common wardrobe issues and more, while presenting sewists with fashion-forward solutions and ideas.

From using embellishments to hide or fix fabric flaws to revising the garment itself into something almost new, Mend & Make Fabulous offers a detailed and consolidated resource on all the mending techniques sure to make old, damaged clothing look new and improved. After all, whether it’s a designer splurge, a go-to basic, or a cherished vintage piece, a true fashion devotee knows that the ability to repair and restore clothes is priceless. Mend & Make Fabulous is a sewing book for beginners and experienced seamstresses alike, inspiring anyone who wants to fix their own clothes as well as thrift-store fans looking for tips on how to make their unique find even more special with endless possibilities.

REVIEWS FOR Mend & Make Fabulous

“This is the Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies for clothing. Crammed into this little book is a wealth of information for fixing, altering or just making your clothing your own. I was really impressed with the amount of information Denise Wild included. This should be in every woman’s bookshelf. I can’t think who wouldn’t benefit from a few tips on how to repair a favourite garment.” — Karen, Amazon.ca

“Repairing or reinventing old clothing goes hand-in-hand with upcycling and creative repurposing, and this well-organized book is appropriate for sewists (and nonsewists) of all skill levels.” — Library Journal

“Whilst I am quite a proficient sewer, I don’t have any older relatives to turn to for less common skills, and this book fills a gap so often left by books teaching you how to sew. It isn’t just fixing holes though — also altering and torn seams, and much more. The fabulous bit is for when mending isn’t enough, but you don’t want to throw a good garment away. It says what else you could do with it. Lets face it, one or two mended or altered garments, and this book has paid for itself — total no brainer to buy this.” — Kristin, Amazon.co.uk

“This is truly a book every sewist should have on his or her bookshelf. Denise’s book is the perfect tool to help us learn everything about mending our clothes. From fixing a ripped seam or a torn slit in your favorite skirt, to shortening sleeves and replacing jacket linings, Denise gives step-by-step instructions with color photographs to guide us through the processes. She also includes several cool fixes to renew old and boring clothes–like adding piping, appliqueing lace, dip-dying clothes for cool color transitions, and creating ruffles…just to name a few.” — Felicia’s World

“This book is just right for current era of disposable (cheap) fashion, the demise of home ec. and TV like Project Runway and The Great British Sewing Bee. It has the right balance of DIY, creativity and 911 sewing emergency. There is something for everyone in this little reference book. There are seven sections covering tears, seams, lining, hems and tailoring, closures, straps and color. Each gives you 911 basics like how to sew on a button and then ways to “Make It Fabulous” like embellishment with buttons. The information on garment care is good. The book is well-written and an easy read. The layout is clean and fresh. Really expereinced sewers probably have this info elsewhere, but it’s a good book for those building a library. For those who aren’t really into sewing, or clueless when it comes to mending, this book is what you need. Some of the 911 fixes do require a sewing machine.” — NuJoi, Amazon.com

“Has your zip seam ever split, your buttonhole unravelled, buttons fallen off, hem come undone? You need this book. Denise provides mending solutions for all these and more. Step by step instructions and lots of photographs throughout. Change the fastening on a garment, mend a broken chain, dye something tired in a new colour. Lots of ways to make your clothes new again.” — K. Platt, Amazon.co.uk

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER SEWING BOOKS WITH FORWARDS BY DENISE WILD