Hippie wiener dogs... harbingers of peace? And books for sewing without patterns

These are a creation from my slightly twisted mind. I dunno why I find wiener dogs even half as amusing as I do, but there ya go. These shorts are the product of one too many nights spent deep in thought. Too bad a wiener dog peace sign was the only result. Ah well.

Anyhoo, I have one in my etsy shop here though I can make them in any size and different colors if the desire is there. Could be on a shirt, too. That oughta confuse someone....

So I have several books I've found on sewing without patterns. I'm really not a talented seamstress, but I can sew straight lines and pick cool colors, so that works out well.

Here are some books I've found:

Threads for Heads by Lauren Clay: This one is the classic on hippie patchwork, but it's written by a girl who did the whole thing on a copier and with spiral binding. She only prints them up once in a while, but you can google her and find some copies occasionally. Worth the $30, even if it is full of grammatical errors and typos! She's such a sweetie in her writing, and you can tell it comes from the heart.

Vivienne Colle's Make It Yourself Boutique: Not sure where the heck this one came from. I was searching for no-pattern clothing on paperbackswap.com, and this book popped up. It's old and the clothing is "boutique fashions" from the 60s, which means a lot of terrycloth skirts and tent dresses, but it's totally retro and no patterns are required! I think this one got lost in the mess of books out there, but it tells you how to use recycled fabric, clothing, and trims / buttons in new clothes. Ooh.

The Illustrated Hassle-Free Make Your Own Clothes Book and The Son of Hassle-Free Sewing by Joan Wiener Bordow and Sharon Rosenberg: Well, I haven't read these yet as I just ordered them from amazon, but hear they're classics that were first used by hippies in the Haight. Lots of directions for recycling clothing and for no-patterns stuff.

Sew What! Skirts: 16 Simple Styles You Can Make with Fabulous Fabrics by Francesca DenHartog: Teaches you how to make patternless skirts. The layout of the book is cute, and the skirts come in many shapes. Fun stuff.

Sew What! Fleece by Carol Jessop: Same as with the skirts, but for polar fleece. I think a lot of these would work with felted wool as well, if you wanna go more organic.

So there ya go. Dunno how my sister-in-law does all her book reviews on her blog without going nuts. I'm already there on the five or six books I just did.

Now I must go tend to my crazy dog, the neighbor's crazy dog who is currently here, and the two psychotic cats.