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

Cool, crafty, and brimming with creative ideas, Rip It! is a hands-on handbook that will show you how to give your clothes sass, sparkle, and your own signature style.

Elissa Meyrich is a fashion designer and consultant whose collections have been featured in several major magazines and department stores. A former instructor at Parsons School of Design, she now teaches her techniques at her design studio, Sew Fast Sew Easy, in New York City¹s fashion district, and she is the author of the book of the same name. She lives in New York City.