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Not Your Gran's Sewing Book: Easy Alterations for the Perfect Fit at Any Size
Tailor your wardrobe to fit your size, shape and sensibilities with Allie Luecke’s ultimate guide to easy clothing alterations. Allie breaks down intimidating sewing techniques by giving detailed instructions for the most needed garment hemming dragging pant legs, cropping outdated tees, upsizing gaping button-ups, cinching dresses, adding plentiful pockets and functional zippers and more. Screw unattainable sizes or unflattering designs; regardless of size or shape, Allie’s approachable alteration hacks will have every garment in your closet fitting perfectly.
This isn’t your grandmother’s dusty old sewing manual – Allie’s humorous voice, trending style and understanding of upcycling truly make this a modern sewing bible. Size-inclusive and budget-friendly, this book focuses on making the old new again to avoid fashion faux-pas and wasteful fast fashion. Whether you’re adjusting a tried-and-true favorite that might be a bit too snug now or making your latest thrifted treasure fit like a glove, Allie’s tutorials will have you saving time, money and the planet.
This isn’t your grandmother’s dusty old sewing manual – Allie’s humorous voice, trending style and understanding of upcycling truly make this a modern sewing bible. Size-inclusive and budget-friendly, this book focuses on making the old new again to avoid fashion faux-pas and wasteful fast fashion. Whether you’re adjusting a tried-and-true favorite that might be a bit too snug now or making your latest thrifted treasure fit like a glove, Allie’s tutorials will have you saving time, money and the planet.
- GenresSewingNonfiction
192 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2024
1 person is currently reading
54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 6, 2025
5/5 stars - Ethos: upcycling and altering clothes to reduce fashion waste and adapt clothes to the suit the wearer. Learning by doing and experimentation.
5/5 stars - Aesthetics. The colour palette is very pleasing and photographs really well.
4/5 stars - Fun sub-titles
2/5 stars - Sewing instructional content. I would not give this book to a beginner to learn from, but it's fun for those of us who like sewing content when not sewing.
0/5 stars - Spreading misinformation, called out below. The world does not need more of this. It's why I wouldn't give this to a beginner, they don't need to be confused when starting out.
Overall it's not bad, it just could have been improved. I will say the title irks me - what does it actually mean? Is it supposed to mean this book is cool and my grandparents weren't? That the book is poorly researched and based on opinion, and my grandparents and sewing books of their era had higher standards? That upcycling and altering to fit is something my grandparents wouldn't have understood (eyeroll)? On to the contents:
What we're doing here - worth reading, inclusive and motivating
STARTING STRONG
You've got the skill - more pep talk. Pg 12 - I LOVE the top, pity it is not featured as a project, but maybe it's RTW.
Love it or leave it: sewing tools - mis-information: bobbin information is wrong, don't use string to measure yourself
The (fabric) choice is yours - mis-information: most of it - repeats the tired trope that woven fabrics are easier to sew than knits (not that simple); mixes up fabrics, fibres and brand names in the woven and knit example columns (sloppy editing / fact checking); sewing knits advice is biased by author's apparent lack of success / liking for same; interfacing needs to be suited to task and is ironed on dry
Meet your sewing machine - mis-information: stitch length info - check your manual; zig-zag stitches being less strong is the author's opinion, check your manual to change presser feet, walking feet DO NOT *typically* come standard
Finishing seams - mis-information: this is to stop fraying (and is not required on stable knits), it's not meant to hold your clothing together. Popping seams is rare when clothing fits properly. To allow clothes to fit through size fluctuations, don't serge the side seams together so you can make adjustments.
Let 'er rip: seam ripping
Let's get one thing straight - mis-leading: diagram 2a pg 41, don't use a measuring tape as a ruler; elaborate process to iron a straight edge but useful???
Hemming and Hawing - mis-information: Repeats tired fashion trope of hemming long pants or dresses according to shoe type - just hem them to the floor in your bare feet and wear them with all your shoes; don't iron part made garments, the 'gliding' can distort fabric and seams, you need to lift and press
Get this party darted - what does 'deceptively difficult to master' mean? It looks difficult but is easy?
The real world: dart edition - mis-leading: darts should point to the fullest part of the curve and allow the vertical seams to lie straight.
UNDER AN HOUR
Let it all out
Take it all in - use safety pins, not pins
Let's crop about it: cropping t-shirts
LET'S GET WAISTED
Bring it on: elasticating waistbands - Things that made me go hmmm: why remove the belt loops if when you could make the slits for the elastic elsewhere and save yourself the trouble? If you use matching thread to sew the elastic in place in the waistband with small stitches no-one will notice. Mis-information: I have never had even old elastic unravel to the point I'd burn the ends, just don't sew it right on the edge.
Around the bend; elasticating tops - Just use a ribbon and be done in half the time, leave opening unsewn for future adjustments.
All tied up
WE'RE BUSTING OUTTA HERE
Mind the (button) gap - Would not do this at all: let out the seams for more room if possible or move on. Putting seams and fabric under this much strain is not a good idea especially if intending to pull the clothing on and off over your head. But yay for the advice to ignore silly gendered fastening conventions.
Hips and thighs don't lie
Zipper-ty-doo-dah
Grow a pair of pants - why would you cut up a garment for a strip of fabric? Why would you not use a strip of fabric?
SLEEVES PLEASE
Side me up: shirt gussets
Replacing c(r)ap sleeves
Ruffling feathers... and sleeves
PICK A POCKET OR TWO
The outsider: external pockets
The inside job: seam pockets
GLOSSARY ETC
5/5 stars - Aesthetics. The colour palette is very pleasing and photographs really well.
4/5 stars - Fun sub-titles
2/5 stars - Sewing instructional content. I would not give this book to a beginner to learn from, but it's fun for those of us who like sewing content when not sewing.
0/5 stars - Spreading misinformation, called out below. The world does not need more of this. It's why I wouldn't give this to a beginner, they don't need to be confused when starting out.
Overall it's not bad, it just could have been improved. I will say the title irks me - what does it actually mean? Is it supposed to mean this book is cool and my grandparents weren't? That the book is poorly researched and based on opinion, and my grandparents and sewing books of their era had higher standards? That upcycling and altering to fit is something my grandparents wouldn't have understood (eyeroll)? On to the contents:
What we're doing here - worth reading, inclusive and motivating
STARTING STRONG
You've got the skill - more pep talk. Pg 12 - I LOVE the top, pity it is not featured as a project, but maybe it's RTW.
Love it or leave it: sewing tools - mis-information: bobbin information is wrong, don't use string to measure yourself
The (fabric) choice is yours - mis-information: most of it - repeats the tired trope that woven fabrics are easier to sew than knits (not that simple); mixes up fabrics, fibres and brand names in the woven and knit example columns (sloppy editing / fact checking); sewing knits advice is biased by author's apparent lack of success / liking for same; interfacing needs to be suited to task and is ironed on dry
Meet your sewing machine - mis-information: stitch length info - check your manual; zig-zag stitches being less strong is the author's opinion, check your manual to change presser feet, walking feet DO NOT *typically* come standard
Finishing seams - mis-information: this is to stop fraying (and is not required on stable knits), it's not meant to hold your clothing together. Popping seams is rare when clothing fits properly. To allow clothes to fit through size fluctuations, don't serge the side seams together so you can make adjustments.
Let 'er rip: seam ripping
Let's get one thing straight - mis-leading: diagram 2a pg 41, don't use a measuring tape as a ruler; elaborate process to iron a straight edge but useful???
Hemming and Hawing - mis-information: Repeats tired fashion trope of hemming long pants or dresses according to shoe type - just hem them to the floor in your bare feet and wear them with all your shoes; don't iron part made garments, the 'gliding' can distort fabric and seams, you need to lift and press
Get this party darted - what does 'deceptively difficult to master' mean? It looks difficult but is easy?
The real world: dart edition - mis-leading: darts should point to the fullest part of the curve and allow the vertical seams to lie straight.
UNDER AN HOUR
Let it all out
Take it all in - use safety pins, not pins
Let's crop about it: cropping t-shirts
LET'S GET WAISTED
Bring it on: elasticating waistbands - Things that made me go hmmm: why remove the belt loops if when you could make the slits for the elastic elsewhere and save yourself the trouble? If you use matching thread to sew the elastic in place in the waistband with small stitches no-one will notice. Mis-information: I have never had even old elastic unravel to the point I'd burn the ends, just don't sew it right on the edge.
Around the bend; elasticating tops - Just use a ribbon and be done in half the time, leave opening unsewn for future adjustments.
All tied up
WE'RE BUSTING OUTTA HERE
Mind the (button) gap - Would not do this at all: let out the seams for more room if possible or move on. Putting seams and fabric under this much strain is not a good idea especially if intending to pull the clothing on and off over your head. But yay for the advice to ignore silly gendered fastening conventions.
Hips and thighs don't lie
Zipper-ty-doo-dah
Grow a pair of pants - why would you cut up a garment for a strip of fabric? Why would you not use a strip of fabric?
SLEEVES PLEASE
Side me up: shirt gussets
Replacing c(r)ap sleeves
Ruffling feathers... and sleeves
PICK A POCKET OR TWO
The outsider: external pockets
The inside job: seam pockets
GLOSSARY ETC
November 22, 2025
I've read a lot of sewing books in the last few years. I consider myself an advanced beginner or if the moon is in the right cycle, intermediate. The skills in this book are a good range from beginner to intermediate. I do like that Allie has a body and is sewing similar to a lot of gals with a wider waistline, bigger chest and hips than many of the fashion lines create for. The ability to buy a larger size then adjust down where you are smaller is a great principle.
The directions on how to change a sleeve is something I'll put on my list but I'm not creating a crop top (as it just doesn't suit my waistline or style).
If you are still early in your sewing journey, this is a worthwhile book. As usual, I suggest your local library, then if it's a must have, you can purchase it.
The directions on how to change a sleeve is something I'll put on my list but I'm not creating a crop top (as it just doesn't suit my waistline or style).
If you are still early in your sewing journey, this is a worthwhile book. As usual, I suggest your local library, then if it's a must have, you can purchase it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews