As for the sizing, unless you're really skinny and tall (or in the case of the pants, short with no curves at all), you'll likely need to draft your own patterns to get a decent fit. It looks like each was drafted for the book with only the model in mind. And even the extra-large size for each isn't that big--if you're over a size twelve or have any hips or a somewhat larger bust, definitely plan on altering and remaking all your own patterns for the clothing. Highly recommend buying a lot of muslin to really figure things out before you cut into the real fabric. I put the book on my work table to browse through but found myself reading it instead. Soon Lotta’s book cut to the front of the line (or rather, pile) of my started projects and projects I wanted to start. What can I say, impulse sometimes takes over my day. The Kiomi top on Lotta Jansdotter in her book I traced the size M yoke and made up a sample in scrap fabric and was happy with the fit. A new yoke was cut out and sewing could start again. I used the size S armhole facing. I'm very happy with the finished dress. It involved a lot of frustration. Armed with my screens, inks and a sewing machine I launched my company, Lotta Jansdotter in 1996.The name pays homage to my father, Jan Jansson, paired with the Swedish word for daughter, dotter. My first items were a collection of cushions which were sold in local design stores and at trunk shows. Table linen, tote bags, aprons and many more products followed.

Were the instructions easy to follow? There are no finished measurements provided and required fabric amount is only given for narrow width fabric ~ 115 cm, for the different versions. You need to jump around in the book to find the size table, sewing instructions, pattern layout diagrams and the guide to find the pattern pieces on the pattern sheets. Lotta writes about how the various pieces will work in different fabrics and with different styling details. She features her friends and colleagues wearing the clothes so you get to see how they have interpreted the designs. It makes the book fun to read and inspiring, and she includes interesting details about her friends--I felt like I could relate to them and share their creative outlook. The line art of the garments look hand drawn rather than the perfectly smooth line art when computer drawn. I would have really liked to have a not hand drawn line art illustration of each of the garments. They are accompanied by fabric swatch photos and brief comments about the design.I'm a craft/sewing book junkie so I buy lots of titles and probably about 90% of the time I am somewhat to very disappointed. This is one of the few books I have really liked and will use (I've already made 2 things and got it last week!). Some reasons I like it: I can see myself making most of the projects in this book. I made the pants this afternoon and I love them. The patterns are printed on both sides and on top of one another, so you have to trace them out, which is a bit challenging. But most books with patterns do it this way now. I thought I would make a scarf (there are a few easy projects through out the book as well as the patterns) but I didn’t have the right fabric for a scarf and I can’t buy any fabric until November. The tunic in the book, (it’s also made into a dress and a top) was calling my name but summer just started and I live in the south which means it’s just going to get hotter. I traced off the sleeveless Kiomi top pattern instead. Simpler anyway; let’s start there. As I build towards marking 25 years since founding Lotta Jansdotter, I have reflected where this journey has taken me.

The projects are simple but unique--like the patchwork scarf, which I've already made, and the fabric bracelets. Those are particularly nice because every sewist has bits and pieces of lovely fabric they don't know what to do with. Sure, you could probably figure out how to make those yourself, but you might not think of them and Lotta provides useful details and directions. The book is a must-have for those who are a bit fed up with the demanding fashion trends. The motto of this book is mainly: wear or make whatever you want and choose your own unique and sustainable style. But this reflection is not simply about reminiscing. It’s about resetting. A small voice in me has become louder of late. I want and need to be closer to my process. I want to experiment, to explore, to discover. I want to create limited collections, special editions, one-off artwork. I will be forging intimate connections with other artisans and makers and returning to small scale production where I can control the sustainability and ethics of production.Note that the book author is Lotta Jansdotter; the pattern designer is Felicity More. This dress is on the front cover. There is a cohesive theme to the whole book--in other words, the projects contribute to a unified style. If you like that style, you will like all the projects. In many sewing books the projects are grouped into chapters for clothes and accessories, for bags, for the home, for babies, and for children. Often a third of the book is of no interest to me because I don't have kids and only occasionally make something as a gift for a new mom or a child. It seems to me that many books are padded with silly useless projects just to balance the size of each chapter. If I find a heavier weight fabric appropriate for spring/fall and suitable for all the gathering at the yoke I can imagine making it again, with the 3/4 length sleeves and slightly shorter than this version. I'm very surprised to be giving such a bad review for a Lotta Jansdotter book. I have two of her previous sewing books and I love them. This book, not so much. The styles are mostly shapeless, which is not to my taste but does work for many people so that's not a reason to give a bad review.

From a renowned designer, Lotta Jansdotter Every Style shows you how to create your own clothes with key pieces to sew and DIY accessories, as well as styling and inspiration tips I have followed Lotta Jansdotter's fabric lines and like her look, but had never bought anything. A couple of years ago, a picture of her wearing a flowy sleeveless maxi dress in one of her fabric prints surfaced. I looked everywhere for the pattern, only to come across it in this book long after I had given up. An inspiring guide to creating a flexible, seven-piece wardrobe with modern Scandinavian elegance from style icon Lotta Jansdotter. Photographed by Jenny Hallengren over the course of a year in her life in New York, Tennessee, India, and Sweden and organized by season, Jansdotter shares her sources of inspiration and how she and her friends mix and match her key pieces while working, playing, resting, and traveling. Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Style brings Jansdotter’s infectious and sought-after sense of style to new followers and longtime devotees alike. After the muslin try on I had to widen the shoulders, take in the sides a little at the bottom (too swingy there for my apple shape), add some more length below the waist, and move the shoulder seam forward by 3/8″. And thanks to a Craftsy class still fresh in my head I knew all that, and it was easy. The instructions for the Kiomi top. Not for the visual learning types, like me.

by Lotta Jansdotter

Opening a studio shop in downtown San Francisco allowed me to spend time with customers, a much-loved interaction that would eventually blossom into workshops. When Jansdotter wears one of her signature clothing looks, fans frequently ask, “Did you make that?” Lotta’s answer is, “Yes, and so can you!” With that in mind, she has created her second book of easy-to-sew pieces that can be layered to create a variety of looks.