LESLEY WARE
Lesley Ware (born in Muskegon, Michigan) is a teaching artist, author and designer currently living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Western Michigan University where she also received her Masters in Public Administration. Lesley has worked in programming for international organizations like the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Girls Scouts of the USA, and has served on the board for the Women and Girls’ Foundation of South West Pennsylvania. Lesley has always wanted to inspire young people to live their dreams.
In 2008, she started her blog, thecreativecookie.com, which quickly became a destination for a behind the scenes look at fashion in New York City. Lesley’s artistic work explores the notion of value that we place on what we buy versus what we can DIY (do it yourself) and the impact it has on our environment and conversely individual style.
In 2012, Lesley started writing, Sew Fab. Lesley hopes that Sew Fab will encourage girls to use fashion as a creative outlet of expression and thus give fashion a more interesting future.
BLACK GIRLS SEW
Abrams, 2022
Black Girls Sew supplies tools, builds skills, and offers encouragement to help young sewists create a powerful sense of self and style
Black Girls Sew is a nonprofit organization built on strong messaging: teach and empower young girls to take ownership of and have pride in their clothing. Their first book offers the tools, knowledge, and vocabulary to help young people take back their fashion narrative. Black and brown girls and boys need a space where they do not have to encounter misrepresentation of their culture, and this book provides them with a safe space in which to explore their creativity.
Primarily the book teaches basic sewing skills and design principles so that readers can create one-of-a-kind looks. By encouraging them to follow their curiosity, rather than telling them what to create, Black Girls Sew helps young fashionistas learn to take risks and explore creative play in clothing design. The way we dress is a means of expression, and by encouraging boys and girls to immerse themselves in the world of fashion, providing projects to create their own wares, and offering historical looks at prominent Black figures who have impacted the industry, Black Girls Sew is a guide for all who are interested in fashion, design, and building their own powerful sense of self and style.
HOW TO BE A FASHION DESIGNER
DK Children, 2018
Design, style, and accessorize clothes with this fun guide full of practical fashion design ideas for kids.
Draw and color creations, choose materials, and learn to design through drawing your own fashion. Packed with practical tips and inspiration, children can enjoy experimenting with new ideas. Illustrations mixed with photography show kids how to choose gorgeous colors, design dress shapes, customize T-shirts, design a bag, pick a color palette, design with texture, and add sparkle to their accessories in simple, easy-to-follow design tasks and simple practical projects. Using inspiration from the natural world, everyday life, and their own imagination, children can design outfits from scratch and learn how to put together the clothes and accessories they already own in fun, stylish ways. Content support the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) approach to cross-curricular learning.
MY FAB FASHION STYLE FILE
Laurence King Publishing, 2016
An inspirational book for girls who love fashion. This is your personal style sketchbook to create and record your dream looks.
Find your style inspiration, learn more about fashion concepts, fabrics, and colors, chart your own style history, design and draw your own looks, and much, much more!
The book also features fab style facts, templates for drawing and designing clothes and figures, fashion lingo, and your fashion constellation.
SEW FAB: SEWING AND STYLE FOR YOUNG FASHIONISTAS
Laurence King Publishing, 2015
*An Amazon Best Book of the Month
*A Top Pick by Love Sewing Magazine
Sew Fab is a style and sewing workbook for any girl aged 8–13 who loves fashion. It will teach you not just to sew, but how to wear your creations with flair.
Start by finding your style tribe, learning to accessorize, identifying the best colors for you, and more. Now get ready to sew. Make yourself a mini studio, stock your sewing basket, and try out some hand stitching. Finally, make some Art to Wear. There’s a mix of easy step-by-step projects to sew by hand or using simple machining, from a hair bow to a little black dress (but in the color that suits you best!).
Packed with gorgeous illustrations, step-by-step projects, tips, and fun activities, you will be creating unique clothes and accessories in no time.