Gretchen Gertie Hirsch is a passionate home seamstress an in demand sewing teacher and creator
writer of one of the web's most popular sewing blogs: Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing. The
blog began as a way for readers to follow Gretchen's progress as she made her way through all
fourteen fashions from her favourite 1950s sewing book Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing (a
Julie and Julia esque experiment for the modern seamstress). It quickly became a place for
Gretchen to share detailed sewing tutorials and spirited posts about sewing as it relates to
fashion history pop culture body image and gender. An extension of the blog Gertie's New
Book for Better Sewing: A Modern Guide to Couture Style Sewing Using Basic Vintage Techniques
is a hardworking reference book packed with techniques our greatgrandmothers could have done
in their sleep but have been forgotten over the decades all shown in step by step photographed
and illustrated tutorials. It is also a stylish spirited pattern book featuring 14
customisable wardrobe essentials inspired by Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing many shown in
several different variations for a total of 25 projects. Projects range from a pencil skirt
and portrait blouse to a wiggle dress and suit jacket. All of the projects are modelled by
charming Gertie who has the proportions and curves of a typical modern woman not a super
model.
