Practical Pattern Making: A Step-by-Step Guide

Fashion designers S%C3%A1nchez Hern%C3%A1ndez (Little Black Dress) and Mors de Castro (Patternmaking in Fashion) team up to offer a class in a book for designers, fashion students, and experienced sewers. They encourage readers to produce their own patterns as a way to express creativity, achieve the perfect fit, and gain satisfaction from creating their clothes from start to finish. Most of the book consists of specific design tutorials, including photos and illustrations of the process and finished products. The authors provide designs for skirts and jackets, but the bulk of the book is devoted to dresses, from basic to more elaborate and daring designs. The instructions are straightforward and suitable for beginning patternmakers, though a beginning sewer would likely have some trouble. The glossary is detailed and a helpful reference for certain patternmaking, sewing, or fabric terms. The authors explain how to properly take body measurements, accompanied by graphics and photos, and include a chart to keep the numbers organized. Also helpful are two standard measurement charts for European and American sizing. All measurements are metric. Like a private course, this book provides readers with the skill-building techniques to adapt patterns and create their own. (Oct.)