Love at First Stitch gives you all the know-how you need to start making the dresses of your dreams. Written for novice stitchers, Tilly Walnes demystifies dressmaking for the generations that have never been taught to sew. This book presents the core sewing basics in an informal style, with Tilly's friendly and encouraging voice cheering the reader on throughout.
Simple, elegant, and a little groovy, Love at First Stitch is all you need to start making the dresses of your dreams--with 7 complete full-size patterns. Fancy making your own clothes but have no idea where to start? Tired of overwhelming sewing manuals and frumpy projects? Love at First Stitch offers a refreshing approach to dressmaking for modern makers, taking you from the basics of threading your sewing machine through creating gorgeous garments that you’ll love to wear. Let Tilly Walnes inspire you with her jargon-busting tutorials, down-to-earth attitude, and adorable dressmaking style, showing you that making your own clothes is so much more enjoyable than buying them. • Build your skills and confidence one project at a time: new techniques are introduced when you need them. • Step-by-step photographs take the head-scratching out of sewing. • Includes 7 full-scale, multisize patterns, ready to be traced and used again and again. • Tilly’s hints and tips for making sewing part of your lifestyle, adding your own special touch to any sewing project, and even how to polish your signature style. Tilly Walnes demystifies dressmaking for the generations that have never been taught to sew. Written for novice stitchers by the author of the popular sewing blog Tilly and the Buttons, this book presents the sewing basics in an informal style, with Tilly's friendly and encouraging voice cheering the reader on throughout. Instead of overwhelming the novice dressmaker with theory, this book is about learning by doing. Each chapter presents practical tips and inspiration to guide you through creating a made-to-measure garment from one of the seven versatile and adaptable patterns included with the book, which can then be personalized to suit your individual style. Peppered throughout the book are Tilly's top sewing tips, including everything from what to look out for when buying--or borrowing--your first sewing machine, to how to behave in a fabric shop so that you appear like an expert, to techniques for pressing perfection.
A sewing expert and marathon runner offers sewing patterns and blocks, as well as step-by-step instructions to help you create your own amazing activewear. Make your own unique activewear sewing wardrobe that’s perfect for your workout. Choose from thirteen different styles including yoga pants, crops top and running leggings designed by activewear sewing expert, and marathon runner, Melissa Fehr. Whether you’re a runner, a cyclist or a gym bunny, or you’re simply looking for the perfect pair of slouchy leggings for elegant lounging, this collection of sewing patterns is for you. Learn all about how to choose the correct fabric for activewear sewing and discover expert tips on working with performance fabrics like Lycra and spandex. Before you know it, you’ll have a truly unique workout wardrobe to wear while you work up a sweat!
Pattern Magic is the cult pattern-cutting book from Japan. Taking inspiration from nature, from geometric shapes and from the street, this book harnesses the sheer joy of making and sculpting clothes. Pattern Magic takes a creative approach to pattern cutting, with step-by-step projects for fashion designers and dressmakers to enjoy. All the basic information you need to start pattern cutting is included, from the basic block to measurements and scaling. Each project is beautifully illustrated with clear diagrams and photographs showing the stages of construction, the toiles and the finished garments. These easy-to-follow illustrations and detailed instructions make it easy to create stunning, sculptural clothes with a couture look. Step-by-step projects for fashion designers and dressmakers - with clear diagrams and photographs. Gives all the basic information needed to start pattern cutting: from the basic block to measurements and scaling. Easy-to-follow, detailed instructions make it easy to create stunning, sculptural clothes with a couture look Reviews for Pattern Magic: 'The feeling of figuring the puzzle out makes this book series a joy to explore' House of Pinheiro 'If you've mastered the basics of pattern cutting, have caught the bug and are eager to experiment with complex 3d designs, you should definitely take a look at Pattern Magic' Tilly And The Buttons Blog 'I've had an explosion of inspiration, and I'm not even an expert in sewing!...I'm sure that many of you, fashion designers or not, can learn a lot from these tutorials' ImaginativeBloom.com CONTENTS: Part 1: Creating form through inspiration: Accents, Gathered hole, Crater, The drop hole, Lumps and bumps Part 2: Making patterns for haute couture garments: Draped design, The twist, Hide and seek, Interwoven design, Bamboo shoot, The knot, Two distinct expressions, An intriguing curve, Bunka-style sloper (block) for an adult woman, Bunka-style sloper (block) for an adult woman (Size M) (half-scale)
35 hat patterns for every age, gender, and fashion sense Sewn Hats is a collaboration of hat designs from 29 of the industry's most-loved fabric designers, pattern designers, and bloggers. The collection features a variety of hat patterns for all genders, sizes, ages, and fashion sense. Seamstresses will find options in a vast array of styles that use a wide variety of fabric types, from felt to silk, corduroy to cotton, and everything in between. Beautiful photography, inspiring writing, precise instructions, adaptable patterns, and a vast array of styles and sizes all combine to equal a collection of sewn hat patterns like no other. Hat patterns for all genders, sizes, ages, and styles Hats for any occasion, from work to play, casual to formal Diagrams, precise assembly instructions, and schematic illustrations to ease completion of each project Ideas and inspiration for all ages and skill levels, and instructions on how to adapt each hat pattern by varying fabrics and embellishments Full patterns conveniently located online, so you can print them when you need them and you never have to worry about losing them Expertly edited by top designer Carla Hegeman Crim, the designer and blogger behind The Scientific Seamstress, Sewn Hats is sure to offer inspiration for all home seamstresses. Contributors include: Patty Young (MODKID Designs) Kaari Meng (French General) Joanna Figueroa (Fig Tree & Co.) Kathy Mack (Pink Chalk Studio) Dolin O’Shea (Lulu Bliss) Lisa Carroccio (Domestic Diva’s Disasters) Alexia Marcelle Abegg (Green Bee Patterns) Heather Niziolek (Goosie Girl) Melissa Stramel (Lilac Lane) Jaime Morrison Curtis and Jacinda Boneau (Prudent Baby) Karen LePage (One Girl Circus) Jennifer Hagedorn (Tie Dye Diva Designs) Shelly Figueroa (Figgy’s Patterns) Bonnie Shaffer (Hats with a Past) Jessica Christian (Craftiness is Not Optional) Bari J. Ackerman (Bari J.) Mary Abreu (Confessions of a Craft Addict) Jennifer Paganelli (Sis Boom) Irene Rodegerdts (Mushroom Villagers) Anneliese S. (Aesthetic Nest) Linda and Scott Hansen (Miss Mabel Studio and Blue Nickel Studios) Betz White (betzwhite.com) Kim Christopherson (YouCanMakeThis.com) Melissa Averinos (www.yummygoods.com) Val Pillow & Anne Maxfield (Pillow & Maxfield)
Scandinavian fashion has long been admired for its stylish, clean-lined, interesting cuts and aesthetic. Breaking the Pattern is the first authentic dressmaking book that showcases the beauty and uniqueness of Scandinavian style. Complete with stunning photography, clear illustrations and instructions this book will show you how to create a coherent capsule wardrobe – complete with a collection of 10 garments that are easy to make, wear, and combine with each other. From the Finnish sewing duo behind the dressmaking fashion label Named, Laura and Saara offer up an enticing selection of tops, dresses, skirt and trousers for the modern seamstress. You will build your skills as you work through the book and with plenty of variations suggested for each garment, there's lots of room for you to add your own personal touches and quirks to each design. Taking you beyond the patterns featured in this book, Breaking the Pattern will inspire you to not only build on your sewing repertoire but to grow in confidence with your own sewing. Patterns come in a range of sizes from US sizes 4 to 16, with concise information of measuring yourself and finding the perfect fit. Full size pattern sheets are included in this neat package, perfect for the contemporary dressmaker.
“Gretchen ‘Gertie’ Hirsch is a passionate home seamstress, a sought-after sewing teacher, and the creator of one of the web’s most popular sewing blogs.” —Creativebug Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses is Gretchen Hirsch’s modern reinvention of this simple idea, focusing on easily mastered sewing skills, minimal pattern pieces, and fabulous designs. And the best part? Readers will end up with a sparkling wardrobe of easy-to-wear, fun-to-style dresses that will fill busy modern lives with retro charm. Chapters include: Supplies and Tools Fabrics Getting Ready to Sew Dress Construction: The Basics Dress Construction: Essential Skills Trims and Flourishes Fitting In the ’50s and ’60s, Simplicity released their popular line of Jiffy sewing patterns, which had minimal pattern pieces and simple constructions, yet were chic enough for fashion-conscious customers. This approach appeals now more than ever as stylish women are continuously looking for ways to fit their love of sewing into busy lives filled with family, work, school, and countless other obligations. With the lessons offered here, you can make a Popover Dress, Chemise Dress, Swirl Dress, Boatneck Dress, and Patio Dress. Everything you need is included: pattern maps, finished garment measurements, and more. Hirsch writes in her introduction, “So why did I write this book? Because I want to show that it’s possible to cultivate real sewing skills without spending days or even weeks on a project. Sewing more projects means more practice!” The vintage aesthetic of these projects will appeal to beginner and expert crafters alike. They stand on their own as great examples of retro fashion. They aren’t just simple sewing projects. So, don’t wait. Start sewing!
Do you ever look at the price tag on a piece of clothing and think, I could sew that myself? Well, sew do we! Sewing your own clothes is rewarding and cost-effective, plus it's an enjoyable creative skill to develop. Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish gives you the instruction you need to sew soft knit fabrics using professional techniques. This comprehensive reference book from expert Linda Lee includes methods for both conventional sewing machines and sergers, and it includes precise construction notes and how-to photos along the way. Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish eases readers into the subject by teaching how to identify the different types of knit fabrics available and helping them select the ones that best suit their sewing projects. From there, the book introduces readers to sewing patterns for knit fabrics and teaches how to tweak those patterns to fit specific measurements. After that, Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish moves step-by-step through the sewing process, including all of the following: Preparing fabric before it's cut Transferring pattern markings onto knit fabrics Organizing a garment's construction Sewing seams and selecting seam styles Utilizing stabilizers and inserting closures Sewing a hem and selecting a hem style Adding embellishments to create a more unique garment Imagine an updated wardrobe that you have total control over. Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish makes that dream a very possible reality. Not only that, the book reveals a few shortcuts and troubleshooting tips to ensure a stress-free sewing process. So jump on the sewing bandwagon! Once you learn how to sew knit-fabric pieces, you'll wonder why you ever bought them.
Follow Wendy Ward’s tutorials to make a collection of comfortable and stylish garments. Follow Wendy Ward’s tutorials to make a collection of comfortable and stylish garments. Wendy’s style is functional but beautiful basics, and you will learn the skills to make garments out of knitted fabrics that drape beautifully and are a joy to wear. There are t-shirts, wide-leg trousers, lounge trousers, tank tops, cardigans, skirts, and dresses made in versatile fabrics that can be dressed up or down. Both beginners and more experienced dressmakers often avoid using knitted fabrics, but Wendy will show you how to successfully sew them with just a regular sewing machine. You will learn essential skills with the help of a comprehensive techniques section that includes a guide to different types of knitted fabrics and their uses (including jersey, sweatshirt fabric, boiled wool, and many more), how to prepare them for making clothes, setting up your sewing machine, which needles you need, sewing seams and hems, and using elastic. There are also full-size patterns for every garment included at the back of the book, so you will have all the information you need to start making your own perfect wardrobe!
If you’ve ever watched Project Runway and wished you were a contestant, or you’re simply ready to take your sewing to a new level, Design-It-Yourself Clothes teaches you the fundamentals of modern patternmaking so that you, too, can create your own inspired clothing. Until now, the aspiring DIY fashionista has been hard-pressed to find self-teaching tools other than dry textbooks or books with outdated looks. Finally, in Design-It-Yourself Clothes, former Urban Outfitters designer Cal Patch brings her youthful aesthetic to a how-to book. If you want to wear something you can’t find on store racks and make clothes that express your individual style, or if you’ve reached a sewing plateau and want to add pattern drafting to your repertoire, Design-It-Yourself Clothes is the book you have been waiting for. In five key projects (each with four variations)–a perfect-fitting dress, T-shirt, button-down shirt, A-line skirt, and pants–Patch shares the art of patternmaking. At its core, it’s much simpler than you think. Patch covers everything an intermediate sewer needs to know in order to become a fabulous fashion designer, from designing the patterns, taking your own measurements, and choosing fabrics to actually sewing the clothing. You will also learn how to stylize patterns by using darts, waistbands, patch pockets, and ruffles. Patch offers tips, explanations, options, and exercises throughout that will make the design process that much easier. But besides showing you how to create clothing from scratch, she also teaches you how to rub off patterns from existing clothing–so if you have a pair of pants that you love but are worn out, or you have your eye on a piece in the store with a prohibitive price tag, you can figure out how to get the looks you want by using your own two hands.