Synopses & Reviews
Discover how your wardrobe (and your wallet) can reap what you sewEven the easiest garment sewing patterns won't come together correctly if you don't have the skills to execute them. Teach Yourself VISUALLY Fashion Sewing is the go-to book for aspiring fashion sewers who learn faster by seeing and doing than by wading through tedious instruction books.
You'll get visual guidance on the specialized tools and skills you need to move beyond the basics to advance to garment sewing. Photo by photo and stitch by stitch, you'll learn how to make darts, pleats, and gathers; work with facings and underfacings; and so much more.
- Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick review
- Detailed color photos demonstrate each step
- Helpful tips provide additional guidance
Packed with step-by-step instructions and fun, innovative projects, Teach Yourself VISUALLY Fashion Sewing gives you the tools you need to create fashionable new pieces and the skills to repair and repurpose old ones.
Synopsis
As crafters get more sophisticated, craft books must evolve along with them. This book caters to crafters who are ready to move beyond curtains, placemats, and other flat rectangular items with simple construction (the focus of Teach Yourself VISUALLY Sewing) and sew their own garments. Basic sewing tools and skills are reviewed, but this book focuses on the specialized tools and techniques involved in garment sewing--marking and cutting pattern pieces; making darts, pleats, and gathers; working with facings and underfacings; and much more. With the economy struggling, more and more people are looking both to save money on new items and to extend the lives of the things they already own. This book gives readers the tools they need to create fashionable items to enhance their wardrobes at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new garments, as well as the skills to repair and repurpose garments found in their closets or purchased inexpensively at thrift stores.
Synopsis
Want to discover how your wardrobe (and your wallet) can reap what you sew? This is the go-to guide for aspiring fashion sewers who learn faster by seeing and doing than by wading through tedious instruction books. You'll get visual guidance on the specialized tools and skills you need to move beyond the basics to advance to garment sewing. Photo by photo and stitch by stitch, you'll learn how to make darts, pleats, and gathers; work with facings and underfacings; and so much more to create fashionable clothing worthy of its own runway show.
Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick review
Each skill or technique is defined and described
Step-by-step instructions accompany each photo
Detailed color photos demonstrate each step
Helpful tips provide additional guidance
About the Author
Carole Ann Camp is the coauthor of Sew What! Skirts and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sewing Illustrated. She also served as the technical writer for the book Twinkle Sews by fashion designer Wenlan Chia.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 Tools and Materials.Basic Tools.
Fabric.
Thread.
CHAPTER 2 Technique Review.
Basic Machine Stitches.
Useful Hand Stitches.
Tacks.
Edge Finishes.
Straps, Ties, and Belts.
Closures.
Techniques for Shaping.
Casings.
Points, Corners, Curves, and Graded Seams.
Embellishments.
CHAPTER 3 Sewing from a Pattern.
Find Patterns.
Choose a Pattern.
The Envelope.
What's in the Envelope.
Adjust the Length of Pattern Pieces.
Put the Pattern on the Fabric.
Mark and Cut
Use Patternmaking Software.
CHAPTER 4 Find the Right Fit.
Use a Paper Pattern to Make Alterations.
What Is Ease?
Make a Mock-up Muslin.
Check the Fit during Construction.
Fitting Pants.
CHAPTER 5 Hems and Hemlines.
Prepare to Hem.
Double-Fold Hems.
Single-Fold Hems.
Hemline Finishes.
CHAPTER 6 Waistline Treatments.
Waistbands.
No Waistbands.
Casings.
Shirring.
CHAPTER 7 Necklines, Armholes, and Straps.
Necklines.
Collars.
Sleeves.
Facings.
Interfacing.
Other Finishes for Necklines and Armholes.
Straps.
CHAPTER 8 Skirts.
Skirt Lengths and Shapes.
Design Your Own Skirt Patterns.
Pull-On Skirt.
Basic Straight Skirt.
Basic A-Line Skirt.
Basic Wraparound Skirt.
Basic Tiered Skirt.
CHAPTER 9 Pants.
Pant Lengths, Shapes, and Styles.
Elastic-Waist Pull-On Pants.
Basic Fitted Pants.
Design a Pair of Pants by Deconstruction.
CHAPTER 10 Tops.
An Overview of Top Styles.
Shaping.
Make a Boatneck Top.
Sew a Summer Top.
Make a Tank Top.
CHAPTER 11 Dresses.
Dress Styles.
Dress Design Elements.
A Simple Three-Rectangle Dress.
A Sheath Dress.
A Peasant Dress.
CHAPTER 12 Recycle, Refurbish, and Repair.
Make Over Your Denim.
Update a T-Shirt.
Change a Skirt.
Fix a Hem.
Resew a Seam.
Mend Tears and Holes.
Fix Pocket Problems.
Replace Buttons.
Reinforce Buttonholes.
CHAPTER 12 Recycle, Refurbish, and Repair.
Index.