Book Review: Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer

I don't think this book really needs an introduction. Claire Shaeffer is a household name, and her books come highly recommended. I bought this book on couture sewing techniques on a whim, when seeing it on sale somewhere. And boy, it didn't disappoint!

Just for your information: this book contains loads of interesting photos and drawings, but there is a lot of text as well. A lot of things are only explained in the text, with no accompanying diagrams or anything. So having a vivid imagination certainly helps to understand certain things!

The book starts with an extensive chapter on what couture actually is, a brief history, and a description of how one would go about purchasing a couture garment. This is an interesting read by itself: after learning just how much work and thought goes into a couture garment you might just understand where those prices come from...

Then the practical part of the book starts. Couture garments are mostly sewn by hand (!!) so an entire chapter on hand stitches is in place. Each stitch is shown in a little illustration, with a short text describing the function and use of this particular stitch. This chapter has definitely inspired me to try my hand at hand-stitching a bit more and I find it very relaxing and useful. Hand-basting might be slower than using a machine, bit it's very precise, while hand sewing hems is the perfect thing to do on a quiet evening. I found the instructions on the different stitches very extensive and comprehensible. The rest of the chapter is dedicated to different seams, with special attention for lace appliqué seams. This is something I hadn't seen in any other sewing book before, and I find it very intriguing! If I ever end up making something with lace I'll be sure to look back here.

The next chapter is all about finishing edges. She describes all kinds of different ways to finish a hem, the use of binding or facings. Most of the steps involve a lot of hand sewing and basting, but seem to provide a beautiful finish. A few things are illustrated with pictures of garments from the author's collection (lucky!) or from museums. There are a lot of interesting photographs in the book, but I would have liked to see even more, or see bigger versions. Sometimes the photo is printed quite small, and it gets harder to see the small details (which is what it's all about here)

The next chapter deals with closures, and I don't think I've ever seen so much information about buttons and buttonholes in one place. I've been meaning to learn how to make better hand-worked buttonholes for a while now (meaning: making buttonholes that don't look like creepy mouths) so I'll have to look into the instructions provided here. I love the photos in this chapter: they show fabric-covered buttons that were made to match the print on the fabric, or buttonholes on a checked shirt that change colour halfway. Such attention to details makes me geek out, and then feel inadequate.

The second part of the book is about applying all these techniques to your own sewing. The chapters are about specific types of garments, walk you through the construction of them and provide instructions on how to use couture techniques. You get a few different ways to make a waistband, how to fit a dress pattern, make a waist stay, make shoulder pads, ... There's an entire chapter on sleeves as well. And one on pockets. The apount of information can get a bit overwhelming, so I mostly read the book in small parts instead of in one sitting as I'd usually do.

The chapter on jackets and coats is one of my favourites. It describes a hand-tailored couture jacket in great detail and then goes on to describe the entire process of making one for yourself. I've been reading up on tailoring and would love to make a real, tailored coat that will last ma a long time by next winter. The instructions are very clear, even if this stuff is considered advanced sewing. I really like how she manages to explain these things so clearly, not only making them seem less intimidating but even doable for a home seamstress.

The final chapters are mostly focused on special occasion garments, with information on using lace fabrics, stripes and appliques in your designs. There's a lot of information about the inner structure of special occasion dresses, with instructions on how to make your own. I'm not sure if I'll be using this information in my own sewing right away, but if I ever have a really special occasion... Who knows.

All in all, this is a really great and extensive source of information for any seamstress interested in couture. There is a lot to take in, but it's all being presented in a way most average or intermediate sewers will understand. The only downside I could see were the (sometimes) small photographs, so I'd say this book is definitely worth looking into!

Book Review: Pattern Magic 1 & 2

I have been intrigued by the Pattern Magic books for a while now. The basic idea is the same as the one in Make your own Dress Patterns (start from a sloper and design different variations), but the kind of variations shown here looked far more exciting and creative. When I noticed there was an English translation for sale, I grabbed them both.

Both books have the same basic idea: start with a fitted sloper and change shapes and lines to create something new. The books show pictures of all possibilities, with intructions how to draft them on your own. I'm really glad I waited for an English version to come out, since I'm not sure I would have been able to understand anything from just the diagrams!

At first sight only the more extreme examples jump out, and while they are very impressive, I don't see myself wearing things like this on a regular basis. They are excellent and interesting examples of how special garments like this are constructed, and I'm glad I have it just to know how it all comes together, even if I'll never make or wear it.

Some other ideas in the books are less extreme, but still unusual enough to be interesting. I don't know how I feel about a hole right on my hip, but I love the shape created here:

And a crater effect like this would be awesome on a structured jacket:

(This same effect is also shown being used on a sleeve head, with a very subtle but interesting result)

After flipping through the books more carefully, I started seeing some interesting things I'll definitely try to use some day. I would really see myself wearing this:

Or use this for a summer dress:

And even though I'm not too sure about bows across my chest, I'm in love with every single one of these:

But there is one detail that inspired me right away. I have this toile de jouy I bought in New York, but got a bit afraid to cut into it out of a fear to look like a couch. I wanted to add an element that breaks the pattern up a bit and adds some visual interest to something that might look a bit bland from a distance, and found it here:

The idea is very simple, but I love the structure of the knot. I'll probably use this on the back of my dress so I can still wear a bra with it, and play around with darts and seams on the rest.

I've read through the instructions for most of these projects, and while they made me scratch my head at first, most of them are relatively clear to someone who knows the basics of patternmaking. It helps to fully visualize each step in your head while you are reading, to keep things making sense. I think these books are a great source for inspiration if you're looking for unusual details to add to your own designs!

Book Review: Make your own Dress Patterns

People had been recommending this classic (the first edition is from 1959!) left and right, and since I had started to get interested in making my own patterns, I ordered it. The cover isn't very attractive and the illustrations inside look quite outdated, but once I got over that (we're way too spoiled with nicely-designed books these days...) I started to see just how much information there is in this book.

This is not exactly a book about drafting patterns completely from scratch, instead it starts with a few basic slopers (bodice, skirt, pants, sleeve,...) and shows how you can alter the basic pattern to get some new and exciting effects. Some of these suggestions are slightly scary and not something I'd make:

(But hey, at least I now know how it's done!)

But there are loads of great ideas and tricks in there! I am totally fascinated by the chapters on darts and control seams, and can't wait to try some of the things she suggests. 

Here you see how to create special shapes by shifting darts and slashing the pattern. There are loads of cute ideas like these.

Here a sleeve is shaped by turning an elbow dart into a control seam. The chapter on control seams is called 'Control is what it seams', by the way. Ha! Puns!

Overall, this has turned out to be a great reference and help since I wandered into pattern-drafting territory. The instructions are very well written, I've never come across a passage that made me go 'huh?'. At this moment I'm planning a few projects, one of them being a coat. Since I really want to alter the pattern, I'm expecting this book to be very useful in the future!

 

I'll finish this post with a sneak peek of what I've been working on. Spoiler: it has to do with denim! I took this picture yesterday because I was quite pleased with how my patch pockets and lined front pockets turned out.