Weekend Review: Sewing Love

 

Sewing Love / Sanae Ishida
Seattle : Sasquatch Books, ©2022
271 p.

This is the second book by Ishida that I've read, via my library. It's a wonderful book! I really enjoyed it and I know I'll be reading it again to soak in all the detail involved. 

It's more than a basic sewing book, and more than just a project book, too. It's a great book for the intermediate sewist, who is looking for more learning and more challenge. The first part of the book deals with block making -- how to create a pattern block based on your own body. 

The second half then goes in to the projects: how to make yourself actual garments using your blocks. The garments are all fairly loose-fit casual clothes, so the adaptations and adjustments you'll have to make to get a decent fit are easier than closely fitted, detailed clothing would be. So it's a good way to start getting comfortable with fitting using your block. If you prefer heavily structured, fitted clothing, you'll likely want to look elsewhere. 

But the tone is very encouraging, and the adventurous beginner might feel up to giving this a go as well. There is a lot of information in this book, but it's nicely organized, non-intimidating, and well illustrated. There are clear illustrations accompanying the block making instructions, and also quite a number of photos of projects on all ages and sizes of sewists. And the book design as a whole is calm and beautiful overall, as well. 

The discussion of the block making hits just the right level; accessible but not overly simplified. There are LOTS of measurements suggested here, more than the usual basics. I can see the influence of some of the books she's put in her bibliography, especially Joi Mahon's range for measurements. She also refers to two of her favourite sewing/pattern books in the text and the bibliography, SEW by Barbara Emodi and How to Make Your Own Dress Patterns by Adele Margolis, which are also faves of mine so I am naturally inclined to like this book as well!

It's a friendly, welcoming book but one that still provides a lot of learning opportunity. You could spend a fair bit of time working your way through the block process and the patterns, and come out on the other side much more confident about your fitting and pattern adjustment skills. Recommended. 

Weekend Review: Patterns from Finished Clothes

Patterns from finished clothes: re-creating the clothes you love /
Tracy Doyle
NY: Sterling, c1996.  127 p.

I have a couple of older books on making patterns from your current clothing. This is a super way to get a copy of any RTW that you've worn to death. And it's an affordable way to make a pattern from something that you already know fits you, and that you love.

This book, from 1996, is a good primer. The author starts with a basic intro to the concept of tracing off RTW, from analyzing your garment to noting how to keep a record of what you're doing and storing your new patterns. There's also a section on basic equipment before you get going.

Then there is a long section on techniques, complete with many, many photographs and clear instruction. She points out some of the common difficulties and how to overcome them, like when you can't get a whole section of a piece of clothing to lay flat at once, or if a piece you want to copy has been stretched out with wear.

She discusses "special considerations" -- ie, how to copy features like darts, tucks, pleats, shirring, and allowing for ease. There's also talk of "hidden elements" like pockets, facing, lining, and so on. Then she chats about different things to be aware of like recreating knits or asymmetrical designs. The instruction assumes that you are a confident home sewer; in the beginning she notes that if you're tackling a pattern challenge like this you are probably familiar with sewing basics by now.

But though they are often concise they are still perfectly clear to an experienced sewer, and even a beginner sewer who is enthusiastic will find them usable and I would hope effective in the end! She makes the process of copying your RTW seem straightforward and possible.

The book ends with encouragement to take these patterns that you've created and add to them, alter them, and make them your own personal favourites. And there is a small gallery of clothing items to finish that shows details and how to have an eye for the elements of design that you might want to replicate. All this in only 127 pages.

I thought that this was a useful basic book on this technique, and opens it up to any interested sewist. It's given me the confidence to try it out soon.

Weekend Review: Freehand Fashion

Freehand Fashion: Learn to Sew the Perfect Wardrobe / Chinelo Bally
London: Pavilion, c2015.
189 p.

I first saw Chinelo when she was a contestant on the Great British Sewing Bee, as most people probably did. I was impressed with her freehand cutting techniques and her story. And I was thrilled when I heard that she was putting a book out. However, it's taken me all this time to actually get my hands on the book and explore it!

It's based on her method of sewing without paper patterns, a Nigerian technique she learned from her family. Essentially, you create blocks according to your own measurements, and then use those to mark a  pattern right onto the fabric. It takes practice to switch your mind over to this process.

The book is laid out in three main sections: an overview of sewing techniques (great resource), an illustrated guide to taking the measurements you'll need for this method, and then a guide to making your own blocks, followed by a group of 15 projects ranging in difficulty -- this includes the velvet wrap dress which Chinelo won project of the week for on the GBSB and which everyone was swooning over at the time (including me!)

Picture of yesterday's work. Ankle length remake of #gbsb wrap #dress. #freehand #velvet #lace #burgundy #duskypink pic.twitter.com/3GMv1UYq7x

— Chinelo Bally (@Chinelobally) April 2, 2014

It's full of detailed information and seems like quite a different way of approaching garment sewing, but a really intriguing one. There are a few of these projects I'd like to try: while reading this, I felt inspired but haven't tried the process yet. I need a bit more time to work on creating a block according to her instructions so that I can try out a few of the designs.

This is the kind of book I'd like to have for my own so that I could refer back to it often. I'm sure that only by making quite a few things could you feel that you were beginning to get this method down. I found it to be very complete, laid out well, and with lots of fabulous illustrations to guide the reader. Of course I haven't actually tried any of the projects yet, but when I do, I will report back.

It's a colourful, modern, and inspiring book though, with good production values and a range of styles shown. And of course, since it's all done according to one's personal measurements, there are no size restrictions here. I was impressed by it.

Weekend Review: The Savvy Seamstress

The Savvy Seamstress / Nicole Mallalieu
Lafayette, CA: C&T Publishing, c2017.
175 p.

This is an excellent read, one I'm happy to have finally got my hands on. Nicole Mallalieu is an Australian sewist, designer and teacher, and she has created a book that is perfect for self-taught sewists.

It covers basic sewing information: terms, tools and techniques, with lots of photos. But it also then goes on to explain how to easily alter patterns, how to change details like pockets, how to best perform sewing tasks like inserting zips or attaching collars, and even shows how to change patterns substantially - how to change a back zip closure to a front button one, for example, or how to completely change a neckline. It moves from simple to quite complex.

There were useful tips in this book for sewists like me, who know how to do most basics, how to use a pattern and alter it in minor ways, but want to do more. She covers how to make a big change, and all the resultant details that need looking after: changing a closure or neckline means also altering the pattern's facing, seamlines, or perhaps darts. There are tons of illustrations and clear explanations of all the steps needed to effectively design your own dress from a basic sheath dress pattern, say.

The chapters are organized into themes: Basics, Pockets, Button plackets, Necklines, Zip Closures, Waistlines, Yokes, Collars, Sleeves. There are many ideas and lots of instruction in each chapter, and depending on your experience and your interests, you might use some of the chapters more than others. But I found that for a sewist who is past being a rank beginner but not at the stage of being able to draft one's own patterns from scratch, this book is full of gems. It's clear and easy to use, and really inspiring.

There are no patterns of any kind in this book, the focus is on the techniques needed to use and change the patterns you already have. This is definitely a good title for the sewist's bookshelf, especially if you don't have anything in this topic area yet. It's very user-friendly and not at all intimidating.

Weekend Review: Pattern Making Templates for Skirts & Dresses

Pattern Making Templates for Skirts & Dresses / Alice Prier 


Wow, this is one thorough book! I ordered it from the library, and have had it for the full loan period and yet have barely scratched the surface. Definitely one I'm going to have to own.

It is a book on drafting patterns, and as such I haven't done much of the actual patterning it guides you toward. Time and all that....

It comes with 16 downloadable pattern slopers (which you'll have to tape and trace, unfortunately, but I'm used to that now). Then, using these slopers, it guides you into the process of fitting, drafting, creating and altering designs. (they come in UK sizes 6-20).

I'm sure if you had your own customized slopers to begin with it would all be easier to fit etc. But the amount of detail in this book on all the different ways you can shape and alter a sloper is fantastic. Out of the basics, Prier creates 32 different designs -- and they are quite different from one another so if you made even half of them you'd have tons of experience already.

I also really enjoyed the way she talks about details like collars, necklines, or pockets, even fabric, and how to alter them to change up a look quite easily. If you are at the point where you'd like to start delving into designing your own looks using a personal sloper, this is a great book to read. I'm not 100% at that point quite yet, but it is a goal of mine to develop more pattern making skills -- starting with slopers -- so I know that this book will be a great addition to my sewing library. It's one I think I'd need to work through slowly to figure out what I needed to know -- but the author, with her 30+ years of dressmaking experience, covers everything from terminology to pattern hacking to design thinking.

Definitely for an intermediate sewist, this one will help to elevate your sewing game. Just reading it through I feel like I've learned a lot already. Now on to the practical experimentation....