Customer Reviews

Designer Techniques Couture Tips For Home Sewing

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Mr. Kings grasp of the world of Designer Techniques is immesurable. This book is a treasure. Techniques are shown and techniques described in easy to follow instructions for the home sewer. The book has some real COOL TRICKS to incorporate into your next sewing project for garments and home dec. Mr. Kings life story is just as facinating as his "bag of tricks." This book covers a mirad of subjects from what tools and equiptment you should have in your sewing room, through pocket techniques and tasseled handbags. Don't get the wrong idea, this is not just high end couture sewing techniques, it is shortcut methods and sound advice for any sewer - a great reference. I especially like the descriptions and ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHS of the different interfacings, and underlinings and cordings and piping, so that I can go into a store and point to what I want!!! If you have limited $$$ to spend on your sewing library, don't leave this one on the store shelf!

Finally, someone has written a book on sewing techniques for those of us who also like beautiful clothes. It's fun to see how exciting clothes can be made using techniques and materials accessible to any home sewer. He uses pictures of his own creations to demonstrate the success of his techniques. The instructions are detailed and thorough. He tackles hard techniques and shows you the steps you must go through to get results. I was tired of books that showed me easy techniques, with only so-so results. I find this a book that I use over and over again... and I have many sewing books. I believe this is a book written by someone who actually uses the techniques himself to create beautiful clothes.

I purchased this book on King's reputation and was very disappointed. The first third of the book covers very basic subjects that every sewer knows, I don't need information on irons, marking tools or fabrics. The book is basically about cording. I sort of like the way he used it on one outfit which is all that's shown in the book. There are a couple small pictures of some beading that I would like to be able to see or have any comment on putting together. The one brief bit about edging sheer fabric is okay but one technique I've seen many times.

Oh, if only I had a place to wear these clothes. However, even if you don't, these techniques can be applied to ordinary work clothes, etc. to make everything look like you paid much more as well as have loads of style. Buy it; you won't be worry.

It's a decent book if you are a home sewer (like me) who has never had a lesson (like me). Great photos and detail ... but .... his new book "Cool Couture: Construction Secrets for Runway Style (Singer Studio)" is this book with a few updates. I guess this should be a critcism of Cool Couture, not this book, but I wish I had known I alredy had this book, just with a different name and cover.

It is a good book and worth a look if you want some tips. Just dont buy it if you have his new one.

I own "Designer Techniques" and I am perplexed about the review that "lopuff" wrote. She can't get past the photos because they are a "bad re-visit to the '80's...can we say vests and big hair?" I can only assume she didn't look carefully at the photos--she makes them out to be some fashion disaster, when they are really modern, light-hearted and kind-of chic. The photos that illustrate the techniques (as well as the illustrations and text) are informative, and that's what counts here. And, as for the techniques themselves, "lopuff" may feel thse are nothing revolutionary but, if you have ever actually done a lot of sewing, you know how valuable RELIABLE techniques can be in saving time and effot. THAT is what is revolutionary about this book.

This book is ridiculous...in so many ways! It has haughty, arrogant, visually ugly photos(YUK!)..and a generalized haughty, arrogant vibe throughout. I am an accomplished designer, and wouldn't have the arrogance to blather on the way this guy does. On top of that, the book is thin(few pages upon which to not tell you anything useful), overpriced, and contains very little anyone might want to use--useful sewing knowledge, that is.

I can see it being useful to some "Red Hat Society" matron who lunches with his mother in Boca--they could wax poetic about the GAWDAWFUL thing, but any person seriously looking to learn anything to apply to real designer/couture sewing--DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK! It spends a weird amount of time detailing how to make tacky homemade craft-showesque purses, and also details how to embelish your "entire wardrobe" to resemble a "Golden Girls" track suit!!..but again, nothing anyone needs/wants to know if they bought the book thinking they'd learn something they could use on PROJECT RUNWAY or in couture sewing in general. I find it almost impossible to believe that PBS ever had this guy on as a sewing show expert..which year of the 80's was that?, and who was he dating to get that gig?....simply ridiculous!

Plain and simple, this "author" guy is a little too much of a peacock...strutting around and telling the world about his being "Elton John's Haberdasher"..REALLY? Maybe in 1988 when they hung out for a few days in Chelsea by chance, but even that I have my doubts about. In any case, the book will annoy you..and it's not useful. There are so many more books on here that give really USEFUL couture/designer sewing technique detail. The only thing that could make this book suck more is if the dude who wrote it offered it in a format where you would have to listen to him talk about himself ,ad nauseum, --as in a DVD or "books-on-tape" version! This book is as stale as a wine cooler from 1984, and even if you find it at a garage sale for a quarter--it's overpriced!

The content is okay--how to do buttonholes and interfacing-- but nothing revolutionary...same as all the other "couture secrets" books (if you've read "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing," you will know that these couture "secrets" are kind of a farce, since the designers by legal contract cannot reveal their so-called "secrets"). Although the book is published in the 90s, the photos and examples are like a bad revisit to the 80s...can we say vests and big hair? As a result, I couldn't see myself directly applying any of the techniques.