The Dressmaker's Technique Bible: A complete guide to fashion sewing [Spiral-bound]

Lorna Knight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2008

A complete resource of techniques for designing and making clothes, whether you are following a pattern, adding embellishments, or designing garments from scratch.

This book is an essential dressmaking techniques guide. It includes an at-a-glance guide to basic garment shapes and styles, and cross-references the relevant techniques throughout the book, with advice on construction techniques, suggested fabrics, and embellishments. The advice given in these pages will allow you to work confidently from a pattern to create beautiful clothes with a perfect fit, no matter your skill level.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lorna Knight specialized in textiles at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh. After working as a designer?s assistant, she spent ten years teaching Design and Technology in middle schools in the UK before setting up a business designing and making lingerie and running workshops teaching a wide range of sewing skills. She continues to run workshops that involve passing on hints and tips from both the couture and high street fashion worlds, enabling her students to create their own garments and projects. Lorna also writes regularly for Sewing World magazine and has contributed to many sewing books and other fashion sewing publications. She is also the author of The Sewing Stitch and Textile Bible (Krause). She resides in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 256 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications; Spi edition (October 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896896943
• ISBN-13: 978-0896896949
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overall Resource to Have, August 11, 2009

By 

Ginevra Visconti - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dressmaker's Technique Bible: A complete guide to fashion sewing (Spiral-bound)

This book has a lot of information that should be helpful to those new to sewing, as well as those needing a refresher. It starts at the very beginning - how to read a pattern envelope - and goes from there. There is even a section with body types and the best sort of clothes for each. A chart that describes basic articles of clothing seems at first almost too basic; doesn't everyone know what an A-line skirt is? But on closer look, this chart notes ways to embellish and finish each garment, which is helpful no matter what your level of expertise. Most of the drawings demonstrating each technique are clear and easy to understand, and photos of the finished result are given, though a couple of the finished examples look a little sloppy. Sadly, it doesn't go as in depth as a more advanced seamstress or tailor might like. For example, the section on kimono sleeves mentions adding a gusset, and shows a small picture, but does not go into detail on how to do this other than to say it involves cutting a diagonal slash under the armpit and adding a piece of fabric. I've got some vintage patterns with kimono sleeves and I need more information than that to adjust them!

This is a good reference to have in the sewing room. The information is ell organized. Great spiral binding, though I do wish the book were larger; the print is a bit small.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent basic yet complete tool for the new or returning seamstress, April 21, 2009

By 

E. Wharton (Virginia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dressmaker's Technique Bible: A complete guide to fashion sewing (Spiral-bound)

Really found this book to be an inviting, encouraging, complete as well as easy-to-use reference. The spiral type binding allows the book to lie flat,too - so I'm not fighting holding the book open while handling fabric and pins! The drawings / illustrations are large and clear (to me with age 49+ eyes) and the layouts of each page make finding what I am looking for not so burdensome as my other older traditional text - type books (everyone knows that Vogue tailoring book from the 1970s - wonderful but try holding it open while you work!) I sewed during my junior high years, and off and on thereafter - never with the ease and ambition and skill my mother had (she made all my clothes in high school, and all my school uniforms in junior high - beautiful work). I found this book to be both factual and encouraging as I pick back up on a skill I always wanted to perfect.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for a new sewer, July 11, 2009

By 

Clodagh Cahill "ozinoman" (Oman) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Dressmaker's Technique Bible: A complete guide to fashion sewing (Spiral-bound)

Are you new to sewing or refreshing your skills after a long break? Then this book is ideal. I take this book off the shelf regularly to refer to methods or meanings. I think is a great resource and I only wish I had had a book like this when I starting out. It will also be a book that I will keep and pass on to my children in years to come. In my opinion a good investment.