Customer Reviews

High Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World's Best Designers: A Step-By-Step Guide to Sewing Stylish Seams, Buttonholes, Pockets, Collars, Hems, And More (Rodale Sewing Book)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book about 6 months ago and read it from cover to cover. I was fascinated, but I didn't want to write a review until I had actually tried some of the techniques.

Well, I've done the piped pockets, the bias cvered seams, and I'm working on the flounce collar (which happens to be fashionable again), and they look pretty good!!

But worth all the money, are the pages on manipulating patterns. With commercial patterns costing well over $10 today, this book enables you to play with what is already in your collection. Before this, I was a slave to the pattern companies, but now, I know how to make what I want. I eliminated a waist seam on a jumper for my daughter, and created an unusual skirt by combining two patterns.

My confidence in my ability to construct a garment, and have it look professional, has increased mani-fold.

The gimmick of the first two-thirds of this book is that the author shows various designer ready-to-wear garments with an interesting construction method or detail, and then she shows you, step-by-step and in detail, how to reproduce it. Where there is a trick or shortcut that reduces the time to do something without lowering the quality she uses it, but on the other hand she includes many labor-intensive methods where the quality would be improved by such methods. She covers facings, hem, pockets, trims, fasteners, and more. The book is not so comprehensive in the number of things it covers that it could replace a reference-style book, but where it covers something, it does so in detail (an you need to read closely sometimes). The illustrations are excellent--way above average for a sewing book. The really interesting thing about this book is the last third on patternmaking basics. She covers the three basic ways to copy a garment (measuring, tracing, and rub-off), and tells you how to check your copied pattern pieces against each other, how to true them, etc. She then goes into pattern modification techniques. I managed to copy a Land's End buttondown shirt with a certain amount of success following her instructions.

I have been sewing all of my life, and have studied under some of the most qualified teachers, but this book goes further than any other in its context and pictures. Claire shows some of the many techniques High Couture achieves its name. A must for any serious sewer, especially one who wants a beautiful finish as well as fit in her/his garments. It is a very technical book, which might be a bit frustrating for a beginner, but it will definitely inspire everyone. It has replaced my old Vogue sewing book of the early 60's. Bobbie Carr's book is also excellent, but this one is much more inclusive in its techniques. I think it is a must. Sharon O. Carte

As an experienced seamstress, I find this book to be very useful. It is a frequently used resource for those beautiful details sighted in some of the better RTW and designer lines. I now know how to make a professional looking inseam pocket with an invisible zipper located in the seam. And it looks great! The many pictures were very clearly illustrated, and the book is full of full-color photographs. I am a visual learner and without those pictures, I'd be lost.

Throughout the book, there are details and tips from such well known designers as Liz Clairborne, Coco Chanel, Geoffrey Beene, Galanos, and one of my favorites in casual wear - Calvin Klein. Each designer detail includes a description, a listing of tools & necessary supplies, many detailed pictures with step-by-step instructions, tips and hints along the way to help make the detail perfect, and finishing touches to make it look professional. I've constructed perfectly flat topstitched hems on my stretchy jersey knits, flawless bias-binding necklines, and learned the secrets of making my zippers look great. My favorite section includes fancy details like piped pockets, windowpane pockets, and bound buttonholes. I can definitely say that using this book has helped my work look ten times more professional.

My only qualm about this book was the section on patternmaking. This is not the book to buy if you want to learn how to draft patterns. There is basic information on the subject, but you will be left wanting for much more. It is a helpful section to look through before playing around to make changes to your own ready-made patterns as you'll gain some knowledge on how patterns are made, but there is so much more to know before you can draft your own.

I hope Claire Shaeffer comes out with another book as beautiful as this with MORE designer details. It is an extremely useful book in my library.

All sewing books I buy should be able to teach me at least 1 new-to-me technique before I rate them. This one is a winner. Worth its weight in gold for the information you get.'I rate myself an intermediate sewist with patternmaking skills. It is a must for intermediate and advanced sewing enthuasiasts and if you are a beginner then you will need this book to inspire and guide you to becoming an advanced sewist. My friend's daughter wanted a dress made with a cowl neckline. I had never made this style before and had no idea how to. I drafted the pattern, fitted the muslin, corrected the pattern and was raring to sew! I went through all of my sewing books looking for information on sewing cowls. I have just about all sewing books....Claire's book not only showed me how to sew this but also how to "stay" the cowl. It was the best piece of information ever. The neckline was perfect and I could see without the "stay" how the neckline kept misbehaving!

Another bit of information was on lining a wrap skirt....cutting the back lining on the cross grain....wonderful information. How would I ever have the know-how without the experience? Claire's books are winners.

This book has been very helpful in my struggle to break out of beginning sewing. It helps the reader construct garments on a much more professional level. And it helps you to alter existing patterns to create your own design ideas as well as make your own patterns from scratch. I don't know if this would be really useful for someone who is very advanced in his or her sewing skills, but for someone like me it's a huge eye opener and a great introduction to pattern drafting.

As much as I hate to rain on anyone's parade, this book was not what I expected. Instead of clear, detailed instructions of certain techniques, I found myself frustrated with the graphics that were confusing to decipher and instructions that were not clear.I wish the author has spent a little less time name dropping and more time being thorough in her descriptions. So many techniques were in the book but they seemed to be glossed over quickly instead of giving each of them the space they deserved.Many of the examples used seemed rather dated to me, such as flounces or a cowl/draped neckline. The technique for keying a zipper could have used more space to expand.

Additionally it was too bad that the publishers didn't decide to do the book in a hard cover. When you're in the midst of a project with one hand on your fabric and the other in a reference book, you want the chosen pages to remain flat whilst you use them.

There's a lot of books out thee - but if you're still learning a lot of the more advanced tricks - BUY THIS BOOK. Seriosuly - I am usually happy to get half a dozen new ideas out of a book - usually makes up for what I spend - but that is all this book is about. New Tips and Tricks.

I was estatic to see some of the coat lining techniques used in one of my Amrmani coats broken down and described so well. Its like "OH Ok - thats how its down" Its full of stuff like that.

Maybe if you've been sewing for 30+ years and have a college degree in fashion - you might know everything from cover to cover already - but if your a still new or an intermediate still learning - this book is an ideal find.

This is NOT a book for beginners--you must know what you're doing before attempting some of these things. You at least have to know basics and have some experience first. But when you get the experience, you will like this book! I used this book to trim a rather blah-looking two piece light blue suit, consisting of a skirt and short-sleeved, princess seamed top that comes down to the hipline. (One of those "See and Sew" patterns for $1.97.) The cut was great, the style looked great--on paper. I don't know what it was, but despite my best hopes and efforts to pick the right fabric, it just didn't look good. I wore it twice but still didn't like it. (Everybody else did--go figure.) Flipped through this book, and decided to give the Chanel-style trim a try. If I ruined it, so what? Worked like a charm. Okay, my stitches aren't perfect, but it looks infinitely better than it did before. I also tried that YSL trick of edgestitching the binding after topstitching it down--WOW. I may try a black suit with white trim next time. THAT will be great.

I have tried, but unsuccessfully, the slanted welt pockets for skirts and pants from Calvin Klein. Guess I'm just a math dummy--I couldn't make it work for anything! Next up: try to duplicate that Christian Doir top that's done up in orange.

I guess if I'd actually READ the book instead of flipping through it like a reference book I'd get more use out of it!

Although the pictures are old fashioned, to say the least, the technic and tips of how to manage the smallest details are priceless. And I thought I knew it all after 25 years of sewing. This book is a bible to every sewer.