Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using ANY Pattern (Sewing for Real People series) [Paperback]

Pati Palmer (Author), Marta Alto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006 | Series: Sewing for Real People series

Presented in a new edition that adds updated pattern industry news and revised rules for selecting pattern size, this easy and practical fitting system requires no measuring, no drafting skills, no muslin mock-ups—and it works with all brands of tissue paper patterns. Real people of all ages are featured in photographs that explain the steps of cutting out pattern pieces, pinning them together, and adjusting the fit. Special attention is paid to tricky challenges such as accommodating a full bustline, adjusting sleeves, or reworking a garment to make it more flattering, as well as alternative fitting methods such as draping and computer design. Metric conversion charts, charts for comparing pattern company bodice measurements, and a history of American dress design (Just where did size 10 come from?) make this book a versatile reference.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is the most practical and complete book on fitting the body."  —Clotilde

About the Author

Pati Palmer is the CEO of Palmer/Pletsch Publishing and a designer and consultant for the McCall Pattern Company. She is the coauthor of Creative Serging, Pants for Real People, and Sewing with Sergers. Marta Alto is a teacher, writer, and researcher at Palmer/Pletsch and the coauthor of Pants for Real People, The Serger Idea Book, and Sewing Ultrasuede. They live in Portland, Oregon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Palmer/Pletsch Publishing; 2nd edition (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935278656
• ISBN-13: 978-0935278651
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Arts & Photography > Fashion

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

121 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, excellent resource. Add to library., April 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using Any Pattern! (Paperback)

I picked up this book and read it from beginning to end. I found the facts to be very interesting. Particularly of interest to me was the information regarding sizing of patterns and ready to wear. This book also offered many alterations. I would refer to these in addition to alteration methods in other books (Fitting and Pattern Alteration or Fabulous Fit, for example). I would recommend this book for beginner or advanced dressmakers. The photos and step by step alterations were wonderful. Included, also, were people of many sizes, variances, and ages. One of the best examples of why we sew was the fitting example of Martha's jacket. The book showed Martha wearing an altered size 12 pattern. It also showed her wearing jackets in similar styles in various price ranges and from various stores. The altered size 12 was the best fitting and most flattering by far. It outshone even those designer jackets costing hundreds of dollars. This book also showed how two people of the same height and weight would require vastly different alterations because of their weight and height distribution. Some people are short from waist to neck (me). Others are long in this area. Some have short legs but not short torsos. It is important, the book stressed, to know yourself and your body. They showed how to make a body map. I wasted no time at all doing this. I have a fitted sloper and know what alterations I need to do on my own garments (high right hip, wide waist, full bust). These were things (especially the high hip) which I never really saw until I made the map. When we were done with this process, we stood back and looked. The high right hip (and some other things) were actually noticeable. I would highly recommend this book as an addition to any sewer's library. The information is invaluable and timeless and PRACTICAL! I would also recommend READING THIS BOOK!

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Add it to your library, April 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using Any Pattern! (Paperback)

This is the most comprehensive fitting book I have seen. A couple of things to be aware of: it does not include pants fitting or fitting for males (though most of the methods could be adapted.) Also, be aware that the first 13 chapters or so are an overview of their concepts and not a step-by-step guide! If you want to work through your own alterations, start with chapter 14 and follow the order of alterations in each following chapter. This is a book that works best if you read and study it. Glancing at pictures may not give you all the information you need. It's not the be-all and end-all of fitting books but it is definitely worth having.

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Book on Fitting On the Market Today, July 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using Any Pattern! (Paperback)

I have been sewing for over 50 years. The one thing that always bugged me over the years was pattern fitting. I soon found out that I was not a standard fit when the bodices of dresses did not meet across the chest and the front waistlines were up around my ribcage. I had a larger than a b cup bra. It wasn't until recent years that I was told that patterns were only drafted for b cup bras. Over the years, by observing patterns and body shapes, reading books, (not many available years ago) and eventually learning the art of pattern drafting, I learned the art of pattern fitting and alteration. I have always been interested in fitting. Many books have become available in recent years on pattern alteration but I have not found one that addresses problems in the same way that this book does. So many books simplify one problem and do not let you see how the alterations affect other seams. This book goes through the whole process. It is the most comprehensive book on the market today. It starts with body types, how to measure, why you should alter and how to alter the pattern. I do not need a lot of the book's information today. However, it has been a confirmation of all I have thought of throughout the past years. I have purchased the book to add to my collection and I am thoroughly enjoying it. If only it had been available to me over the years, I would not have felt so stupid because patterns did not fit me. I would have had all the information in one place rather than the thinking and reading I had to do.The section on mature and maturing bodies is wonderful and this is one area I will be visiting. Congratulations to the authors for a fantastic book. The book in fun to read. It has lots and lots of pictures of REAL people not drawings. The illustrations of the pattern alterations are excellent. It is many books rolled into one and very good value. Reading it has sparked me off to want to start to sew again after too long an absence.