Customer Reviews

How to Make Sewing Patterns

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Other books that allegedly enable you to draft your own patterns all turn out to be either how to BUY a commercial pattern & then alter it to make other designs, or else they only enable you to make clothing for the perfectly portioned body, which few of us have. A third alternative is that some books teach you to make shapeless "sack" clothing without much style. Almost all of these books require that you have a partner to help measure yourself and later to help fit the basic patterns to your body.

THAT IS NOT THE CASE WITH MR. McCUNN'S WONDERFUL BOOK! He starts out by showing you how to measure yourself accurately without any helpers.

Then he takes you step-by-step through how to draft the basic patterns from your own measurements. He does NOT give tables of measurements for putting darts in, since the tables don't work for anyone without a "perfect" body. Instead, he explains how to custom fit the basic skirt, pants, bodice, & sleeve patterns to your own body, even if you don't have a "fitting buddy."

And if that isn't enough, he includes instructions on how to design your own clothing styles (or copy those you see in the stores) and then change your basic patterns to make those styles.

He expands on this to show how to make waistbands & cuffs, pockets & plackets, jackets & coats, and even how to make & fit a man's suit. (Yes, this book even has info on making basic patterns for MEN, not just women.)

There is also discussion of how to choose the correct fabric for your style.

As a bonus, he explains how to take your perfectly-fitted basic patterns and turn them into a "fitting dummy" that mirrors your own body perfectly!

This is one of the most complete books on pattern drafting that I've seen, outside of college texts. (And those texts aren't of much use to the home seamstress, due to their emphasis on standard sizing.) If you can do it to a pattern or fabric, this book has it!

This is the ONLY book I've found that truly teaches you to make your own sewing patterns FROM SCRATCH, without having to buy a commercial pattern as a starting point. Each section builds on the last, so don't start in the middle.

This book is the ONLY book I've found that let me make patterns and clothing that actually fit me!

There are no color pics, but PLENTY of black and white line drawings and diagrams illustrate each step, so it is easy to read & see each step of the process.

If you're serious about making your own patterns, you'll LOVE this book!

This book was the answer to my dilemma. I've been trying to make a pattern for my mother who is severely deformed with osteoporsis. This book answered all my questions. It's a must for anyone trying to sew for someone without "perfect" proportions.

This book is packed full of drawings so that you can visually compare them to the written content. It's very useful, just be aware that it is an older book so a lot of the styles are out of date, still the principles remain. No matter your style, the technical information is worth the purchase.

This is one of the BEST sewing investments I've ever made!! This book is absolutely wonderful. It is soooo easy to follow!! I'm simply thrilled with what I have accomplished. I have bought so many pattern books, trying to understand how to alter the commercial patterns to fit my body--even bought those "BASIC" commercial design patterns to try to help with fit, etc...Never could get any of it to fit my body right, couldn't get the bodice to fit my stomach and breast area, couldn't get the skirt to fit the hips and thighs and on and on...but with this little treasure, I've been able to DRAFT my own BASIC pattern and it actually fits and I understand why I'm doing WHAT I'm doing. Granted, there is some study time involved, but it is relatively easy so far. If you're wanting to create patterns that fit your unique body, I would consider this a great buy. I've been sewing for years (and am self taught) and I would trade in a boatload of my other reference for this one. I'm thrilled and wonder why I've never seen it before now.

Rhonda --Atlanta, GA

Great Book. This book takes all of the guess work out of pattern drafting. It is also very easy to follow. It teaches you how to first draft the basic patterns, then it explains how to incorporate different designs into your patterns. This is a must-have for the person who is tired of buying commercials patterns that do not fit. You will gain a better understanding of commercial pattern design and how to alter them by reading this book.

Wow, I'm impressed. I've been sewing since I was about eight--I won't tell you how long ago that was!--and even got into designing my own clothing as a teenager. Because of this experience I was already aware of the degree to which one can combine patterns or redesign parts of them to suit one's own design ideas. What I had not learned already was the wonderful principles of measurement--especially self measurement--provided by the author or of the methods by which a pattern piece could be altered easily and more precisely.

The chapters on altering patterns for the bodice and sleeves of blouses or of skirt darts and drapes, etc. were amazing and so easy. The word descriptions sometimes get a little confusing, but a quick look at the illustrations makes any issues clearer immediately.

I felt that the explanations especially of fitting the garment to the figure of the wearer were very informative and helpful--they were definitely worth the price of the book. Little that I had learned previously prepared me as well as this book did for fixing design flaws. One still has to recognize what looks well on the individual for whom the apparel is designed, but at last no one is expected to diet down to the figure of a hat-rack with a head to wear a nicely designed and fitted garment.

Those who like to buy commercially made clothing might also appreciate the information on tailoring garments to the figure, since from these instructions, problems areas in fitting might also be corrected with a little additional work.

One of the more interesting facets of the book is the set of instructions for putting together a posterboard designer's model for fitting clothing without the wearer's presence. The stiff material of the paper model of a blouse or dress, sans bust, is made from a pattern, and a padded bra placed over it to help with fitting. Ingeneous and very inexpensive!

I must have fifteen books on pattern making- I'm a fashion design student who is trying to make it through pattern drafting! Honestly, this is the only book I ever use. I take it to class and all of my classmates ask me where I got it, because it helps them as well. If you need a book that is extremely down to earth in it's approach, then this is for you. I applaud Donald McCunn for knowing that when you're doing something like pattern drafting, you want a book that is going to remind you how to do basic stuff like take measurements. Also- plenty of pictures (even though they're black and white, they are easy to see.) I love this book!

This book totally lived up to all the reviews posted here. It is very easy to follow and INFINITELY USEFUL! I love to design clothes but I am completely self-taught. This book really helped me to transform my ideas into perfect patterns! I am soooo glad I bought this book!

This book is so easy to follow....all the way from how to do your own measurements up to designing my own clothes. Best sleeves I've ever drafted. Highly recommend it to everyone who is tired of RTW that doesn't fit and comercial patterns that don't fit. You won't be sorry!

This book should be an industry standard. It is perfect for beginners and more advanced. Every detail of clothing design and pattern drawing is very well explained. Thank you Donn.