Pattern Designing for Dressmakers [Paperback]

Lyn Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

Imagine the thrill of making extraordinary clothes from patterns you design yourself. Now, by learning pattern making, you can do just that. Pattern Designing For Dressmakers is written for dressmakers, stage costumers and doll dressers. It takes the mystery out of designing sewing patterns by demonstrating clearly and simply how to use professional flat pattern making methods. Three techniques, moving darts, adding fullness, and developing closing, extensions and facing are the keys to flat pattern designing. The techniques are logical and easy to learn. This book teaches you to master and then combine them to make all sorts of yokes, collars, sleeves, bodices and skirts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lyn Alexander began selling her original antique doll dress patterns in 1977. She is the designer, pattern maker, doll dressmaker, researcher and writer for Lyn Alexander Designs.

Her big dream as a student was to go to New York City and be a famous dress designer. She took every costume design, fashion, art, fashion illustration, pattern making, textile and sewing class that was offered in her curriculum. Her favorite classes were historic costume and flat pattern making.

One day at a doll auction she suddenly realized that all her love of costume, educational training and work experience could be concentrated on antique dolls. Thus, a new career in doll dressmaking began. When her and her husband moved to Denver, CO, in 1976, she decided to market her doll dress and accessory patterns.

Lyn's shoe patterns and shoemaking workshops were very popular and she recognized a need for a comprehensive book about doll shoemaking. The Doll's Shoemaker was written in1983 to meet that need. Now, it has been revised into two concise workbooks.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Hobby House Press; 4th edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875885365
• ISBN-13: 978-0875885360
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,882,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Basics from 1880 to 1935, June 26, 2002

By 

Jennifer L. Lopez "Costume Designer" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pattern Designing for Dressmakers (Paperback)

This book covers the basics of female dress from the middle 1800's to the 1930's, in my opinion, rather well. It is very hard to find books that will not only teach you how to pattern draft (which is correct, anyhow)patterns, but how to design off of basic patterns for an era that is long gone. I enjoyed the children's illustrations the most...it is very, very hard to find a book that will help you draft children's patterns at all. I recommend this book to anyone who wants accurate information on pattern drafting for the late Crinoline, Edwardian, and 1920's eras.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow! How fashion has changed!, June 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Pattern Designing for Dressmakers (Paperback)

Clothing may not have been very comfortable in the late 19th century and early 20th century but this book has proven that they were truly works of art. With hundreds of illustrations, from bustled dresses to the many different kinds of collars possible; it leaves lots of room for the imagination. Just on pleated skirts alone, there were 25 excellent illustrations. As a junior fashion design student, I found this book easy to read. The patterns and diagrams were easy to understand and the logic behind the designs makes pattern designing seem not too complicated. The designs here are for lovers of details and elegance.