Customer Reviews

Patterns for Costume Accessories

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"Patterns for Costume Accessories: The Solution to Almost Any Costume Accessory Need" is a fabulous find! This is a MUST for everyone who does any kind of costume sewing, be it for a child's school play or a community theatre production, or even a professional production. I make costumes for a wide variety of theatres in my area. I design and build costumes for public and private schools, college and community theatres and some professional theatre work. I have always had a hard time finding just the right boot or bag or other accessory to complete the time period I was working with. This book is a tremdous time saver in that it includes patterns that can be used for children as well as adults. Just enlarge or reduce the pattern pieces (this can even be done on a copy machine to save time)to fit the actor's size. The directions for sewing are standard and are very easy to understand. It is so nice not to have to spend time creating patterns for accessories. This book is such a great find that I am giving some as gifts, so I won't have to lend mine out because I am sure I will be using this book for each production I work with.
Deborah Scarlato

Just received this book and glanced thru it. What I needed from a review was what exactly was in the book. Mind you I don't know how good the patterns are but it includes a number of hat patterns. Some of the usual- newsboy, chef, mob cap, but a nice coif, deerstalker, and beanie. Lots of neckwear from jabots and cravats to an Egyptian collar and a fischu. There are spat, gaiter, slipper and soft boot patterns. Many of the aprons and purses you can find in commercial pattern catalogues but are nice. You can also find the glove in a commerical pattern but this book also includes mittens and cavalier cuffs. Probably the best thing about this book is the baldric, sword belt, quiver and bow case pattern. Some patterns are difficult, others aren't but not having to bother figuring out even the simplest pattern can save time. Again I have not actually made anything from the book yet but it looks very promising! Especially since the authors have excellent resumes- Carnegie-Mellon, New York City Ballet, etc.

While this book covers a broad variety of simple accessories, few of them are beyond the scope of someone with basic draping or flat patterning skills. If you are a novice costumer and want basic patterns, this book is for you. If you are looking for detailed patterns with historical variations, move on.

This is an excellent book to keep in the costume shop. I don't know how many times I have had to produce a clerical collar or a quick mob cap for a show when I was really rushed. This book would provide an wonderful resource for those very important items that so often get left to the last minute. It is really great to have a book that you can go to for both collars and spats. The items I have made have turned out very well. I think that Mr. Levine and Ms. McGee have enough experience to know the correct shapes and measurements and I really trust their patterns. The illustrations are amusing and the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

This is INVALUABLE. I opened it and breathed a sigh of relief. Solved all my needs on the show I was doing -- and will probably do the same for all the shows to come! A real life-saver for any costume designer and particularly those of us in the schools & community theatre world.

I do not know how I would have survived without this book. Ten identical bowties? No need to go buy an expensive pattern! It even shows you how to tie them. I could go on. Everything from ties to collars to quivers to hats to aprons - simple patterns, a bit of historical information so you know when these things were worn, prefectly indexed and easy. Thank you to the authors for this marvelous book!