Sewing Outdoor Gear [Paperback]

Rochelle Harper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2001

How to keep warm, dry -- and stylish -- in any weather? This practical and innovative sewing book is the place to start. Expert author Rochelle Harper takes a comprehensive look at sewing all kinds of outerwear -- whether for sports and play or simply for defying the elements. The book will help the reader make sense of the wide range of fabrics available, including Goretex "TM" and Polarfleece "TM". Sewers will discover techniques for creating professional-looking garments designed for the great outdoors.
-- The first book on the specialized topic of sewing outerwear.
-- Includes more than 200 color photographs and 96 drawings.
-- Information is accessible to sewers at all skill levels.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The tricky finishing details and specialized fabric requirements needed for most outerwear can scare off even experienced sewers, but as Sewing Outdoor Gear beautifully demonstrates, these garments needn't intimidate. Rochelle Harper, who has designed outerwear for several major manufacturers, carefully leads us step by step through all the basics of making jackets, coats, parkas, and pants from various fabrics, including nylon, polyester, microfiber, cotton, knits, and fleece. Excellent diagrams document features such as layering garments for Alpine skiing, high aerobic activities, and creative street wear. Harper's instructions are more general than project-specific, but they are so thorough and her designs so classy that even nonathletic types may want these clothes in their wardrobes. --Amy Handy

From Library Journal

A freelance teacher and designer of outdoor gear, Harper (Sew the New Fleece) offers a technique book rather than a sewing-project book. She covers all aspects of working with specialized outerwear fabrics, including choosing patterns and fabrics, fitting, repairing, and designing your own gear. For sewing collections where demand warrants.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 186 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (August 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561582832
• ISBN-13: 978-1561582839
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #396,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Every Penny, May 22, 2006

By 

Jessica Stephens (All American) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sewing Outdoor Gear (Paperback)

This book is perfect for the home sewer who wants to sew functional outdoor wear that has all of the professional looking features found in store-bought garments. The author discusses ALL of your fabric options; although many of them I have not found in retail locatios, I found the information very interesting. The book is written from the standpoint of altering ready-made patterns, so if you expect this book to cover every step of the garment construction, you will be disappointed. The photos and illustrations are thorough, clear and abundant.This book de-mystified a lot of techniques I never even thought possible for the home sewer. However- this book is not for the faint-of-heart: the techniques can be labor-intensive, but to me the results are worth it. There are plenty of fashion and embellishment ideas in this book, but I mostly bought it for the technical information, which takes into account weather, wear stresses and movement. With this book I improved upon the standard hunting gear patterns I had been making for my husband, and you almost can't tell that they are not store bought. I would recommend this book to someone who has sewn several projects and is comfortable with the basic construction process, but ready to move on to more custom, functional and professional looking garments.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Oh silly me., October 8, 2008

By 

Karen Tiede (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sewing Outdoor Gear (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book, from Taunton; how could it be less? Professional models against professional backgrounds; each part of a garment examined, discussed, presented.

What it is not, however, is about "gear." I wanted a book about sewing equipment; bags, backpacks, etc. I completely failed to pay attention to the reviews, the precis, and every other comment about the book, which never once mentioned what I think of as "gear." (The dictionary corrects my assumption. Oh well.)

Good book. Won't help you sew a backpack, except to the extent you can map a parka to a backpack.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, March 21, 2011

By 

jeanknits - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sewing Outdoor Gear (Paperback)

I had looked at this book at the library and ordered my own copy. If you have questions about sewing with rain repellent or wind resistant fabric your questions should be answered here. Great ideas, great book.