This is the larger woman's essential guide to garment construction. Designed to meet the needs of the basic sewer, Sewing for Plus Sizes guides the reader through such important steps as selecting designs, colors and fabrics that will enhance plus-size figures.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Writes Deckert, "The goal of all plus-size design is to emphasize your positive attributes and modify or distract from those you feel are less desirable." Deckert is herself a plus-sized woman and a custom clothier with more than 30 years of sewing experience. Given that most clothing manufacturers have never learned to design attractive, well-fitting clothes for women who wear a size 14 or larger, the woman who wants to achieve style beyond size must sew her own clothes. This book will make that task less formidable. Illustrated with photos of plus-sized models, including the author herself, this book emphasizes analyzing pattern designs based on individual figure proportions and working effectively with fabric color and texture. Major sections of the book are devoted to tools for plus-sized sewing (including instructions for making an inexpensive personal paper-tape dress form), choosing fabric, taking measurements, "sizing-up" commercial patterns for the plus-sized figure, and modifying patterns to make clothing more comfortable and durable. Enthusiastically recommended for all public libraries with sewing and costuming collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
92 of 93 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is a masterpiece of practical information for those who would sew for any size person. Barbara Deckert has geared it to the "plus size" person, but the information it contains about line, design, fabric selection, equipment for sewing, and pattern alteration is applicable to anybody. The book has many very useful illustrations of various body shapes and the way various styles will look on them, along with suggestions for modifying garment styles to make them the most attractive on those shapes. Her attitude about clothing is that it should be enjoyable to wear. She doesn't advocate stuffing the plus size body into a drab gray box, and the pictures of her and her models that the book contains demonstrates that bold, attractive colors can be worn to great advantage on it. Her section about fabric selection, both fiber content and design contains a wealth of information about the way to expect various materials to behave, along with practical guidance for selection of certain fabrics for some things and not for others. She dmystefies the arena of sewing tools, stating which are essential and which are not, along with tips such as "Don't use bright, contrasting colors (for tailor's tacks) because some threads may crock, or bleed color onto the fabric, or small fiber pieces from colored thread can stick to and discolor light fabrics." The book is totally understandable and practical. Barbara devotes a large part of the book to pattern alteration for figure irregularities. This section contains a wealth of illustrations for changing the shape of purchased patterns to accommodate various physical differences, whether they relate to size or asymmetry. Her understanding of the way the body tissues behave and change shape from standing to sitting and the way for the sewer to allow for these changes sets this book strikingly above the general run of sewing books. I would heartily recommendd this book to ANYONE who sews, whether for plus size or not.
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am so sick of buying cheesy catalogue clothes for fat people that are poorly made and look like bright tents. I discovered that sewing for myself was the only way I was going to be able to find a suit for work that fit and looked good. Unfortunly, patterns different fit me because I'm short and fat; the book really taught me how to adjust my pattern and what body type I am. So, now I don't have short sleeves past my elbow and short skirts past my knee, I adjusted them from what the book taught me. This is for all the fat girls!
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I REALLY found this book helpfull! I am a large-size woman and have been very frustrated with ready-made dresses. This book gives practacal, very candid advice on what will look good on My body type and how to achieve the effect I want. The authers understanding of what it is like to live in, and dress a plus-size body (what our thighs do when we sit down for example) is really helpfull... she knows what she is talking about. The pictures in the book are beautiful, they raise hope that we large-size girls can look both businesslike and sexy as the occasion demands! The dicussion of fabric types and how they will act on my body is very helpful for someone like me who is not as knowlagable as someone who has been sewing for a long time.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Just ok.
The book is extremely informative, perhaps too much so. I guess I expected to see more step by step how to type pictures. I'm very much a picture person. Read more
Published 3 months ago by ItzMeSandraD
Sewing For Plus Sizes
This book is extremely complete for sewing for plus size clothing. From choosing patterns to changing patterns for problem areas. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Arlene H
Sewing for Plus Sizes: Creating Clothes that Fit and Flatter
As a plus size woman, I find many store-bought patterns do not accommodate different shapes, and I needed guidance. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Elisabeth S. Moise
Awesome!
What more do you need. This does it all for me. It covers every body fitting issue with clear and precise instructions. Great!
Published 10 months ago by N. Rodez
Barbara Deckert's Sewing for Plus Sizes
This book addresses practical problems associated with plus size dressing that I haven't seen covered elsewhere. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Sanderson
Waste of money
I thought this book would be an actual how to book and it really didn't help me one bit. Commercial sewing patterns don't fit right and I thought this would really be a way to sew... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Horselady
Helpful information
This is super fun to read if nothing else! Writer has excellent sense of humor and it was enjoyable. Lots of very good ideas that I'm hoping to try soon.
Published 23 months ago by Gretchen O'barr
Good One
Great, a very informative book. Got it from the library to check it out before l bought it, so already new what l was getting. Read more
Published on February 14, 2010 by J. Young
The only plus size sewing guide you need
This book address all the things you need to know from sizing up a pattern (how many times have you wanted a Folkwear pattern that only went up to 16?) to making adjustments. Read more
Published on January 5, 2010 by T. Meire
Great advice with a Positive Attitude
Barbara Deckert cheerfully addresses all the issues that plus sized women face when considering their wardrobe. Read more
Published on October 13, 2009 by Pat Pendrey
Inside This Book
(learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence:
The average clothing size worn by women in this country is a size 14. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
basted fitting, horizontal stress lines, horizontal design lines, apex mark, underarm dart, bust apex, princess seams, armscye seam, crotch length, crotch seam, wearing ease, original dart, waist darts, sag lines, bust darts, bust area, apex position, sleeve cap, figure variations, bodice front, face fabric, center front line, sleeve seam, shoulder seam, contrast bands Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Madam Peanut New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The average clothing size worn by women in this country is a size 14. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
basted fitting, horizontal stress lines, horizontal design lines, apex mark, underarm dart, bust apex, princess seams, armscye seam, crotch length, crotch seam, wearing ease, original dart, waist darts, sag lines, bust darts, bust area, apex position, sleeve cap, figure variations, bodice front, face fabric, center front line, sleeve seam, shoulder seam, contrast bands Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Madam Peanut New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 6
books:
See all 6 books this book cites
- The Triumph of Individual Style : A Guide to Dressing Your Body, Your Beauty, Your Self by Carla Mason Mathis in Back Matter
- Self-Esteem Comes in All Sizes: How to Be Happy and Healthy at Your Natural Weight, Revised Edition by Carol A. Johnson M.A. in Back Matter
- Nothing to Lose: A Guide to Sane Living in a Larger Body by Cheri K. Erdman in Back Matter
- Hagar the Horrible by Dik Browne on page 12
- J.J. Pizzuto's Fabric Science, 8th Edition by Joseph J. Pizzuto in Back Matter
See all 6 books this book cites
Books on Related Topics
(learn more)
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
