Couture Sewing Techniques Hardcover – April 1, 1994

This book gives much information about how to make a wonderful garment from that wonderful fabric in you stash, or the yards of superb material you just picked up at the fabric store. It is a "must have" for every serious sewer.Even if you aren't going to go through all the hand work required for couture sewing, you can always improve the fit with application of the construction details found in this volume. The fashion fabric is only the beginning, and most patterns provide minimal instructions that are only suited to the fabric the pattern envelope features in the photo on the front. And, even then, those instructions are woefully lacking if you want to make a perfect fit from what you are sewing. The pattern companies are catering to the average sewer, when so many of us want to make something that is absolutely a WOW when wornI've found that applying some of the construction hints, especially for interfacings and reinforcements on those summer frocks that are sleeveless or that have thin shoulder straps holding the dress up, can make all the difference. If you interface, apply backing and other construction "helpers", a $5 remnant can become a dress you'd have to pay hundreds for in any decent store or boutique. The book also shows how to embellish construction details so as to eliminate ridges, bumps and other irritations when putting something together.Best advice is to make sure your dress form is properly fitted to you, and then use the dress form to fit, fit and more fit for a perfect fit in the end. Ms. Shaeffer has encouraged me to go ahead and make a suit or dress out of expensive material without fear of wasting my money.She also provides several approaches to every construction detail. Making garments is construction, and very much application of engineering to achieve perfect drape, flow and fit. Couture is in the details, and the details make all the difference. The book doesn't intimidate either, nor does it make you think beautiful garments are out of reach for average sewers. You can still do shortcuts, but when you understand the reasons behind a pattern's construction helps to clarify even the worst drafted instruction sheet.Many of the tips and tricks of the atelier are geared to sewing and tailoring tools such as interfacings that aren't the press-in variety. But, if you know how a press on interfacing works with a given fabric, you can still achieve many of the great results without investment of huge amounts of time for hand sewing. Finishing techniques also recognize that shortcuts are inevitable for tailors and home sewers alike. Details for seam finishing cover all the best techniques, and give the results each will achieve. They are also well described with excellent illustrations and easy to follow instructions. I keep this book near the machine for constant reference.When you are debating whether or not you should pay some of today's prices for fabric and patterns, this book will help you look like you are wearing a $50,000 dress, put together using $50 in fabric. Or even a tenth of that. I sew to make things that fit better than anything off the rack could ever fit, and I am very pleased with this reference book. If you want your sewing to fit perfectly, get this book, a good iron, and a dress form. The rest will be a piece of cake.Or French pastry, so long as it doesn't make those hips enlarge. yt

I've sewn a lot starting with all my many cocktail and formal dresses as a teen, whole wardrobes, kid's clothes and I rate this book a deep bargain and one the home sewer who aspires to fine clothes ought to buy. Now.Who should not buy it? If you are in love with your serger and have perfected 92 ways to avoid basting or marking fabric, forget it. If a wardrobe in a weekend is what you want, this would definitely set you on a different track that's not going that way. If you can't see the difference between a $30 skirt and a $300 skirt, let alone a $3,000 one, you probably won't care for half the stuff in this book. But if the idea of making your own couture quality clothes excites you, this is your book.This is not for the uncertain beginner who wants to know everything, but a brave beginner could use it and learn a lot about finishing and fitting alongside standard pattern instructions. The intermediate and experienced sewer will get the most from it fastest. The basic theme is how couture differs from everything else. For instance--far fewer darts. For instance a lot more hand sewing, even of major seams. It is explicit in the areas it covers, exactly how to mount a collar, or exactly how long a basting stitch should be and when you should use a running stitch or backstitch. Which end of the thread from the spool goes in your hand-sewing needle. Now there's something most of us never even thought about,and it is a tiny thing, yet knowing the right way helps. There are a number of techiques that make usually difficult areas a lot easier.The beauty of this book is a subtle one. Claire Shaeffer can write lucid instructions. It is not an easy thing to explain sewing steps that don't sound like jabberwocky, and she can.Some will hate the old pictures, but those with designer instincts or artistic types will understand them as inspiration and examples to prime the creative spirits.I've already improved my finish product with a couple of techniques. Wish I had this book 30 years ago.