Fit and Sew Custom Jeans is unique in that it addresses both the order of construction and fit simultaneously. Other books gloss over the fitting, having you guess your adjustments in the flat pattern stage. By the time you try on the jeans, it may be too late to fix areas with poor fit. If you could, you'd need to rip a lot of topstitching, a real chore. Helen uses a combination of tissue-fitting and fabric fitting. This means not using a typical ready-to-wear sewing order. See the chart on what size to choose based on the type of fabric you have. Fill out the Jeans Profile so you consider how fitted you want the jeans for how they will be worn. Prepare the tissue for trying on to determine rise, width, length, and crotch shape. Learn how to gauge how much smaller the pattern can be in width based on a stretch of the denim. There are many ways to do a fly front, but which is best for incorporating fit? This is why the author tested many different techniques using her order to see which worked best. She sewed a total of 31 pair of jeans for herself and others so make sure she was truly giving the best solutions for fit.

The My First Sewing Book kit includes the book, two sets of bird shapes precut from quality felt, three yards each of four colors of crochet thread, and an additional 43 shape patterns. This is the first book in the six-book My First Sewing Book series, where Winky Cherry introduces sewing to young seamstersâ from simple stitches and doll making to understanding and using a sewing machine. Guides feature clever rhymes and simple instructions, which teach sewing skills, as well as responsibility, commitment, focus, patience, coordination, organization, and how to follow rules, all through the enjoyment of sewing. Levels progress through hand sewing, embroidery, doll making, machine sewing, patchwork, and quilting. This My First Sewing Book kit introduces children ages 5 and up to sewing basics such as threading a needle, making knots, using pins, using dots, overstitching, and lock stitching. Step-by-step instructions guide children through stitching and stuffing felt animals. There is also a companion Yes, I Can Sew! DVD. Winky Cherry's unique My First Sewing Book program teaches young children not only sewing skills, but life skills: responsibility, commitment, focus, patience, coordination, organization, and how to follow rules, all through the enjoyment of sewing. In six books, levels progress from simple hand sewing, embroidery, and doll making, to machine sewing, patchwork, and quilting. The three hand sewing books feature clever rhyming instructions for children as young as 5. The three machine sewing books are for children ages 7 and older. All six titles have simple, clearly-illustrated instructions. Each book builds on the previous books, and each book can stand alone

Beginning sergers will benefit from this introductory guide to the serger machine and basic serging techniques. Information on the function of a serger and instructions on machine maintenance are provided along with step-by-step guidelines on sewing straight lines and curves, turning corners, and creating professional-looking seams. Additional details on stitch types, flatlocking, fabric tension, decorative techniques, and making fast fashion adornments such as collars, gathers, and hems are also included, and exciting projects like the serged napkin, swimsuit, and sweater will help augment the skills of the novice serger.

Harnessing the romance of the world of fashion and high art, this fascinating story of a collection of miniature mannequins describes the birth of Théâtre de la Mode, the Theater of Fashion. Full of stars such as Robert Ricci (Nina Ricciâ s son), filmmaker Jean Cocteau, and other members of the 1944 haute couture industry, the story follows 237 miniature fashion dolls through their epic tour of Europe and North America, bringing fashion, elegance, and beauty into a war-torn world. Also included are new color photographs of the mannequins, the reconstructed sets, and close-up details of clothing so sewers, designers, and fashion mavens can appreciate the creativity of Paris designers at the end of World War II. This replaces 0847813401.

From tissue-fitting pioneers Pati Palmer and Marta Alto comes a new book whose title says it all: The Palmer/Pletsch Complete Guide to Fitting: Sew Great Clothes for Every Body! Fit Any Fashion Pattern. Itâ s been 20 years since their last book about fitting and altering sewing patterns, Fit for Real People. For Palmer and Alto, that means 20 more years of hands-on learning and experience from fitting more â real peopleâ of all shapes and sizes from around the globe. Having long ago dispensed with tedious measuring or making a muslin to check the fit of a sewing pattern, the authors have mastered the process of tissue-fitting. This means simply â trying onâ the patternâ s tissue pieces to check systematically for where to alter the pattern for a custom fit. The pattern pieces themselves become the â muslin.â â Systematicallyâ means following the tissue-fitting sequence theyâ ve developed and refined. Itâ s a no-guess order of fitting that ensures success. The book reinforces this sequence since the alteration chapters themselves are ordered in the same sequence. Readers are instructed to start with length and width, move on to the back, check the neck and shoulders, all before even considering how the pattern fits in the bust. As they work through the pattern, sewers will alter the tissue and try on again until the tissue fits well. The book then instructs how to pin-fit the fabric for a final tweaking before sewing. The book explains all facets of pattern fitting and alteration to give readers the background and guidance they need to achieve a custom fit on any pattern from any company.

Instructions include:
â ¢ Take just one measurement to determine the right pattern size to buy. Find out what to do if you are between sizes or a different size top and bottom.
â ¢ Make a â body mapâ with a close-fitting dress pattern to see how you differ from the â standardâ on which sewing patterns are based. â ¢ Learn from â real peopleâ examples of a variety of bodies and their individual alterations.
â ¢ Use the bookâ s new â wrinkle dictionaryâ to identify a needed pattern alteration. â Wrinkles point to the problem,â say the authors, and now you can look up the page reference for a solution.
â ¢ See how age can affect body shape, from preteen to octogenarian.
â ¢ Take note of the latest sewing techniques for garment details that affect fit, such as darts, zippers and sleeves, for enhancing the look of a well-fitted garment.
â ¢ Learn basic skills for designing or redesigning for myriad variations using the same pattern. Throughout the book, step-by step instructions are accompanied by full-color photography and a new style of technical art that is extremely clear. Short captions explain each illustration. As a bonus, the authors detail the evolution of ready-to-wear and pattern sizing over the past century, along with their own history in pioneering the art and practice of tissue-fitting.