This week’s post is all about books! I love books in general and have quite a big collection dedicated to dressmaking. I love sitting in my sewing room and leafing through them all, getting inspiration for my next projects and my ever expanding ‘to sew’ list! So today I thought I would write about the top five books that I consider to be great for beginner dressmakers!
1 – Fabric for Fashion – The Swatch Book – Clive Hallett and Amanda Johnston
When I first started dressmaking, one of the main things I struggled with was choosing which fabric to use for which project. The back of pattern envelopes always give you suggested fabrics for that project but once you get into a fabric shop, often the materials are not labelled and its hard to know what will be suitable without asking the shop assistant. That’s where this book comes in. Its basically a dictionary / glossary of the most widely used fabrics including both natural and synthetic fibres. The best thing about it is that it includes actual swatches of each fabric so you can see and feel exactly what you would be looking for if you were searching for something similar in a fabric shop. Not only that but it gives you a written explanation of the fibre type, how it’s made, the types of garments it’s used for, etc. A really useful book to have on your shelf.
2 – The Palmer / Pletsch Complete Guide to Fitting – Pati Palmer and Marta Alto
If you only buy one book on fitting, buy this one! Its an extremely comprehensive guide to fitting dressmaking patterns and pattern alterations. It teaches you a very specific process called the tissue fitting method whereby you try on the actual tissue paper pattern as though it was half of the garment; assess the fit and alter the pattern before you make it up. Therefore avoiding the need to make a toile (test garment). Even if you don’t want to use the tissue fitting method, its still a really interesting and useful book. It gives you an introduction to the background of pattern sizing; talks you through analysing your own body in terms of fit and has a ‘fit encyclopaedia’ which goes through the fitting and alterations process for each area of the body. It has great coloured photographs and clear diagrams illustrating each point and a ‘wrinkles dictionary’ to help you identify fit issues. Definitely a book I wish I had bought when I first started dressmaking!
3 – Stretch! Tilly and the Buttons – Tilly Walnes
Stretch! Is Tilly’s second book and my favourite of the three that she has written. It follows the same format as the other ones in that it starts with an introductory chapter all about the subject of the book which is stretch fabrics and then goes on to talk through five lovely projects involving stretch fabrics such as sweater knits, double knits, sweatshirt fleece and velvet. Tilly always does an excellent job of explaining techniques in a very clear and beginner friendly manner and the photography in the book is brilliant. You will learn how to test knit fabric for its stretch percentage which is a really key skill when learning to sew with knits as it helps you to understand which knit fabric will be suitable for which project. You will also learn how to use a rotary cutter and pick up many more tips and techniques along the way. Each of the five projects (for which the pattern pieces are included in the back of the book) includes a ‘Make it Your Own’ section which shows you ways in which you can customise your garment and make multiple different versions using the same pattern. Its great value for money because out of the five basic patterns, there are ideas and suggestions for making at least 15 different garments which is amazing. If you are new to dressmaking and / or new to sewing with knit fabrics, you have to get this book!
4 – Sew Many Dresses, Sew Little Time – Tanya Whelan
If you love sewing dresses or that’s what you are planning on sewing the most of once you get going with your dressmaking, then this is the book for you! It contains the basic template patterns for thirty different dress styles and then guides you through how to mix and match and alter and vary them to create your own custom dresses with different necklines, collars, bodices and skirts. The amount of options the book gives you would almost be overwhelming if it wasn’t so exciting! The back of the book states that you could make over 200 different dresses using the templates and guidance and although I haven’t tested that claim, I can see that its probably true. Even if you don’t want to use the templates that the book includes, there is so much guidance and inspiration within the book that you can use to alter your own bodice block (if you have one) or any other dress patterns that you have used – to add a collar, a different neckline or a new skirt. I really love this book and feel like if I never buy another book on dressmaking, this one will ensure I never run out of ideas!
5 – The Colette Sewing Handbook – Sarai Mitnick
I can honestly say that I have read this book cover to cover and have sewn all of the five projects that it includes. It is written by Sarai Mitnick who is the creator of Colette Patterns and Seamwork patterns and online magazine. It talks about the five fundamentals of sewing – a thoughtful plan, a precise pattern, a fantastic fit, beautiful fabric and a fine finish. I think this is a lovely way of summarising the dressmaking process, so the book really stood out to me from the outset. There is a chapter on each of these steps and five of the seven chapters have a dressmaking pattern to go alongside them and highlight the key skill areas. There is a skirt project with a really unusual hem detail, a blouse to practice using lightweight and sheer fabrics and three pretty dresses. The instructions for the patterns are clear and easy to follow and accompanied by useful line drawings, so if you are new to dressmaking then these are good ones to try out. Overall the book has a nice feel to it and is called a handbook for a reason as it guides you through the essentials of becoming an accomplished seamstress!
So these are my top five books for beginners. Do you have any of these ones? What do you think of them?
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