![how to make a halter dress|Pattern Drafting for Dressmaking]( "how to make a halter dress|Pattern Drafting for Dressmaking")
This easy-to-use guide to drafting patterns for individual designs is aimed at anyone who wants to learn how to make patterns, from taking the measurements to constructing the foundations to drafting the actual pattern. The book concentrates on teaching the principles of pattern drafting and will equip the reader with the knowledge to draft any pattern for any design. All the methods can be applied to men, women and children, whatever their shape or size, and the contents include skirts, dresses, bodices, collars, lapels, sleeves, trousers, culottes and shorts.
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Great book, but it is all in METRIC!,
This book is very well written, and can take an intermediate home sewer into pattern drafting (creating patterns on paper using measurements and math) with little to no difficulty. The one thing to be forewarned about is that this book uses the metric system, which will require new rulers, tape measures, etc. That difficulty aside, I can not reccomend this book enough. Drafting methods for basic shifts, sleeves, pants, and skirts are given. In addition numerous variations are given, such as kimono sleeves, bikini tops, princess lines and guidelines for drafting men’s and children’s clothes. I looked at many books on drafting before choosing this one, and I can honestly say it is the best I have seen
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|Excellent book – highly recommended,
I own a lot of pattern drafting books, and I collect vintage ones, which is how I first came to buy this one. I work in the garment industry, but I do not work as a patternmaker professionally, so my point of view is really one of an educated and knowledgeable amateur. I do draft a lot of patterns however. I only tell you this so you can see what type of knowledge and attitude I bring to this book.
This is a self-published book. The author is a New Zealander, which is why the book is in metric. Ms Stringer taught patternmaking at evening classes at a New Zealand high school for 40 years, and this book is basically the accumulation of her notes and experience from those classes. Because of her background this is the best book I have found for explaining “why” you should make particular alterations.
For example “When the waist measurement is small in comparison with the hip size, rather a sharp angle occurs in the side seam of the foundation (block). Dart allowances help to give a more workable line that will fit without wrinkling. The darts themselves can either be stitched in, or their sideseam allowance absorbed in the design”. Now isn’t that nice, simple, plain language, and perfectly clear? Yet some books completely fail to mention this at all and a newbie can wonder why they end up with waist wrinkles when they drafted a block perfectly from the measurements.
The tone of writing is exactly as if the author is just over your shoulder, talking you through your draft, explaing why this works best, and why sometimes you have to do that.
The contents are;
Ch1 Measuring (6 pages) – equipment, taking measurements, measurement chart etc.
Ch2 (14 pages) Drafting basic blocks
Ch 3 (28 pages) Skirts; skirts, darts, pleats, gored skirts, gathering, circular skirt, yoke, raised skirts, lowered bodices, completing the skirt pattern.
Ch4 (20 pages)Bodices darts and bodices
Ch 5 (29 pages) Collars, lapels and necklines; colalrs, lepels/revers, shawl collars, shaped and lowered necklines, raised necklines, cowls, flounces.
Ch 6 (17 pages)Sleeves; arm measurement, sleeve block, short sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, long sleeves, suffs
Ch 7 (11 pages) Magyar styles; magyar foundation, cap sleeves, dolman sleeves, raglan sleeves
Ch 8 (18 pages) Critch-line garments; pyjamas, pant block, trousers, shorts, culottes
Ch 9 (9 pages) princess line; basic petticoat/sunfrock, bras and bikini tops, halter neck
Ch 10 (5 pages) Styles involving bosice and sleeves; saddle shoulder, drop shoulder, the 80′s look
Appendix I (5 pages); figure differences
Appendix II (4 pages); children’s and men’s patterns
Appendix III (4 pages: overgarments
Appendix IV (4 pages Abbreviations and glossary
Appendix V (1 page)suggested list of foundation patterns to have
There’s a full 4 page index, so it is easy to find what you’re looking for.
There is a fantastic crotch-line chart, giving relative crotch depths and extensions for pyjama, panties, rompers/bloomers, trousers & shorts, tailored pants, culottes, cat suits, briefs, and stretch pants. I wish more contemprary nightwear manufacturers realised you do not want the same crotch depth on pyjamas as you do on dress pants.
The reason I have not given it five stars is that there are no photographs , line drawings only. I think it’s easier if you can see an actual photo of what an incorrectly cut sleeve/collar etc look like on a figure, so you can recognise them again. However the drawings are very clear and there is extensive labelling. Also the details such as seam allowance etc are given for home dressmaking use, and not to commercial standards.
I strongly recommend getting this book if you see it cheaply; it is the best book for the beginner that I’ve found (better than Helen Armstrong and a million times better then Winifrid Aldrich).
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