The Perfect Fit: The Classic Guide to Altering Patterns
by Editors of Creative Publishing
List Price:
Our Price: $11.65
You Save: $7.34 (39%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $7.98 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Editors of Creative PublishingEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-08-01
ISBN: 1589232275
Number of pages: 128
Publisher: Creative Publishing international
Book Reviews of The Perfect Fit: The Classic Guide to Altering Patterns
Book Review: Excellent information
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow! This book is amazing. Even if the alteration information was terrible (which it's not), the beginning of the book would be well worth it's price. It begins by teaching you how to select the right pattern first. The authors explain how commercial patterns are built, and the differences between classic, relaxed and dramatic fit. The fitting section begins with a comprehensive figure analysis. Rather than having you squint at yourself in a mirror and decide, "Why yes, I AM a perfect hourglass figure," it explains how to make a full-sized body drawing, label the points and literally connect the dots to reveal your body type.
The book is stuffed with pictures. There are tons of pictures showing "average" body parts, and bodies on both sides of average. It was really easy to look at the pictures and say "Those are my arms. That's what my inner thigh looks like." I also didn't have to try to figure out how to perform each alteration, because there are detailed pictures that show every single line, snip and slide. It covers a wide range of alterations, explaining adjustments for shoulders, arms, waist, hips, thighs, bust, abdomen, and seat. Each adjustment section is then divided into minor adjustments and major adjustments, shows procedures for doing both, and includes the maximum recommended amount of adjustment so you don't distort your pattern. For each variation from average, the book includes a chart the explains the fitting goal, flattering styles and details, unflattering styles and details and common pattern adjustments. It helps you start out by choosing a pattern that is likely to flatter your body without a lot of adjustments. Finally, I felt like the book avoided judgemental labels like skinny/fat, large/flat, which I appreciated.
My only (extremely small) issue with this book is that some of the fashion photos are outdated. This must be a later edition of a previously published book. Although it is copywritten 2005, some of the clothing styles look like mid to late 1980's. This absolutely does not affect the information in the book, since it is talking about alterations, not choosing fashions. However, it came up just a couple times, such as the author's enthusiastic embrace of shoulder pads, and a complete lack of discussing bootcut pants and where they fit on the body-type spectrum. On the whole, it was a very small issue. Just don't look too closely at their fashion plates at the beginning of each chaper!
All in all, this book is fabulous. If you want a coffee table book about current fashions, skip it. If you want a book that will help you make your clothing fit, this is the one! It's the first alteration book that I have purchased, and I can't see needing anything else. It is clear, complete, and so easy to follow.
Summary of The Perfect Fit: The Classic Guide to Altering Patterns
Good fit improves the comfort and appearance of any garment and is the reason many people sew their own clothes. However, it's common to worry about ruining a pattern when you cut it apart to make a fitting adjustment. The Perfect Fit makes pattern alterations easy with proven methods illustrated step-by-step. This complete guide includes analyzing a figure, measuring the body, customizing the pattern, and fine-tuning the fit with small adjustments like moving buttons and reshaping darts. The Perfect Fit shows how to change a commercial pattern sized for millions of women into a sewing blueprint sized to fit your figure alone.
Altering patterns has never been easier, thanks to the help of 400 step-by-step photographs!
Fashion Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Fashion Books
Dressing Dianaby Tim Graham
Weidenfeld Nicolson Illustrated; Published: 1998-03-16; Hardcover; Book
Magic Names of Fashionby ERNESTINE CARTER
WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON; Published: 1980; Hardcover; Book
Caliphs and Kings: The Art of Islamic Spainby Heather Ecker
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Ga; Published: 2004-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $55.69
The Mask of Venice: Masking, Theater, & Identity in the Art of Tiepolo & His Timeby Berkeley Art Museum, George Knox
Univ of Washington Pr; Published: 1997-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $350.70
Tigersprung: Fashion in Modernityby Ulrich Lehmann
The MIT Press; Published: 2002-09-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $109.94
The Fashion Systemby Roland BARTHES
Jonathan Cape; Published: 1985; Hardcover; Book
Ancestor Masks and Aristocratic Power in Roman Cultureby Harriet I. Flower
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 1997-02-13; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $150.00
Fabric Glossaryby Mary Humphries
Prentice Hall College Div; Published: 1996-01-26; Plastic Comb; Book
Best price: $20.21
Price in other shops:
The Costume Designer's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Amateur and Professional Costume Designersby Rosemary Ingham, Liz Covey
Prentice-Hall Books; Published: 1983-06; Hardcover; Book
Price in other shops:
Vivienne Westwoodby Jane Mulvagh
Harpercollins Pb; Published: 2003-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $25.29
Similar Books and other products
High Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World's Best Designers: A Step-By-Step Guide to Sewing Stylish Seams, Buttonholes, Pockets, Collars, Hems, And More (Rodale Sewing Book)by Claire B. Shaeffer
Rodale Books; Published: 2001-02-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.45
Price in other shops:
Making Trousers for Men & Women: A Multimedia Sewing Workshopby David Page Coffin
Creative Publishing international; Published: 2009-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.50
Price in other shops:
Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using ANY Pattern (Sewing for Real People series)by Pati Palmer, Marta Alto
Palmer/Pletsch Publishing; Published: 2006-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.03
Price in other shops:
Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guideby Claire Shaeffer
Krause Publications; Published: 2008-12-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.73
Price in other shops:
PatternReview.com 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips: Top-Rated Favorites from Sewing Fans and Master Teachersby Deepika Prakash
Creative Publishing international; Published: 2010-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.75
Price in other shops:
Pattern Fitting With Confidenceby Nancy Zieman
F&W Publications; Krause Publications; Published: 2008-07-21; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.70
Price in other shops:
The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fittingby Sarah Veblen
Creative Publishing international; Published: 2012-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.38
Price in other shops:
How to Make Sewing Patternsby Donald H. McCunn
Blue Feather Products; Published: 1977-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.95
How to Use, Adapt, and Design Sewing Patterns: From store-bought patterns to drafting your own: a complete guide to fashion sewing with confidenceby Lee Hollahan
Barron's Educational Series; Published: 2010-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.48
Price in other shops:
Couture Sewing Techniques, Revised and Updatedby Claire Shaeffer
Taunton Press; Published: 2011-05-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.22
Price in other shops: