Selected Book
Couture Sewing Techniques
- Paperback
- Author: Claire B. Shaeffer
- Publisher: Taunton
- Release Date: January 2001
- ISBN-10: 1561584975
- ISBN-13: 9781561584970
- List Price: $21.95
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Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon
SummaryStarting with hand sewing - the basis for every haute couture garment - expert Claire Shaeffer guides the reader through the steps to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. She presents the sewing techniques practiced in the studios of such legendary designers as Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, and Balenciaga. Detailed instructions and illustrations make high style a snap. |
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Not the same-old, same-old; wonderfully different from basic how-to books
Rating:
If you buy only one book about sewing...well, it probably shouldn't be this one. But if you buy more than one, this would be an excellent choice.
This book was something of a godsend for me. I draft many of my patterns from scratch, and heavily alter any store-bought patterns I use. Some of the standard sewing how-to books (like Vogue's) are hard to beat for easy reference and the sheer breadth of topics they cover, but because they are written for the widest possible audience, they can be frustratingly over-simplified on certain topics.
Example: I had spent hours scanning through books and the web trying to demystify set-in sleeves. I kept turning up the same information over and over again: how to ease the sleeve cap, how to join the sleeve to the garment, how to perform very basic alterations. None of this was very helpful when it came to drafting a sleeve. How wide should the sleeve cap be? How tall? How steeply should it taper? How much extra, exactly, should be added for ease? Here, at last, are the answers to those questions.
I found the writing to be exceptionally clear and accessible, in fact more so than most "beginner" books. Even if you have no intention of copying the painstaking construction techniques detailed here, there are lots of little tricks and techniques to help you fit garments more precisely, construct them more easily, and achieve a finer end result.
If you like making clothes but hate for things to scream "home-sewn!" then this book is for you.
Inspiring!
Rating: 
I got this book as an inspiration, along with another, more basic book to teach me how to sew (that's right, I am a total beginner). Now, even I made fun of me a little for buying this-- if I can't even use my sewing machine yet, isn't trying to learn Couture Sewing Techniques putting the cart rather before the horse?
No. Here's why:
This book explains something I hadn't realized. Most couture clothes are hand-sewn, and many of the techniques described are for hand sewing. But not just that- things like customizing or matching fabric patterns, attention to certain details, or even the proper way to press a garment during the making of it are all good things to know as any point in the learning process.
So, now that I have read this, when I tackled my first machine-sewing project (a sewing machine cover in a pretty victorian-wallpaper patterened fabric), I didn't just cut out the pieces and go; I matched the motifs on the fabric so that it flowed nicely all the way around, and added contrasting piping and a pretty hem detail. When I needed to fix a seam that had opened at the side of a delicate top of mine, rather than just plowing through clumsily, I used a hand-sewn overlock stitch to keep the seam invisible and secure. I wouldn't have thought to do these things if I hadn't read this book. I expect that as my sewing progresses, I will discover even more wonderful tricks that I hadn't absorbed through my first read-through.
Definitely recommended.
Great for anyone who sews
Rating:
This was a great book. I wanted to understand what "Courture" sewing is and realized I have done it for years. I also learned some better stitches and methods from this book as well as an appreciation for the "art" of sewing. It makes me sad that sewing is no longer taught in schools since I spent a lot of time in middle school and high school sewing.
reference
Rating:
This book I liked. I am an accompliced dressmaker with tailoring experience. I like this as a reference book and also found some handy tips in it.
Lucie Zandstra
Like a text book of information
Rating:
The introduction is interesting and basically explains why Shaffer is qualified to give you this information. The rest reads like a text book, which, for me, is much easier. When I reach a road block with sewing, I simply refer to the applicable section and determine what stitch, seam, technique would best solve the issue. There are decent diagrams/pictures to walk you through each step. It discusses each type of seam, tools and their purpose, threads, needles, etc. It's a sewing dictionary.
Chapters include:
PART I
1. Inside the world of haute couture
2. The art of hand sewing
3. Shaping the garment: seams, darts, and pressing techniques
4. Edge finishes: hems, facings, and bindings
5. Closures
PART II
6. Skirts and pants
7. Blouses and dresses
8. Sleeves
9. Pockes
10. Jackets and coats
11. Evening wear
Draping was mentioned briefly, and in the little that was there, I was able to apply the information and successfully created/altered patterns.
Hope that helps, and good luck on your future projects!
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