Sewing Clothes--Elevate Your Sewing Skills

May 20, 2024
In this nimble guide, fashion designer Mahon (Ultimate Illustrated Guide to Sewing Clothes) offers advice on how intermediate sewists can up their game. Though Mahon includes instructions for making a cardigan, quilted reversible coat, and knit top, the majority of the book is dedicated to advanced techniques for modifying clothing patterns from other sources with various enhancements, edge finishings, and embellishments. For instance, she details how to make corded and bound buttonholes; invisible, centered, and lapped zippers; and flat welt, appliqué patch, and in-seam pockets. The embellishments aim to reproduce the trappings of “classy, high-end fashion,” including braided trim made from elegant passementerie loops and inset sleeves featuring bands of decorative yoyos (fabric circles). Expounding on how to sew with relatively tricky fabrics, she recommends cutting “outside the seam allowance” when working with lace “so you can match and overlap” the motif. Mahon includes helpful tips throughout, suggesting, for example, that using spray-on temporary adhesive can help hold a patch pocket in place while it’s being sewn on. Though the techniques are advanced, the detailed written instructions are accompanied by easy-to-follow color illustrations. Experienced sewists looking for a challenge will appreciate the opportunity to enhance their skills.

Starred review from July 1, 2024

Fashion sewing entrepreneur and award-winning designer Mahon's (Ultimate Illustrated Guide to Sewing Clothes) book guides readers through many how-to sewing techniques, such as incorporating zippers, buttonholes, edge finishes, embellishments, pattern enhancements, and much more. For good measure, the book includes a glossary of terms, a monogram alphabet, and an index for easy look-ups. Each technique is thoroughly described in a step-by-step fashion and includes many illustrations. When appropriate, there are reference tables and conversions for left-handed sewists. Additional resources--patterns, videos, and more--are available online via QR codes from the book. One chapter is a collection of six garment patterns, and another tackles redesigning and customizing ready-to-wear garments. The final two chapters pull together many techniques to illustrate how they work together to create a coherent garment. There are plenty of topics here for sewing enthusiasts to pounce on. VERDICT This is the book for sewists who want to move beyond the basic level and perfect intermediate and advanced techniques. Highly recommended.--Marjorie Mann

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