The Dressmaking Companion

The practical, pocket-sized dressmaking manual that every sewist needs.

Tips, techniques and trusted advice on everything from threading your machine and selecting your fabric to fitting zips, darts, pockets and vents.

Whether you are making your first garment or your fiftieth, this comprehensive mini guide is a treasure trove of knowledge, perfect for dipping in and out of for quick reference and trusted advice. Inside you’ll find:

• Sewing machine anatomy: a tour through a machine’s anatomy along with advice on choosing needles, threads and feet.
• An overview of essential tools: everything you need to get going, including cutting tools, marking and measuring aids and pressing tools.
• A complete guide to fabric: understand construction, grain and bias, and discover an indispensable photographic library of 30 key dressmaking fabrics, each given with suitable garment use and care instructions.
• Patterns demystified: understand pattern language and symbols, how to take key body measurements and learn how to arrange your pattern pieces on fabric most efficiently.
• 40 key hand and machine sewing techniques: discover 40 essential techniques, each shown clearly step by step. Start with hand-sewing, seams and hems; discover more advanced techniques such as adding bias binding and piping; before moving on to adding details and features such as darts, pleats, pockets and gathers.

Book Contents

Introduction
PART ONE: Sewing machine and sewing equipment
Sewing machine anatomy
Threading the machine
Settings
Equipment and maintenance
Cutting
Marking aids
Ironing

PART TWO: Fabrics and patterns
Fabrics
Patterns

PART THREE: Sewing techniques
Hand sewing
Seams
Hems
Bias binding
Piping
Ease
Darts and pleats
Gathers
Buttonholes
Zips (zippers)
Necklines and openings
Collars
Pockets

Index
Acknowledgements