Buy this book! I was given this book when i started my HND theatre costume design book. We have used it for two years and i can not recommened it highly enough! Some of the girls in my class had never done pattern cutting before and this book tells you everything you need to know. On first glance it seems very confusing. But when you read it and follow it step by step it all makes sense! The blocks shown in this book are basic blocks from which you can adapt or alter to suit you. Buy this book!
Basic pattern making that can be adapted to most designs I brought this book a few years ago now, the actual price and place escapes me. I had wanted to learn to make my own patterns as I was finding the shop ones rather tedious. I was originally a home sewer and just made things for my family with no pattern cutting experience at all, and to be honest, very little general knowledge of patterns. When the book arrived I really didn't understand it, and it got left on the shelf for a few months. I then decided to get my head around patterns and started.... more info
A good starter This book is a good starter but there are many printing errors (wrong instructions, missing instructions) so beware. It also assumes that you are familiar with some pattern cutting techniques. If you are an absolute beginner it would be useful to have someone in the know to ask as at times it is possible to become absolutely stuck. If you are studying pattern cutting this would be a really useful book to have. If you are learning by yourself, you may find this book to be a little frustrating.
Worth the learning curve I found this book difficult to use at first, being used to commercial pre-printed patterns, but with a bit of perseverance I was able to produce some well-fitted pieces that I was quite pleased with. I particularly liked the section on dealing with bodies of different shapes (sloping shoulders, long backs etc). I would recommend this book to anyone wanting the flexibility to design their own clothes.
