Patternmaking for Fashion Design Author: Visit Amazon's Helen Joseph Armstrong Page | Language: English | ISBN:
129202481X | Format: PDF
Patternmaking for Fashion Design Description
- Paperback: 814 pages
- Publisher: Pearson Education (2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 129202481X
- ISBN-13: 978-1292024813
- Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 1.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
I wanted to give a review about this book but before I do, I feel that you need to know something about my background and how it relates in my synopsis of the text. I am a freelance patternmaker that lives in New York. I have a BFA in Fashion Design and Marketing and I have been making patterns for roughly about 16 years. I have also taken some additional classes in recent years to learn new techniques and enhance previous ones I have learned. I own several other books ranging from basic patternmaking, books that specialize in lingerie patterns, and menswear pattern books. I own patternmaking software and I am currently using all the things I have learned and applying it to drafting patterns on my computer. I own two dress forms (a half scale and a standard one) and I know how to drape. I know how to sew and construct simple garments such as a t-shirt and intricate ones like bridal gowns. I also know how to do rub-offs (copy garments) and how to grade (change the dimension of a standard pattern to fit a larger or smaller person). I wouldn't call myself a know-it-all or a master at this but I would say I know a great deal more than the average Joe when it comes to making patterns.
That being said, I have come across all types of people that are learning or want to learn about patternmaking. Most of these individuals are designers (or people who think they are designers), fashion design students in college, people that sew as a hobby, or individuals that want to make some unique clothes and save some pennies in the process. All of these are good reasons to learn the skill. In order to learn anything, you need to start with the basics.
As an aspiring designer who can't afford to go to design school, I bought this book (and the draping book from the same author)in hopes of teaching myself how to make clothe. I decided to get this book after hearing about its common use in schools. I mean what better book to get than the one they use in fashion school right?
The good:
-A lot of variety. The book teaches you how to make the very basic and then how to distort it and transform it into whatever design you want.
-It has women's, men's and children's sections, as well as things such as bikinis and leotards.
The bad:
-Some of the directions are unclear. As someone who tried to learn with no outside help, I found myself extremely frustrated (specially in the beginning) when sometimes instructions seem to jump a step.
-The illustrations are not always clear. For instance in the pants fitting part of the book, it was hard to compare what I was seeing in real life to the drawn pictures in the book.
-Few sewing instructions. The book shows how to cut the pattern so the fabric can later be manipulated, but doesn't show you exactly how you would go about sewing that cut.
-Some of the methods are outdated. After consulting with someone that has been working in the industry for the last 25 years I leaned that a few of of the instructions and techniques given are no longer used in garment production. This idea was reenforced to me after I had a dress ruined because the defect on the pattern only showed itself after I tried sewing with a fine fabric.
-Some instructions are overly complicated. I find this specially in the sleeve instructions.
In all this is a good book if you already know the basics or if you have a teacher.
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