Patternmaking for Fashion Design
Book Description Renowned for its comprehensive coverage, exceptional illustrations, and clear instructions, this hallmark book offers detailed yet easy-to-understand explanations of the essence of patternmaking. Hinging on a recurring theme that all designs are based on one or more of the three major patternmaking and design principles–dart manipulation, added fullness, and contouring–it provides all the relevant information necessary to create design patterns with accuracy regardless of their complexity. Sewing guides included for the pleated trouser (with pattern layout), belt/loops, pockets, and zipper; the jean pant with pockets, contour belt, and fly front; and the gusset. Updated jacket foundation draft includes fabric preparation, interfacing, chest piece, tape control, and shoulder pads. Pant drafts–Trouser draft including pocket, waistband, and loop; dungaree foundation draft; grunge pant draft; and three jean waistline variations including pocket and sewing instruction. Includes fitting corrections for the basic patterns. Unique section on patternmaking for bias-cut garments. For anyone developing their patternmaking skills. Customer Reviews: Really comprehensive text for flat patternmaking After receiving this textbook for my third level patternmaking course in design school, I managed to read through after the term was over and realized how much we had skipped over - this guide is packed with how-to information on developing not only the basic block (bodice F/B, skirt F/B, fitted sleeve) but variations of all sorts. I think a reader with good skills at visualizing a fashion design could, with this text, learn to pattern and build almost anything. First, every single exercise she covers is more than adequately illustrated, with fashion figures (or portions thereof) modeling the particular neckline, sleeve, skirt silhouette, etc so you can accurately see, not guess, what the style line in question looks like on a body. And technical drawings are clear and plentiful, so one can easily understand whether she's overlapping the skirt panels to compare hip curves or pivoting the bodice back to transfer a dart from waist to side seam. No confusion here, which is quite an accomplishment given the complexity of the subject. Second, the accompanying text is abbreviated to make the read easier but not so much that you will get lost in following from step a to step b. And at the beginning of each section the author given a little introduction which compares the efficiency and difficulty of the given method, outlines its uses and end results, and possible further adaptations. In the first 2 sections, author covers the workroom (incl. list of tools, photos from manufacturing, completed sample cost sheet/pattern chart/design specification sheet, basic fabric and pattern terminology used in later sections, and summaries of computerized patternmaking and development processes) and model form measurement. Chapter 3 covers drafting the basic pattern set. Chapters 4-9 cover the three main principles of flat patternmaking: dart manipulation, added fullness, and contouring. Author then devotes a section to each of: collars, built-up necklines, cowls, skirts/circles/cascades, sleeves, kimono/raglan/dropped/exaggerated armholes, buttons/buttonholes/facings, plackets/pockets, dresses without waistline seams, strapless foundations/interconstruction, bias-cut dresses, shirt foundations, jackets/coats, capes/hoods, knockoff methods, pants, knits, knit foundations, actionwear/dancewear/exercisewear, and swimwear. Then follows this with 7 sections covering various aspects of childrenswear. Yep, REALLY comprehensive. This text will function quite well as a reference volume, because it's logically organized, well indexed, tells and shows WHY the principles in question are true, and addresses problems to be solved in addition to just explaining basic elements. In addition to patternmaking instructions, the author includes lots of useful reference material, for example: names of different types of pleats, standard sizing for children's' wear, definition of a peplum (with illustrations), recommended methods and materials for knocking off (copying) a ready-made garment, whole page of button size technical drawings, definition of parts of a classic blazer, and blank pattern charts and cost sheets (useful for manufacturing, not really for home sewing). With 821 pages nose to tail, this isn't a light read, nor will you find any color photos of designer name work. Don't buy it for your coffee table or plan to tuck it into your purse for reading in waiting rooms. But do buy it to add depth to your understanding of patterns and to expand your skill set at pattern alteration and development. If your goal is to leave behind commercial patterns and flesh out your own fashion concepts or to really figure out how mere measurements can gel into a working pattern, this text will help you do it. Since the author is an instructor of fashion design at LA's Trade Technical College, she knows how to teach and what information will really be needed. So stock up on large sheets of pattern paper, clear off a table, and dig in and enjoy! ------ Great for learning how to manipulate patterns I was introduced to this guide through a pattern making class, and though I haven't read this guide page-by-page, I found to be very useful. I have a sloper of my own measurements that I use for my own designs, but this guide provides a copy of various half-scale slopers you can use to practice with. There is also a section on making your own sloper, but I just skimmed over it. This book teaches you the basic principles behind pattern manipulation. You can use the principles in this guide to make original designs of your own. There is so much information in this guide that I can't touch on everything and keep this review short, so it's a bit long. Once you have your own sloper made, and understand the principles that this guide teaches you, you will never need to buy a store bought pattern. There are 36 sections in this guide; and just to give you an idea of
how broad a scope of pattern manipulation this guide touches on I'll
list the sections:
Start learning patternmaking! Elizabeth M. Allemong from Vestis Books This huge and comprehensive textbook prepares college students for making patterns for the ready-to-wear industry. As most patternmaking manuals in this country, the book teaches the American method of drafting slopers with minimum ease included, as well as applying design lines to basic patterns. What the book doesn't teach is where and how much to add of design ease. (Wearing ease, design ease, and design or style lines make up the complete sewing pattern). The technique of adding design ease to every possible garment can't be done in a book of hundreds pages; this guide would have to be thousands of pages. Readers must understand that. Adding design ease depends on several factors, for example: type of garment, occasion, fashion silhouette, fabric, type of fit, etc. Professional patternmakers know these factors and they consider them carefully, whether they make patterns for factories, pattern companies, or individual clients. (I imagine that students attending Armstrong's classes at the L.A. Trade-Technical College learn about adding design ease.) I learned about adding ease in my school. Would I recommend this guide to a home-sewer who wants to start learning patternmaking? Wholeheartedly! While I prefer to use the European method of drafting basic slopers, I used Armstrong's book extensively when I was learning to apply design lines. Adding design lines is universal, regardless of what method of drafting slopers one uses. Armstrong's book is also rich in details of other aspects of patternmaking, like contouring, an important patternmaking principle, often forgotten by other books. The reader must also remember that while faddish designs change quickly, classic designs remain the same. The purpose of this guide is to learn basic patternmaking so that making any future patterns, regardless of style, becomes possible. Helen Joseph Armstrong prepares her students well. |
CLICK HERE for more Sewing and Clothes-Making book recommendations
Wednesday, 2005-04-27 19:44