How to Design Your Own Clothes and Make Your Own Patterns.

I owned this book for 30 years, but sold it because it did NOT teach how to start with your own measurements to make slopers. Instead, it taught how to buy a basic commercial fitting pattern & then fit it to your own body. Since my body is SO non-standard, that didn't work for me.I've since found several good books that explain how to make slopers from your own body measurements, but NONE of those books are as good as this one for how to make any style you want using your basic slopers.This is the very BEST book I've ever found to explain how to duplicate just about any clothing style, collar, or sleeve design you see or can dream up for yourself! The book shows how to take basic bodice, sleeve, skirt, & pants slopers to design ANYTHING else you want to wear.So I bought it for the second time, & I'll never be without it again!BOOKS on how to make basic slopers from your own measurements:Make Your Own Patterns, by Rene BerghHow to Make Sewing Patterns, by Donald McCunnHow to Draft Basic Patterns, by Lee GrossPattern Making By the Flat-Pattern Method, by Norma Hollen (expensive, but worth it!)

A lot of information in this book, I would prefer less introduction and wordiness. However, the book is organized very well so you can look up a specific issue if you don't have the time to read the entire book. Very good examples, pictures and detailed "How to Fix" any fitting or pattern making issue you might have.

I was looking to learn to design men’s clothes which is not portrayed here. Also these styles are very outdated but will teach you the basics of designing your own clothes.

Absolutely fabulous! Best pattern making book in my sewing library.

Love this book. Great styles and demos. Easy to understand instructions. Helps me better my sewing skills.

I can’t sew

If you're making your own clothes, this book will give you a visual for any design you would like to incorporate. EXCELLENT! Best one I've found--I use it regularly

I have owned and used this book for years. Sent it to my granddaughter who loves to design and make her own clothes. She was very excited to use it .

I have given this book 4 stars based on my initial impression and perusal of it and its perceived usefulness to me. I have to say the book is not quite as expected. It isn't a pattern drafting/cutting book as such. As the cover says it is about designing your own clothes and pleasingly seems to enable your own creativity, perhaps more so than a straight drafting book might be, where you might be drafting only set designs (although of course you could make changes if you wanted to) .There seems to be some confusion about whether it uses slopers or not. Well, I suppose the simple answer is yes and the book calls them that. They are not however, derived from your own measurements or even constructed by you plotting out standard measurements to give specific sizes. As a starting point, the book has you using fitting patterns (shell patterns) purchased from the commercial pattern companies or in some cases just a standard pattern. What you do to get your own personalised blocks is learn how to make these up into muslins (mock ups if you like) and adjust them to yourself to get a good fit. You then create your own pattern from the adjustments you have made to the original pattern. The dress fitting pattern is A line and not one with a straight skirt. The A line skirt can be any purchased pattern and the blouse is a basic standard blouse. There are instructions for skirt, dress, blouse, bodice and trouser slopers. Once you have modified these patterns to give you your slopers, you are then ready to change them up and adapt them using your own idea or the many given in the book. There are lovely line illustrations throughout the book, although the cover is horribly dull. Be warned however, that they are very seventies looking which I find appealing but they may not be to everyone's taste. There are suggestions for types of sleeves, collars, pockets, working with yokes etc. many of which are timeless and therefore absolutely relevant for todays fashions. There are many practical instructions and creative ideas to enable you to modify and change up your sloper into something that fits you, in a style that you want to wear. It's a chunky book with lots of stuff put into it and I think it is reader friendly.So, you might start with your basic dress sloper for example and draft a collar for it, put pockets in the side seams, maybe a ruffle around the hem, and add darts for shaping, buttons down the front etc. This book gives you ideas and then tells you how you might make those changes to your sloper to make them a reality. You are reliant on commercial patterns to get you started, but the book enables you to leap of into the world of your own creativity. Well that seems to be the theory and I am quite excited about using the book in this way. If you find maths challenging like I do, it might be a relief to see that this part is largely missed out. If you want to make slopers according to your own measurements from the beginning, this book is not going to help with that bit. Nevertheless, I think that even though the book is dated with some styles no longer worn, there is enough here to wet most appetites in terms of design and creativity but also practical know how. I am looking forward to getting stuck in; I have seen some basic pattern drafting online and to me this seems the next natural step to gently ease me into the world of more personalised patterns.

I have not read the whole book yet, but so far it looks very good to me, I will enjoy using it. Thnaks

fantastic service and lovely book would def recommend - many thanks