The Dressmaking Book: A Simplified Guide for Beginners

Adele Margolis is my most favorite author ever! I acquited her "Design Your own Dress Pattern", as well as her "Complete Book of Tailoring". It is because of these two books, I have made many items - both, for myself, as well as others. I have gained much knowledge, because she shares all of her knowledge. Her books aren't like those of today... there is more then one item to learn in her books. The new ones teach only 1 maybe 2 things. She taught us everything she knew - I wonder how many books have been written, using the information from Adele's writings? Due to Amazon, I now have the complete collection of her writings. Of which the Dressmaking Book is of but one. I will be proud to hand these down to my daughter as I pass.

Very useful and I am happy I bought it.

This book covers the basics and then some, with specific instructions and lots of line drawings. Her tone is friendly and conversational but right to the point, and almost everything she covers is still relevant. She starts out simply but takes you farther along by the end than many of the more recent beginners' books I'd found at the library when I got back into sewing. I especially appreciated info on alterations to the pattern before you cut out, so there's less to do later at the trial fitting stage. Fitting isn't covered here in exhaustive depth, of course, but she gives you a solid foundation, and she wrote books devoted to fitting and to tailoring if you like her style enough to look for more by her. (I did!)Subjects covered:Using a sewing machine (from 1967); best types of patterns to start with; general info on fabrics and specifics about what's easiest for a beginner; dealing with directional designs, repeats, etc.Choosing easy patterns at first; pattern sizing; your measurements; comparing your measurements to the pattern; pattern instructions and symbols; fitting as it pertains to grain, ease and seams; taking body measurements; body measurement chart with ease info; measuring the pattern; altering the pattern; overall changes in length and width; changes within the pattern, making a pattern larger or smaller, how to relocate a dart, and a few specific re back and sleeveCutting Out -- establishing grain, problem of off-grain printing; preshrinking; preparing the pattern; which layout; folding the fabric; pinning; fabric matching; marking; stay stitching. Interfacing, lining and underlining. Shoulder pads -- little goes a long way; types; making your own. Trial fitting -- fabric drape, asymmetrical body, specific info on subjects like eliminating wrinkles and poking out.Stitching -- seams; bias seams; darts; tucks; curves; gathering; reinforcing; joining seams; topstitching; understitching; etc... Cutting -- slash; trim; slip; notch;grade; dealing with seam allowances; relieving strain; preventing rippling; reducing bulk; etc. Seam finishes -- short instructions for about a dozen (see photo), like bound, pinked, seam binding, French, lapped. Info on pressing.Plan of construction -- unit construction, sample plans. Detailed info about several steps -- facing; interfacing; lining; zippers; hemming; waistbands; pleats; buttonholes; buttons; other types of closures; collars; sleeves; pockets; belts.

I bought this dressmaking/sewing/tailoring book after several recommendations. It has been an interesting read,giving lots of tips on basic sewing and alterations. I have purchased 2 other books from this author, all dating back to the 1960s era. I'm glad to have them in my sewing library.

I have been sewing for a very long time and am an accomplished seamstress and designer. My knowledge of sewing is vast, but I even learned things from reading this book. It was an interesting read and chock full of information and details for someone who wants to learn how to be a good sewer. It was a very pleasant book.

And it's usually inexpensive. I picked my copy up in a used book store about 10 years ago when I started sewing again. It starts you with the basic sewing machine knowledge, to picking a pattern, all the way to the finished garment. It even has the measurement chart for pattern companies that I'm pretty sure is still in use by the Big Four (Vogue, Butterick, Simplicity, and McCall's--the only exception I know of is Vogue Today's Fit, they use new measurements). She tells you how to make your own tailor's ham; what you need for successful pressing; practice pages to copy to practice stitching a straight line; facts on fabrics and fibers; details about cutting out a pattern; shoulder pads; hand sewing in a push-button age; linings, hems, zippers, waistband, belts, making frogs--I could go on and on. I've had this book, like I said, a good 10 years (the copyright is 1967), and I learn something every time I pick it up. And Mrs. Margolis' writing is so friendly and clear, it's like learning to sew from your favorite aunt who always dressed so classy.Break down and spend the couple of dollars on this book--you'll be glad you did.

Service was great. Book arrived on time and its condition was as expected. Adele Margolis was sewing's maven a couple of decades ago and almost all of her advice holds up, as does her methodology.

Such an amazing book it helped me start my first garment project!

Really well written, easy to understand and a pleasure to read. Full of practical and useful information for sewists of all levels. Some references are a bit dated since it’s a reprint of an old book- butI found them quite charming! It helps that the author also has a sense of humour. I really appreciated the substance & quality of the content, which is often lacking from many more recent sewing reference books which are sometimes presented beautifully but lacking in content. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

È una buona lettura ma non per principianti. Alcuni concetti difficili e non spiegato dettagliatamente. Mi aspettavo più nozioni per la realizzazione di capi da zero ma molte cose sono date per scontate o superflue

I wish I had bought this book first when embarking on my dressmaking learning curve. It is absolutely fantastic. Written in an informal, gentle style that makes you feel the author is your auntie teaching you to sew, it covers everything a new dressmaker could possibly want to know and more.It may be old but it isn't fusty or old fashioned in its tone, it's charmingly retro (in one section you are presented with a diagram showing figure types, ranging from 'Junior' and 'teen' through to 'sub teen' and 'chubbie', which had me and my husband in stitches) but still very relevant and is without creepy pictures that feel outdated. If it had glossy pages, it could pass for a much more modern book as the sketches are timeless. I have a huge collection of sewing and dressmaking books but this one is the first one I have actually wanted to sit and read from front to back in one sitting. Most enjoyable to read, this book is so sensible and practical, it assumes no prior knowledge but is not in the slightest patronising.Early on in the book, Mrs Margolis has you practice sewing spirals and curves, for instance, using an unthreaded machine on paper with the shape drawn on the paper, then again beside the first line of stitching with no guideline drawn, and when you feel confident doing that faultlessly, you can progress to fabric. She then explains about shaping flat fabric to create 3d garments. She explains darts and seams and their correct use for shaping, but she doesn't stop at superficially explaining the concept in its most simplistic form, she goes into sufficient detail as to give the reader a thorough grasp of how to add, change, or remove fabric shaping in order to flatter one's individual body shape and ensure a garment has beauty and form rather than one that simply has enough room to move in or isn't too baggy! This section made sense in a way that other books haven't.Further in the book, Mrs Margolis covers in some depth the most basic dressmaking skills such as fitting problems and solutions, pressing PROPERLY, interfacing, pleats, hemming, setting in sleeves, facings, seam finishes and closures. You are left with a thorough grounding in the fundamental techniques you will need in order to move on to more advanced dressmaking, and will feel very capable of picking out and confidently sewing a pattern of average difficult rating, and what's more, you'll know how to make it fit you properly.Highly, highly recommended.

Finding my feet around a sewing machine, next step from making face masks.This book is a must for people learning about dressmaking.Great book and a great price!

Excellent guide to dressmaking