Product Description

If you’ve ever watched Project Runway and wished you were a contestant, or you’re simply ready to take your sewing to a new level, Design-It-Yourself Clothes teaches you the fundamentals of modern patternmaking so that you, too, can create your own inspired clothing.


Until now, the aspiring DIY fashionista has been hard-pressed to find self-teaching tools other than dry textbooks or books with outdated looks. Finally, in Design-It-Yourself Clothes, former Urban Outfitters designer Cal Patch brings her youthful aesthetic to a how-to book. If you want to wear something you can’t find on store racks and make clothes that express your individual style, or if you’ve reached a sewing plateau and want to add pattern drafting to your repertoire, Design-It-Yourself Clothes is the book you have been waiting for.

In five key projects (each with four variations)–a perfect-fitting dress, T-shirt, button-down shirt, A-line skirt, and pants–Patch shares the art of patternmaking. At its core, it’s much simpler than you think. Patch covers everything an intermediate sewer needs to know in order to become a fabulous fashion designer, from designing the patterns, taking your own measurements, and choosing fabrics to actually sewing the clothing. You will also learn how to stylize patterns by using darts, waistbands, patch pockets, and ruffles. Patch offers tips, explanations, options, and exercises throughout that will make the design process that much easier.

But besides showing you how to create clothing from scratch, she also teaches you how to rub off patterns from existing clothing–so if you have a pair of pants that you love but are worn out, or you have your eye on a piece in the store with a prohibitive price tag, you can figure out how to get the looks you want by using your own two hands.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5937 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-22
• Released on: 2009-09-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780307451392
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
CAL PATCH was a clothing designer for Urban Outfitters and Free People before creating her own label, Hodge Podge. She teaches sewing and patternmaking throughout New York City.

Customer Reviews

be carefull if you are large busted
This is a great book if you have a very small bust eg B cup or less. The author doesn't tell you how to add a bust dart to the shirt if you need one . The only bust darts mentioned are for the dress with straps and it doesn't tell you how to add darts accurately, just by folding fabric on the figure.

Awesome book, even for a beginner!
Picked this up at the library, and I HAVE TO BUY IT! I have never seen a tutorial so easy to understand, so well-done, very nice photos, CURRENT styles, and easy enough for me to attempt with my pattern-reading and sewing skills. In fact, if you never design a piece yourself, you will finally understand everything about how commercial patterns are fitted, and how to adjust ill-fitting patterns to your own body. Reading her book is like taking a college course, and you get to keep it as a reference. I am so inspired to make my own clothes, and feel like, although she mentions for the intermediate sewer, following her book might be easier than other methods. There are good books out there, but most styles are so definitely "dated." You will love this book!

AWESOME! The book I've been searching for
I totally loved this book! The day I got it in the mail I read half of it! If you ever wanted to design your own clothing, or just make your own clothes so that they really fit YOU and not some mannequin or model, then this is for you! I learned so much from this book, I hope she does a sequel! She teaches you how to take your own body measurements (or someone else's if you want to create a pattern for them) and actually draft your own skirt, T, button up shirt, pants and dress! A pattern that will FIT you because it was designed for you!! She also shows you how to do variations on each pattern for different style elements. Once she shows you how to do a certain variation you can use this knowledge to then not only do what she did, but to come up with your own ideas and styles. Once I finished the book I wished there was another one! I'd love some drafting info for men! No darts! Also would be nice if she had a second volume that went into a little more complex designing. I can't recommend this book enough; if you want to design your own clothing that is tailor fit to you. I believe it is the next best thing to a college class on pattern making.