Couture Sewing Techniques: Revised and Updated Paperback – Illustrated, May 24, 2011

I had started sewing maybe a year ago, just making little projects here and there, mostly just bags and things to organize various items in. Just recently (within the past 4 months), I had fallen in love with the design and construction of corsets. I had never used a pattern for any of the three corsets I have made to date and was very proud of my accomplishment, however, they weren't the quality I had wanted to produce. I had been stumped by the limitations of my $60 Brother sewing machine and haven't had the money to upgrade. I decided that I would learn sewing by hand, and make a completely handmade corset. I had researched different methods of stitching and pattern design online, but nothing that I had seen really made an impact on my style and design. So I decided to put up the $20 to buy a book about the finer techniques of sewing. This book is absolutely amazing, the incredibly informative and descriptive writing style, accompanied with beautiful graphics, photos and illustrated techniques was a godsend. The book actually flows through the subjects with phenomenal continuity, and allows you to basically practice as you go along, by illustrating step by step stitches, techniques, tips and tricks. The author has amazing knowledge and credentials, and many of the photos of garments are from her own personal collections. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to learn how to make clothes entirely by hand, or even just understand how different stitches and techniques will help you with machine sewing. Great book for beginners and amateurs alike, but would probably not recommend it for the advanced seamstress.

I am a home sewer at an intermediate skill level, always looking to learn more about garment construction. The reason I was drawn to this book was because I'm interesting in learning about advanced clothing construction techniques (not that I'll ever use them, but I just want to better understand how the "pros" do it). Plus, I very much appreciate well-made clothing, and am curious how that look is achieved. And lastly, I was looking to pick up tips on how to make my clothing look less "home made".I've been reading the book in bits and pieces (I don't see this as a book that I'll just sit down and read cover to cover). It's interesting to read about the history of couture sewing. And I'm starting to pick up little hints here and there that I can apply to my own home sewing. Just as an example: even though I have a nice, new sewing machine and a serger, I often resort to hemming by hand because I just can't get the look I want by machine (I just assumed I didn't have the right skill level to make all the necessary adjustments to the machine settings). Well, after learning that the overwhelming majority of couture sewing is done by hand, I now feel completely confident continuing to do hems and other pieces by hand for better control and a smoother look. May not seem like a big deal, but to me it's just one less area to fret over when sewing and I can feel confident about my approach. I am now reading about various seam finishes - another area that will come in handy for the home sewer.The book has great illustrations, and is printed on nice, heavy, glossy paper, which makes it a nice book for "show" as well. Looks impressive on the coffee table. : ) Yes, I know, a weird thing to mention in a book review, but there it is.

I am in love with this book! I can't put it down! It is by far the best sewing/history reference book I have ever bought! Not only is it a great read, but it has so many interesting and unique finishes that I have never heard of or even knew how to do.I have been sewing for 14 years now and have always wanted to know more about hand sewing and couture in general. I also have been attending fashion college for 2 years and no teacher of mine has even attempted to show students some of the techniques that Claire Shaeffer has taught me.I would definitely recommend this book to anyone just for the great information and pictures of couture clothing, but you definitely need to know how to sew if you are going to use this book as a reference. So if you are an intermediate to an advance sewer this book is for you!It has taken me a really long time (and many expensive buys) to find a book that I not only found interesting, but was also able to challenge me and teach me some new tricks.

3 years ago i shunned my dying sewing machine (partly because it scared my dog) and took to sewing garments by hand. I am mostly self-taught, and learned a lot about construction from tv shows, youtube and closely examining garments in high end retailers. This book is a god send. It's not for the beginner sewer, or someone who wants easy or quick fixes. If you are an experienced machine sewer or enjoy sewing by hand and want to learn how to properly fit and construct garments this is your book. It is full of tricks, anecdotes and details (seriously, you will need to read this a dozen times to internalize and remember the content), and so worth it. I'm about to look for more of Claire's books because this one is so well developed I feel like I can trust her technique and delivery more than any other so source I've found. I never considered skipping darts in certain fabrics for shaping via shrinking and stretching. I have been dying for a detailed guide to welted pockets. I have Vogue's Guide to Sewing, which is wonderful, but this is sewing for another league. I may not be coming into this book with the skills of some other reviewers, but if you think you're about my level when I bought this book, you will appreciate what Claire has to offer. And at this price?!?! Unreal. On to find more books by this author...