Dressmaking: The Easy Guide - Helen Rhiannon

From Helen Rhiannon, Dressmaking: The Easy Guide is a hardback dressmaking book designed to help you create customised garments using mix-and-match pattern elements. Awarded ‘Best Sewing Book’ at the Creative Book Awards 2024, it guides you through choosing a size from a bespoke sizing chart that considers bust, waist and hips, then tracing pattern pieces and making a calico toile to refine the fit before sewing your final dress.

With step-by-step instructions and clear photographs, the book demystifies dressmaking language and introduces the equipment needed to get started. You can combine four sleeve options and four neckline options, plus five skirt options, to create over 80 variations. Options include a flared sleeve, capped sleeve, sweetheart neckline and boatneck, alongside skirts such as a fitted pencil-style skirt, circle skirt and A-line (with or without pleats). Guidance also covers adding details such as a Peter Pan collar or inseam pockets, and adapting the patterns to make a skirt as a separate garment by adding a waistband or facing. Images of finished dresses on a mannequin and model appear throughout for inspiration.

Key features

• Hardback format
• 160 pages
• Mix-and-match approach for over 80 variations
• Full-size patterns included
• Full-size patterns cater for the equivalents of UK dress sizes 6 to 44 (US 2 to 42, EU 34 to 72)
• 500 colour illustrations
• ISBN: 9781782218913

Specifications

• Author: Helen Rhiannon
• Subtitle: Mix and match skirts, sleeves and necklines for over 80 stylish variations
• Publisher: Search Press
• Publication date: 23 June 2023

Sizing

216 x 280 x 17 mm

Rackhams Reference : 9FJLP1EUBL