Contents
6 Introduction
8 Chapter 1
Getting Started
10 The Studio
11 Pins and Needles
14 Cutting Equipment
16 Marking Tools
18 Measuring Tapes and Rulers
20 The Right Sewing Machine for the Job
23 Four Main Machine Stitches
24 Machines for Special Tasks
26 What to Watch out for when Stitching Seams
28 Pressing Equipment
30 Taking Body Measurements
34 How to Work With Patterns
36 Understanding Symbols on Patterns
39 Seam Allowance
40 Hem Allowance
42 Understanding the Fabric
44 How to Use the Grain Line
46 Preparing the Fabric
48 Pattern Layout on the Fabric
52 How to Mark the Pattern onto the Fabric
55 Cutting Out
56 Industry Production Methods
58 Chapter 2
Materials and Sewing Supplies
59 Fabrics
62 Cotton
64 Wool
66 Silk
68 Linen
70 Man-made and Synthetic Fibres
72 Textured Fabrics
74 Knitted and Jersey Fabrics
76 Lining Fabrics
78 Lace
80 Haberdashery
91 Supporting Materials
103 Corsetry and Underpinnings
110 Chapter 3
The Basic Stitches
111 Hand-Sewing Techniques
119 Machine Seams and Seam Finishes
144 Chapter 4
Sewing Techniques
145 Garment Construction
146 Gathers, Pleats, Tucks and Darts
156 The Neckline
165 The Waistline
177 Pockets
192 The Sleeve
204 Hemlines
212 Lining
224 Fastenings
245 The Finishing Touch
246 Chapter 5
Fabric- and Cut-Specifi c
Techniques
247 Working with Fabrics
248 Denim
254 Knitted and Stretch-Woven Fabrics
262 Transparent and Semi-Transparent Fabrics
270 Lace, Sequined and Beaded Fabrics
276 Napped and Pile Fabrics
282 Leather and Fur
290 Felted and Non-Woven Fabrics
294 Latex, Neoprene and Plastic
Materials
300 Patterned Fabrics
306 Mixing Fabrics
310 Bias-Cut Fabrics
312 Glossary
315 Further Reading
316 Index
319 Picture Credits
320 Acknowledgements
Introduction
Sewing for Fashion Designers is a comprehensive guide to garment construction related closely to contemporary fashion and combined with up-to-date manufacturing methods. The book provides essential skills for basic construction methods and explores techniques used within the fashion industry, showing how basic sewing methods are applied at a designer level. Once the basic methods are mastered, the sewer can explore more advanced techniques, which can be challenged to achieve individual design ideas.
The book offers instructions, images and illustrations to assist fashion educators, students and professionals working within the fashion industry. It will also be invaluable to the sewer with an interest in fashion. To support each topic, photographs of designer garments highlight garment construction techniques and the materials used.
Chapter 1 will introduce you to the sewing and pressing equipment used in fashion studios and the fashion industry. A guide on taking body measurements leads into working with paper patterns and understanding their symbols. A guide to seam and hem allowances will assist you when drafting patterns. Basic cutting-out techniques, the use of the grain line and how to prepare the fabric for cutting are all covered, plus pattern layouts and how to mark the pattern pieces.
Chapter 2 introduces textiles, including natural and man-made fibres, blends and fabric finishing. It covers haberdashery, explaining different types and where they are placed on garments. The reader is encouraged to explore other possibilities and materials for decoration and fastening. Also discussed in this chapter are supporting materials and where and how to apply them, quilting and padding techniques and corsetry and underpinnings, including a guide to constructing a corset.
The basic stitches are explored in Chapter 3, with hand sewing followed by machine seams and seam fi nishes. This chapter prepares the reader for sewing, with a section on how to match up seams, with examples of reducing seam bulk, and how to construct shaped seams. A section on taping seams leads to facings, exploring the different shapes to help you make the right choice when using a facing as an edge fi nish.
Chapter 4 covers sewing techniques. Gathers, Pleats, Tucks and Darts shows how fullness can be controlled to shape a garment onto the body. The Neckline introduces basic collar shapes from step-by-step instructions for a shirt collar to fi nishing necklines with a facing. A range of waistband fi nishes are shown in The Waistline including fastening options. Pockets are presented with step-by-step sewing instructions, while The Sleeve covers how to insert a sleeve, cuff openings and constructions. Various hemming methods, each related to garment hem shapes and fabric types, are demonstrated in Hemlines.
Lining gives a good overview of how and when to use a lining, full and partial lining, what to look out for and how to line a jacket. The placement and use of all types of Fastenings are presented with step-by-step illustrations in the next section. Chapter 4 ends with The Finishing Touch stressing the importance of fi nal pressing.
Chapter 5 explores Fabric- and Cut-Specifi c Techniques. The specifi c materials discussed are: denim; knitted and stretch-woven fabrics; transparent and semi-transparent fabrics; lace, sequined and beaded fabrics; napped and pile fabrics; leather and fur; felted and non-woven fabrics latex, neoprene and plastic materials; and patterned fabrics. Mixing fabrics within a garment and bias cutting are also discussed.
This chapter covers the specifi c construction of each material and what to watch out for when buying, and guides the reader through the relevant pattern-cutting, cuttingout and construction techniques, including fabric-specifi c seams, hems and edge fi nishes and a guide to fastening ideas.
The sewing techniques in this book will provide a solid base for a career in fashion design. With them, the sewer is free to begin experimenting, breaking the rules and exploring new and more advanced sewing. This is the key to innovative garment design.