Couture Sewing: Tailoring Techniques

If you want your notched collars to lie smoothly, like Ellen Tracy's, or your buttonholes finished to custom-tailored perfection, or your interfaced hems to have the impeccable look of Chanel, this is "the" book to have.

"Tailoring" presents sewing methods used in the European ateliers of Paris, Rome, and London. Via the DVD, Shaeffer will instruct readers in essential techniques such as making a bound buttonhole, converting darts to ease, creating a patch pocket, interfacing a hem, hand-stitching a fly zipper, and fitting sleeves. Where there is a trick or shortcut for a sewing method (without lowering the quality) Shaeffer demonstrates it, along with a host of more complicated tailoring techniques that improve the quality, looks, and lifespan of garments.

The companion book offers information on various designer's construction methods and images of couture and ready-to-wear garments from Shaeffer's own collection. The package is a perfect mix of instruction and insight into complex design-details that only could Shaeffer could provide.