Book Review – Illustrated Guide to Advanced Dressmaking And Alteration

As a seasoned seamstress with over two decades of experience and 11 years of teaching, I was thrilled to come across this comprehensive guide to advanced dressmaking and alteration. As someone who is passionate about empowering others to make and alter their own clothing, I believe that this book is the perfect resource for anyone looking to take their sewing skills to the next level.

What I love about this guide is that it is accessible to anyone, regardless of their prior sewing experience. Whether you’re new to the craft or have been sewing for years, you’ll find the steps and images in this book easy to follow and incredibly helpful. From the explanation of garment components to the various techniques for adding pockets, cuffs, collars, and more, I was impressed by the depth of information included in this guide.

One of my favorite parts of this book is the emphasis on customizing your clothing to fit your unique body. From darts and dart manipulation to how to make and attach pockets, the information in this guide will help you create clothing that is comfortable, stylish, and a perfect fit. And with the focus on body positivity and self-care, this guide is not only a valuable resource but also a source of inspiration and motivation.

Overall, I highly recommend this Illustrated Guide to Advanced Dressmaking & Alteration for anyone looking to take their sewing skills to the next level. Whether you’re looking to create a complete capsule wardrobe, alter a favorite dress or slacks, or simply add some frills, buttons, and zippers, this guide has everything you need to get started. So why not pick up a copy today and start on your journey to loving the clothes you wear!

Next Pattern:

I am just smitten with this felt gingerbread house bag. This would make such a sweet special Christmas accessory for a kid. It’s a free pattern at Benzie Design, designed by Gracie from Hello Gracie Makes. It’s packed with adorable gingerbread house details, like swirls and stripes and scallops adoring the doors and windows.

And while all those details might seem like this would be a complicated pattern, it’s actually not. The bag itself is made from felt, which makes finishes edges unnecessary. (All of those scalloped edges are just cut from felt, no edge finishing required.) The strap is super simple, made from rope with knotted ends. And all those details are made with some basic hand embroidery stitches. Sparkle felt makes it extra cute.

The striped scallop roof is actually the top flap of the bag. A magnetic snap makes it a secure closure. The rope straps are attached through felt loops at the side of the bag.

They rate this project as an intermediate level, and it should take about 6 hours to make start to finish. That’s doable for a Saturday project or a couple of evenings. Full color photos step you through the entire process.

The project includes a shopping list for all of your supplies. They’ve got a shop so you can order all of them from Benzie if you like and get exactly the supplies used in the project. I noticed it includes a pair of scallop shears, which makes cutting all the scalloped edges for the roof and around the door a breeze.

Finished dimensions of the little felt gingerbread bag are approximately 6 ½” wide x 7 ½” tall. That’s the perfect size to hold a small book, a small toy, or a notepad and some cute pens.

Go to Benzie Design to get the tutorial and free pattern for the felt gingerbread house bag.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply