Thursday, April 16, 2009

Latest book aquisitions

Recently I have added a few of extra sewing / pattern cutting books to the collection, to wit:

Donald McCunn How to make sewing patterns (first published 1973, this edition 1981, still being reprinted) bought from Lost and Found.
This looks like a self-published book that has gone through many editions and is still going strong. It covers making patterns to your own measurements (rather than standard ones like most pattern cutting books). I haven't made anything from it yet but I think it will be useful.

Like many of these sorts of books some reviews say that the illustrations are 'out of date'. Use your imagination, people!

This will go well with Adele Margolis' Make Your Own Dress Patterns I bought from Dover Publications a while ago.
Now this one covers all style bases by having drawings from every decade from the 50s to the 80s...

I also picked up a copy of the 1979 printing of the Kwik Sew Method For Sewing Lingerie by Kerstin Martensson.
(Not to be confused with 1990's Kwik Sew Beautiful Lingerie). I bought this off eBay without knowing much about it because I couldn't find a review of it. Well, if you ever wanted to sew a panty-girdle this is the book for you (rest assured, I am not about to do that). However it does have good instructions for all sorts of other lingerie including slips and knickers and whatnot.
Be warned she seems a little too fond of nylon tricot... a reflection of the times perhaps. The Kwik Sew Lingerie House would be fraught with danger for those prone to static shocks.

The master pattern included is for nighties and gowns, which are covered in a chapter. You'll need to supply your own patterns for the knickers, slips/petticoats etc but these are still readily available from Kwik Sew if you are a fan of the generous coverage pin-up style 'panties' (that word amuses me for some reason).

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