Sew Many Dresses, Sew Little Time: The Ultimate Dressmaking Guide
- Downloads：3633
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-09 11:58:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Tanya Whelan
- ISBN：0770434940
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
With her "choose-your-own-adventure" approach to sewing， Tanya Whelan offers an invaluable collection of patterns that empowers sewers to become designers。 The trick is a set of patterns for 6 skirts and 8 bodices that line up perfectly at the waist， plus an additional 4 sleeve styles and 4 necklines。 Tanya gives readers clear instructions and easy-to-follow step-by-step diagrams that allow them to use the enclosed pattern pieces to create up to 219 fitted dresses， including simple strapless designs， sheaths， and halter gowns。 The book covers basic dress construction and altering techniques for women of all shapes and sizes。
Reviews
Masy
，
Nice book gives you basic information you might need
Carissa
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This is an incredibly handy book to have if you love to sew garments， especially skirts， blouses， and dresses。 Very versatile， just a few patterns that can be modified in a hundred ways， and a great reference to have for any skill level。 Did I maybe make a dress slightly above my level？ Yes， but all considered， with the mostly clear instructions， it turned out decent for a first time！
Catherine
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Nice variety， lots of good information。 I really like the fabric glossary。 *Make sure to check the size chart！* patterns come in 12 sizes which DO NOT correlate to sizes in stores。 I usually wear a woman’s XL or around a size 18， and the book’s size 12 is closest to my measurements。 It does come with three pattern sheets with patterns on both sides。 Patterns will need to be traced before using。
Mckinley
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Excellent if you sew。 How to fit and make variations，
Marina
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I love the concept of this book – mix and match the bodice， skirt， neckline and sleeve patterns and create the dress you want。 I just wish my sewing skills were up to it！
Polly Jensen
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While the photos are lovely， it does not provide enough instruction to make the alterations。 The dress on page 59 does not explain how to finish the bodice/sleeves。 It is unclear whether to use seam binding or facing。 I could see either working， but details on how the dress was actually made would be helpful。 I may like it better once I have completed the dress。
Merry Love
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This is a great book！ It has mix and match styles for bodices， skirts， collars， and sleeves。 Each section has some great tips for beginning alterations。I feel confident I could alter these patterns to best fit my body （which is why I started sewing in the first place！）Great for the intermediate sewer， who is already familiar with standard patterns。
Pammy
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This is a GREAT sewing book for ANY level， especially a beginner that’s intimidated with trying to read a pattern。 This book explains it ALL and gives you MANY patterns and variations to chose from。 Happy sewing！！！ :））
Dee
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This is an awesome book for creating different types of dresses by mixing and matching pattern pieces。 One can choose a bodice， skirt， sleeves using the multi-sized patterns that are included with the book。 One can make classic modern styles or go retro。 Look online at vintage patterns and images for ideas！ Plus there are extra tips， a fabric guide， and ideas for more styling options。 It's cheaper to buy this book than buying a bunch of sewing patterns that are similar。 Of course， it doesn't sho This is an awesome book for creating different types of dresses by mixing and matching pattern pieces。 One can choose a bodice， skirt， sleeves using the multi-sized patterns that are included with the book。 One can make classic modern styles or go retro。 Look online at vintage patterns and images for ideas！ Plus there are extra tips， a fabric guide， and ideas for more styling options。 It's cheaper to buy this book than buying a bunch of sewing patterns that are similar。 Of course， it doesn't show you how to make every type of dress but it comes really close to doing just that。 Also， one can make blouses and skirts from the patterns。 I would recommend this book to any sewer from novice to advanced。 With this book， you will have a collection of basic slopers in many sizes。 。。。more
Tracey
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This is a pretty thorough guide to adapting patterns， covering slash and spread techniques， SBA， LBA， and so much more。 The size range for the included basic patterns （basic bodice， strapless bodice， halter bodice， gathered halter bodice， mock-wrap bodice， cowlneck bodice， princess bodice， bias skirt， fluted six-panel skirt， straight skirt） that you mostly have to adapt yourself in order to create the different looks） are size 1 （32"-24"-34"） through size 12 （50-1/2"-42-1/2"-52-1/2"）。 If I were This is a pretty thorough guide to adapting patterns， covering slash and spread techniques， SBA， LBA， and so much more。 The size range for the included basic patterns （basic bodice， strapless bodice， halter bodice， gathered halter bodice， mock-wrap bodice， cowlneck bodice， princess bodice， bias skirt， fluted six-panel skirt， straight skirt） that you mostly have to adapt yourself in order to create the different looks） are size 1 （32"-24"-34"） through size 12 （50-1/2"-42-1/2"-52-1/2"）。 If I were into self drafting perfectly fitting （very fitted） dresses， I might be into this （lots of inspiration， and some interesting/different skirt styles presented）， but since my sewing tends to be more of the looser-fitting， reconstructed thrift duds variety， I can't bring myself to study this for very long。 。。。more
Lia Marcoux
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I was impressed by how comprehensive this was; beginners could use it， but more experienced sewers wouldn't be put off。 I would have preferred to see the dresses modeled on more body types， but in the end the point was moot for my purposes， because while the book was well done none of it was my style。 I was impressed by how comprehensive this was; beginners could use it， but more experienced sewers wouldn't be put off。 I would have preferred to see the dresses modeled on more body types， but in the end the point was moot for my purposes， because while the book was well done none of it was my style。 。。。more
Mary Sixsmith
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Dressmakers - 5 Star Dream One's figure changes over time and standard patterns just don't fit any more。 Buying and making clothes became a nightmare Having studied many patterns and books， and destroyed a lot of fabric over many years I find this wonderful book My clothes now fit perfectly I purchased thick plastic sheeting to trace the patterns which is great as it doesn't move or tear。 Using a Permanent Marker， let the writing dry throughly as it will smudge otherwise Dressmakers - 5 Star Dream One's figure changes over time and standard patterns just don't fit any more。 Buying and making clothes became a nightmare Having studied many patterns and books， and destroyed a lot of fabric over many years I find this wonderful book My clothes now fit perfectly I purchased thick plastic sheeting to trace the patterns which is great as it doesn't move or tear。 Using a Permanent Marker， let the writing dry throughly as it will smudge otherwise 。。。more
Tracy Shephard
，
This is not a book for beginners。。But what Tanya Whelan has done is give us a book with mix and match patterns。 Her full and concise instructions and guidelines are quite easy to follow， however， if you are not an advanced dressmaker I recommend that you read through a few times before starting。Everything is covered， buttonholes， boning， seams zippers and even how to customise your dress form。Every dress is beautiful。 the photographs are amazing and there is not one that I didn't like。 From a ba This is not a book for beginners。。But what Tanya Whelan has done is give us a book with mix and match patterns。 Her full and concise instructions and guidelines are quite easy to follow， however， if you are not an advanced dressmaker I recommend that you read through a few times before starting。Everything is covered， buttonholes， boning， seams zippers and even how to customise your dress form。Every dress is beautiful。 the photographs are amazing and there is not one that I didn't like。 From a basic bodice， these dresses have all the styles。 one shoulder，halter neck and my favourite， the off the shoulder dress， Whelan shows us how to shape， pleat and fit each style to perfectly fit all our feminine shapes and sizes。 This comprehensive guide is a must have。 you will never need another dress pattern。Sew Many Dresses will help you design your dress and is full of ideas。 I loved the hard cover and a spiral bound book is always easier to work with。 If I have one gripe， it is the pattern itself。 As with all of these books the pattern sheets are double sided and the markings are all grey with lighter grey for varying sizes。 This made it very hard to follow。 As you have to trace your chosen pattern onto pattern paper， this is quite difficult。 especially if like me your eyesight is not very clear。 The patterns overlock and I found this very hard to decipher which line I needed to follow。 I loved this book and made a dress using a pattern which I have demonstrated on my blog。Highly recommended 。。。more
Lisa Leefeldt
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Very good pattern resource
Bekah
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This book pretty much has everything。 It walks you through everything， from supplies and fabrics to alterations and construction。 The book is laid out really well， though there are a few times while reading that something you have not yet read is referenced， so you might need to flip ahead before carrying on。 It is all very easy to read and understand。 Even if you are not someone who cares about wearing or sewing dresses， this has so many wonderful bits of advice that can be applied to sewing an This book pretty much has everything。 It walks you through everything， from supplies and fabrics to alterations and construction。 The book is laid out really well， though there are a few times while reading that something you have not yet read is referenced， so you might need to flip ahead before carrying on。 It is all very easy to read and understand。 Even if you are not someone who cares about wearing or sewing dresses， this has so many wonderful bits of advice that can be applied to sewing any sort of garment。 I borrowed this from my local library， but I definitely want to get a copy all for myself。 As I read， I kept a list of all the variations I want to try。 So excited to get my own copy and jump into making dresses for the spring and summer。 。。。more
Rachel
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This book is all about mix and match patterns。 There are several bodice patterns and skirt variations that can combine to make over 20 different dresses。 Lots of information about pattern alterations give even more variety by offering different sleeve and neckline options。 I have zero experience with pattern alteration but I feel like if I took my time， read all the instructions well， that I could learn a lot about it by making a couple of dresses with this book。
MJ
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I haven't actually read this book， just looked at the pictures : ） " interchangeable patterns to create 200+ unique patterns。" So I guess I like this for the many styles of bodice and skirt that can be recombined in many ways。 Basic pattern pieces are included but only go up to size 12 : （ （bummer， literally） I haven't actually read this book， just looked at the pictures : ） " interchangeable patterns to create 200+ unique patterns。" So I guess I like this for the many styles of bodice and skirt that can be recombined in many ways。 Basic pattern pieces are included but only go up to size 12 : （ （bummer， literally） 。。。more
Arpine Grigoryan
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Quite a useful book - lots of base patterns and detailed instructions for mixing and matching and customizing。 Highly recommend for beginners and intermediate sewers。
Heidi
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I love the mix and match options to make a dress and the instructions on adjusting the patterns to make many variations。 I wish she had gone into a little more detail in just a few areas （like maxi skirts and a few more skirt options and a little more info on sleeves）。 The last chapter on fitting looks helpful。 I am excited to use this book to make a dress （and hopefully many more）！
Lisa Geddes
，
its really very basic
Lydia Clark
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Very informative for sewing dresses and clothing。 Will be one of my main go to books when I make my first dress。
Trish
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All the dresses in this book are great！ I can't wait to make one。 All the dresses in this book are great！ I can't wait to make one。 。。。more
Amanda
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