Customer Rating: 
List Price: $24.95
Best Price: $24.00 (new), $24.50 (used)
Availability: New (3), Used (6)
Author: Donald H. McCunn
Edition: Revised
ISBN: 0932538002
Number of Pages: 190
Publication Date: 1977-11-01
Publisher: Design Enterprises of San Francisco
Customer Review
An Incredible book about garment design fundamentals and fitting
by Customer ASYCWTSCPT91Q at August 10th, 2008
I bought this book after reading many of the reviews right here on Amazon. I have several other books on patternmaking, sloper-making, and fitting, and they all have some merit, but this is by far the best book.
There seems to be some confusion in the negative reviews of this book regarding what this book is about. This is not a book that shows you pictures of clothes (like a fashion magazine) and then tells you how to make them. It teaches the reader the principles of design in a very thorough manner in order to allow the reader to create their own designs.
It gives the reader precise, detailed instructions on how to create slopers for bodices, sleeves, pants, and skirts. It gives detailed fitting instructions for difficult to fit bodies - sloping or uneven shoulders, rounded backs, post-mastectomy, tummies and/or thighs, asymmetrical bodies, etc. It is the most thorough book I've seen. It allows the reader to make a master garment that fits the client perfectly. That is the first and most important step in pattern creation. If the clothes don't fit properly they can never look good on the client no matter what the style or fabric. The master garment can also provide the reader with the information they need to fit commercial patterns to the client.
It then goes on to explain design techniques - how to move darts, change darts to seams and vice versa, how to add fullness, how to change necklines, add pleats, etc., - so that the reader can create any type of garment they desire. There are many examples to show how to create many types of looks. If the reader has visions of garments they'd like to create, this book will make it happen.
The combination of the master garment and the design techniques allow the reader to create garments they desire with incredible fit, no matter the body type.
The section on pants fitting is especially good, and is probably the only pants-making-fitting guide you will ever need.
There is even a section - believe it or not - on making a dress form from cardboard. I haven't tried it yet. I may for one of my clients, but considering that good dress forms cost a minimum of $3-400, and can cost a lot more - it might be worth the effort.
Overall, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Even if the reader only goes through the process of creating the master garments to aid in the fitting of commercial patterns, it is well worth it because this kind of understanding can take their overall garment-making to a much higher level.
« product details and checkout
