Sewing for Fashion Designers

321 Pages·2015·11.87 MB·English

by  Anette Fischer

Sewing
for Fashion Designers

Sewing
for Fashion Designers
Anette Fischer
Laurence King Publishing
Published in 2015 by Laurence King Publishing Ltd
361–373 City Road
London EC1V 1LR
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [email protected]
www.laurenceking.com
© 2015 Laurence King Publishing
This work was produced by Laurence King Publishing Ltd, London.
Anette Fischer has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs,
and Patents Act 1988, to be identifi ed as the Author of this Work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval
system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-78067-230-4
Front cover photograph by James Stevens.
Back cover photographs catwalking.com.
Book design by The Urban Ant
Photography for step by steps by James Stevens
Sample makers Valentina Elizabeth and Sue Turoff
Line drawings by Gary Kaye
Picture research Evi Peroulaki
Printed in China
Contents
6 Introduction
8 Chapter 1 58 C hapter 2 192 The Sleeve
Getting Started Materials and Sewing Supplies 204 Hemlines
10 The Studio 59 Fabrics 212 Lining
11 Pins and Needles 62 Cotton 224 Fastenings
14 Cutting Equipment 64 Wool 245 The Finishing Touch
16 Marking Tools 66 Silk
18 Measuring Tapes and Rulers 68 Linen 246 Chapter 5
20 The Right Sewing Machine 70 Man-made and Synthetic Fibres Fabric- and Cut-Specifi c
for the Job 72 Textured Fabrics Techniques
23 Four Main Machine Stitches 74 Knitted and Jersey Fabrics 247 Working with Fabrics
24 Machines for Special Tasks 76 Lining Fabrics 248 Denim
26 What to Watch out for when 78 Lace 254 Knitted and Stretch-Woven Fabrics
Stitching Seams 80 Haberdashery 262 Transparent and Semi-Transparent
28 Pressing Equipment Fabrics
91 Supporting Materials
30 Taking Body Measurements 103 Corsetry and Underpinnings 270 Lace, Sequined and Beaded Fabrics
34 How to Work With Patterns 276 Napped and Pile Fabrics
36 U nderstanding Symbols 110 Chapter 3 282 Leather and Fur
on Patterns The Basic Stitches 290 Felted and Non-Woven Fabrics
39 Seam Allowance 111 Hand-Sewing Techniques 294 Latex, Neoprene and Plastic
40 Hem Allowance 119 Machine Seams and Seam Finishes Materials
42 Understanding the Fabric 300 Patterned Fabrics
44 How to Use the Grain Line 144 Chapter 4 306 Mixing Fabrics
46 Preparing the Fabric Sewing Techniques 310 Bias-Cut Fabrics
48 Pattern Layout on the Fabric 145 Garment Construction
52 How to Mark the Pattern onto 146 Gathers, Pleats, Tucks and Darts 312 Glossary
the Fabric 156 The Neckline 315 Further Reading
55 Cutting Out 165 The Waistline 316 Index
56 Industry Production Methods 177 Pockets 319 P icture Credits
320 A cknowledgements
Introduction
Sewing for Fashion Designers is a comprehensive guide to garment construction related
closely to contemporary fashion and combined with up-to-date manufacturing
methods. The book provides essential skills for basic construction methods and
explores techniques used within the fashion industry, showing how basic sewing
methods are applied at a designer level. Once the basic methods are mastered, the
sewer can explore more advanced techniques, which can be challenged to achieve
individual design ideas.
The book offers instructions, images and illustrations to assist fashion educators,
students and professionals working within the fashion industry. It will also
be invaluable to the sewer with an interest in fashion. To support each topic,
photographs of designer garments highlight garment construction techniques
and the materials used.
A pinboard is useful for keeping pattern pieces
organized and easily accessible.
Chapter 1 will introduce you to the sewing and pressing equipment used in fashion
studios and the fashion industry. A guide on taking body measurements leads into
working with paper patterns and understanding their symbols. A guide to seam and
hem allowances will assist you when drafting patterns. Basic cutting-out techniques,
the use of the grain line and how to prepare the fabric for cutting are all covered, plus
pattern layouts and how to mark the pattern pieces.
Chapter 2 introduces textiles, including natural and man-made fi bres, blends and
fabric fi nishing. It covers haberdashery, explaining different types and where they
are placed on garments. The reader is encouraged to explore other possibilities and
materials for decoration and fastening. Also discussed in this chapter are supporting
materials and where and how to apply them, quilting and padding techniques and
corsetry and underpinnings, including a guide to constructing a corset.
The basic stitches are explored in Chapter 3, with hand sewing followed by machine
seams and seam fi nishes. This chapter prepares the reader for sewing, with a section
on how to match up seams, with examples of reducing seam bulk, and how to construct
shaped seams. A section on taping seams leads to facings, exploring the different
shapes to help you make the right choice when using a facing as an edge fi nish.
Chapter 4 covers sewing techniques. Gathers, Pleats, Tucks and Darts shows how fullness
can be controlled to shape a garment onto the body. The Neckline introduces basic collar
shapes from step-by-step instructions for a shirt collar to fi nishing necklines with a
facing. A range of waistband fi nishes are shown in The Waistline including fastening
options. Pockets are presented with step-by-step sewing instructions, while The Sleeve covers
how to insert a sleeve, cuff openings and constructions. Various hemming methods, each
related to garment hem shapes and fabric types, are demonstrated in Hemlines.
Lining gives a good overview of how and when to use a lining, full and partial lining,
what to look out for and how to line a jacket. The placement and use of all types of
Fastenings are presented with step-by-step illustrations in the next section. Chapter 4
ends with The Finishing Touch stressing the importance of fi nal pressing.
Chapter 5 explores Fabric- and Cut-Specifi c Techniques. The specifi c materials discussed
are: denim; knitted and stretch-woven fabrics; transparent and semi-transparent
fabrics; lace, sequined and beaded fabrics; napped and pile fabrics; leather and fur;
felted and non-woven fabrics; latex, neoprene and plastic materials; and patterned
fabrics. Mixing fabrics within a garment and bias cutting are also discussed.
This chapter covers the specifi c construction of each material and what to watch out
for when buying, and guides the reader through the relevant pattern-cutting, cutting-
out and construction techniques, including fabric-specifi c seams, hems and edge
fi nishes and a guide to fastening ideas.
The sewing techniques in this book will provide a solid base for a career in fashion
design. With them, the sewer is free to begin experimenting, breaking the rules and
exploring new and more advanced sewing. This is the key to innovative garment design.
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