Happy Leap Day Everybody!
This is my final post in my short series about the Adele P Margolis book; Fashion Sewing for Everyone. I need to apologise first of all though as the images aren’t as clear as the previous two posts – my scanner has started to make some really hideous noises and refusing to work so I’ve had to photograph the pages I wanted to share with you instead. This means that the text isn’t quite so clear and the images not so straight. I hope you still enjoy them though?
As I mentioned last time, the vast majority of my post-its are in the tailoring section. As I have come to expect, there’s a large amount of information on pressing as this is a hallmark of tailoring.
“On of the hallmarks of fine tailoring is the pressing. One cannot thing of great tailoring without also thinking of those crisp edges, the flat seams and that subtly blocked-to-shape sculptured form. As important as pressing is to dressmaking, in tailoring it is raised to a fine art.”
She also describes the ingredients for pressing: Heat, Moisture, Pressure and Protection.
She uses analogies for the heat settings – high heat for vegetable fibres (cotton, linen) as “You can boil vegetables”! And a moderate heat for the animal fibres (silk, wool) as “Any gal can tell you that moderate heat is a beauty aid – setting your hair, getting a tan – but high heat can scorch hair and skin.” Erm, I see the point but this is about the only instance (other than some of the illustrations) that date the book – we now understand much more about tanning and its effects.
There’s also a section on pressing aids:
She includes instructions on how to make each of them, and that “others can be made by your father, bother, husband or favourite beau”. I’ll eventually be shelling out cold hard cash as I have no hope of persuading my husband to make a clapper or point press for me!
She also goes into details on pressing more delicate fabrics. The section on velvet immediately made me think of Debi at My Happy Sewing Place and the Scarlet O’Hara velvet dress she made.
And finally, for Peter over at Male Pattern Boldness, who has recently undertaken a coat in fake fur for his cousin Cathy,there’s a whole chapter:
There is so much in this book I wish I could share. As I’ve mentioned previously I’ve found it fascinating reading and it’s helped me out already. There are tips on lining which I’ll use when finishing off my Minoru. A chapter on sheers that I’ve already employed in my Taffy Jasmine (which has made no further progress as yet… The whole sew-life-work-Mother balance is a whole other think!) as well as tons of information on hair canvas, collars, buttons and their placement, seam construction for unlined jackets that will come in useful for future projects! But I don’t want to bore you all silly with it, or risk infringing copyright.
So as a solution, I’ve bought a second copy of the book! I’ll happily give it away to one of you lovely readers, anywhere in the world! All you need to do is:
- Comment below and if you’d like, let me know your new favourite sewing resource. Text or web, or some of you may even have a real-life person you can turn to who is always a fount of knowledge? I’d love to hear about the resources you’ve discovered and that have proven really helpful!
- By Midnight GMT on Wednesday 14 March 2012
Please make sure that you leave some way that I can contact you if you win so I can find out your shipping address!
Thank you for reading and Good Luck!
