Jackets for Real People: Tailoring Made Easy!

Of the Fit For Real People Series, this is the most difficult of the three books. Perhaps rightfully so because a tailored jacket is a much a much more difficult garment. However, this book works hard to make the process more understandable. Early on, the book devotes a few pages to defining tailoring. Now, you know what you're in for! To increase your chances of success, the book suggests you divide the process of making a jacket into four blocks of time: -Planning and Fitting -Cutting Marking, Applying Interfacing and Pinning the Pieces into a ready-to-fit position -Sewing and Pressing -Finishing The fabrics chapter is very informative. It's a fabric glossary with suggestions as to which fabrics are easiest and those that are not the fastest to sew. The section on appropriate seam finishes was helpful. Chapter 4 is all about shaping fabrics. It defines lining, interfacing, underlining and interlining. It's mostly devoted to the discussion of interfacing. Surprise! There's a recommendation to use Perfect Fuse interfacing. Chapter 6 covers pressing. The fitting discussion starts happening in Chapter 7. The real how-to begins in Chapter 9, Cutting Marking and Interfacing. The next few chapters break down fitting and construction according to the various pieces of the garment: -Jacket Front -Back and Under Collar -Sleeves, Shoulder Pads and Chest Shaping -Facing, Upper Collar, Lining and Hems -Bagging a Lining -Buttonholes -More Pockets -Mitered Back Vent -Finishing Touches -The remaining chapters are: -Tips That Will Improve All of Your Sewing -Plaids and Stripes -Men's Jackets This book would be an excellent addition to any sewing library. It provides a wealth of information. There's an in-depth knowledge here that you won't get from the tailoring chapter in a general-reference sewing book. I'm glad I made the purchase.

Like its companion Palmer-Plesch "real people" books on general fitting and pants fitting, this does not confine itself to the perfect size 6 figure. The photos are inspirational for that alone! More importantly, it gives valuable pointers in how to work with the bodies most of us actually have (versus the runway models' bodies the pattern manufacturers have designed for). I own several books on tailoring, and I would rate this one of the very best in explaining how to do it. Making a tailored jacket is an intimidating project; with this book, the mystery is reduced. The photographs are excellent and the instructions concise and easily understood. Anyone making a tailored jacket for a woman of just about any shape or size would find it helpful--and much of the information would apply to making a comparable garment for a man.

This book teaches you a lot of useful tailoring techniques, primarily speed tailoring using fusible interfacing. The book will guide you through each step of the process of making a jacket, from choosing appropriate fabric and pattern for your sewing skills, to fitting, cutting, marking and sewing the jacket and lining. They have excellent instructions for making welt pockets, bound buttonholes and bagging the lining. I don't know how I survived without this book! They also have a chapter about the most common fit alterations, but for more complete directions I recommend their book Fit for Real People.