Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing

As a woman who has a terrible time finding clothes to fit, I've tried sewing some of my own, with less than satisfactory results. Even after learning to regrade commercial patterns to fit, the finished garments never looked right--they all screamed "Hi there! I'm like, totally homemade!" As basic a garment as a shirt was an exercise in frustration; after struggling to get collars and cuffs to look "right" I was about to give... Read Full Review

As someone who is mostly interested in sewing clothes for myself (a man) I feel gypped by most sewing books that are 75% concerned with specific construction techniques for women's clothing. Finally a book where the variations for women are in effect relegated to sidebars. The author of this book, David Page Coffin, is the Senior Editor of Threads magazine, probably the best of the sewing magazines (not perfect, but at least... Read Full Review

I don't usually like sewing books-they're generally repetitive and contain little new information-but this is an exception. The author gives an incredible wealth of detail on the history and technique of shirtmaking. His patternmaking, stitching, cutting, layout and constuction techniques are well worth the price, and should prove beneficial to anyone who sews.It is not for beginners-it assumes the reader has mastered basic... Read Full Review

And I own quite a few. This book takes you step by step through shirtmaking, for men or women. But it's not just making shirts, it's about fine sewing. There are all sorts of details in the book, seam finishes, high-end details, discussions about shirting fabrics. It's the sort of book that makes you want to be a quality seamstress. Every page gives you the sense of how much the authors knows and loves this craft... Read Full Review