Design-It-Yourself Clothes by Cal Patch

Book Review: Design-It-Yourself: Pattenmaking Simplified by Cal Patch

The Breakdown
This 158 page book, Design-It-Yourself: Pattenmaking Simplified by Cal Patch takes patternmaking to a whole new level! Patch's book is separated into 3 parts: Preparing & Taking Measurements, Making Patterns, and Customizing and fitting. Patch offers fun and modern directions for completing 20 different garments. The book is filled
with detailed description and instruction for building the perfect pattern; she not only tells how to make it, but also explains as to the reason you should pay extra attention to tailoring, detail and fabric choices. Patch includes countless drawings and detailed graphs in attempt to leave no questions unanswered. The book includes a table of contents and index, as well as a references page, and a helpful measurement conversion chart.

My Favs about this book

My favorite things in the book is that it's easy to navigate and is extremely detailed. Patch's book made me excited to make my own patterns and offered an amazing foundation to do just that! Patch encourages the reader to think big and realize that you can create patterns for any piece of clothing! Another favorite part of the book was the section that explained how to create patterns from pieces of clothing that you already own.....and showed how to do it without cutting them up! This was right down my alley and I hope that Patch considers writing an entire book dedicated to this sometime down the road too! Okay, another fav about this book was Patch's section on "Insider Sewing Techniques." She broke down and simplified various seam finishes (mock-french seam, overedge zigzag, etc.) and explained to the readers exactly how to execute the finish flawlessly.

Big Gulp....Anything I would change about the book
Although I very much enjoyed this book I fear it's certainly not a perfect fit for a novice sewer without the inspiration or desire to learn. The book is filled with such wonderful information, but if you're not necessarily ready for the challenge than it could seem overwhelming.

I certainly recommend Cal Patch's book to add to your crafting inspiration collection. This would be a perfect book for a sewing buddy's birthday!