Sew Many Dresses, Sew Little Time: The Ultimate Dressmaking Guide

This is an excellent book that incorporates all aspects of dressmaking into one easy-to-read reference. In addition to the mix-and-match pieces (bodices, necklines/collars, sleeves, and skirts), the book also has sections on techniques (including installing zippers), linings/facings, fabric basics, and fit. The funnest part is being given the tools to be creative with dress design in a detailed, but clear, way. As a lover of vintage dresses, there is enough information here to keep me occupied with hobby dressmaking for years.The best part of the book is that it shows how you can modify any of the bodice designs to come up with the look that you're after. The author shows you how to shift darts, turn darts into gathers, turn darts into pleats, color block through pattern modification, etc. Suddenly, I can look at any dress and understand how a basic bodice (sloper, as I think it's called in the industry) can be modified to create that particular look. Suddenly, I have a totally different set of eyes when I look at dresses (Modcloth, anyone?), and I know that I have the tools to create the pattern for the design.As everything perfect in life, the book has a few flaws. First, the section on pattern fitting (which most of us have to do) is quite short, and, as the author herself states, is not very comprehensive. But it does have fit basics, such as bust adjustments. If you are new to adjustments and fit, a second reference on pattern fitting would be great to have on hand. Make sure that you know what adjustments you need for your own body, given the sizing of the pieces, before attempting all the splendid pattern modifications that the author describes! In particular, definitely be sure to get a great fit with the basic bodice by making as many toiles as you need before heading into pattern modification candyland.Second, there are so many awesome dress photos in the book, but none of them say anything about the type of fabric used for the sample. For those of us who are less experienced, seeing how different fabrics look off the bolt and on the body would be very educational. Not a complaint, just a wish.Third, if you are new to dressmaking, the instructions are very clear. However, there is not a section where a single dress is created step-by-step from start to finish. If you are not detail-oriented, it is easy to miss small, but crucial things as you flip between sections (which the author is very good about referencing, but still...). But if you are an adventurous beginner, definitely go for it.All in all, this book is wonderful! I am so glad that I bought it. For the intelligent sewer who would prefer to design rather than follow a pattern - this is it.PS As others have stated, you will be doing some tracing to be able to use the patterns.

I'm so excited about this book!!! I'm an intermediate sewer. I've been sewing for more than 20 years but I prefer home dec projects to clothing because with sites like Sew4Home.com and sewmamasew.com where they turn out all free, all high quality patterns, my finished home dec projects have come put nicer than clothes patterns, which I still buy at the store and which sometimes work out great, and other times, are a total disaster (granted, Sew Mama Sew has lots and lots of clothes patterns, and whatever clothes I've sewed of theirs has turned out fantastic). For instance, last week I tried my first shirt dress, McCall's M6891, and had to read 4 blog posts about how to do the facing and collar, and it's still not perfect. Face punch.I already own Whelan's first book, Sew What You Love, which is a wonderful book and I've already made many of the patterns in this book (the on the go dress/top is a wardrobe--and sewing--game changer!!! Omg shirring!!!!! Where have you been all my life!!!!! Plus my friend's 3 year old loves the 2 apple pie poofs I made for her room!!!). When I saw the Sew Many Dresses book come out, I salivated like Pavlov's dog. At last, it is mine. Mine! The precious!!!!Erm ok.This review is my initial impressions of the book, before I've cut out a single pattern or piece of fabric. The premise of the book is simply fantastic--have a working vocabulary of half a dozen bodices, skirts, sleeves, and collars, and you can pretty much assemble any type of dress, from beach cover up to wedding gown, that fits YOU perfectly and is 100% a product of your own imagination--no one is going to have the same dress (any lady going to prom, a formal event, a ball, etc., understands how critical it is to be 100% original!!).I've read this book cover to cover and Whelan's directions are careful, clear, and inspiring. If you are a beginner or intermediate sewer, anxious about tackling things like a knit long sleeve dress, working with silk (what if you screw it up and it looks awful??? Sob!!!), inserting a zipper, sewing a shirt dress, or sewing a set-in sleeve, this book is for you. All the dresses are A-line shape, which is flattering for every body type (although there is a discussion on creating an empire waist). There is a LOT here to help you expand your sewing skills. The projects are beautiful but the lines of the dresses are unfussy, which makes these projects firmly in the realm of the home sewer. Once you feel proficient in the types of bodices and skirts, modifications can be made. For example, pockets could easily be inserted in the dirndl skirt, box-pleat skirt, straight skirt and its modifications, and circle skirt. I'm fairly certain you could adapt the mock-wrap bodice and the mandarin collar in order to create an Asian style dress with frog claps (and who doesn't absolutely love that look?!).To bring this review full circle, the McCall's dress pattern is $19.95. This book is less than $20 and contains the well written, beautiful patterns for over 200 dresses. You will be inspired with this book. Need I say more??? Seriously, buy it now!!!I will update my review after I make a dress or two!!!!!! Wish me luck!!!!!![...]So making dresses in this book requires a significant time investment for the pattern preparation, deciding which tops and bottoms to combine, etc. I've decide to make one dress every month for a year, and I'm blogging about the experience:[...]

Absolutely fabulous. She has twelve sizes included. You can use the bodice of the size you need with the skirt size you need. Sizes run about two inches different bust, waist, hips with the largest size about 501/2, 42 1/2, and 52 1/2 hips. The smallest size is 32, 24, 34 so this author was very inclusive with her sizes. I love that! She gives good ideas on how to transfer patterns, add lining, and general use of dress forms. Reading through she even suggests where a beginner sewer should start to gain confidence. There is enough general information on how to alter patterns as well as mixing and matching to inspire the more experienced seamstress. Great ideas. My only caveat is I have several larger sized friends who are curvy and would have liked to see a photo or two of a dress on a body type like theirs. It is difficult to produce a pattern book of this caliber while being all inclusive, I felt the author did her best with the range of sizes included.

The book is fabulous. The explanations are great. The variety is endless. The one draw back...can't understand the patterns. Trying to sew a boatneck dress along with a bias skirt. No luck since the patterns are all intertwined and quite difficult to decipher. If I get the patterns sorted I would give this book 5 stars. I am a beginner, I learnt to draft a simple A-line skirt, fitted dress, 6-gore skirt and button front shirt and so was hoping that this book would add variety to my repertoire but no such luck yet. I wish there was web site where you can download the individual sized patterns as required. That would help a great deal.