Custom Look, The (The Art of Sewing)

In every creative endeavor there is a peak of excellence in both concept and rendering toward which all conscientious artists strive. In the world of sewing and needle-work, haute couture represents this sublime level of achievement. Here is where the grand couturiers–Canel, Dior, Norell, Balenciaga, Valentino, Cadin, Galanos–stand like giants. Their clothes are custom-made in every aspect–construction, fit, detail and finishing– and it is haute couture s continuing devotion to such perfection that gives it pride of place in the world of fashion. The Custom Look, another volume in TIME-LIFE BOOKS series The Art of Sewing, is your pathway to this heady world of elegant design, beautiful fabrics and couturier sewing techniques. here you will discover how to create your own custom clothes. Beginning with ideas and suggestions for matching fabric to design through the crucial fitting muslin to the final tiny hand stitches, all the steps are here, fully illustrated with handsome color photographs and detailed diagrams. Fabrics used in couture clothes are the most beautiful in the world. Shimmering silks, creamy, lustrous linens, deep, soft woolens, glittering metallics, bold-patterned cottons, supple knits–all are staples in the workrooms of couturiers. To easy your way as you begin to work with these special, often very expensive materials, there is a detailed chart explaining how each responds to hand sewing, machine sewing, pressing and cleaning methods. – – Partial excerpt from flap of book

In every creative endeavor there is a peak of excellence in both concept and rendering toward which all conscientious artists strive. In the world of sewing and needle-work, haute couture represents this sublime level of achievement. Here is where the grand couturiers–Canel, Dior, Norell, Balenciaga, Valentino, Cadin, Galanos–stand like giants. Their clothes are custom-made in every aspect–construction, fit, detail and finishing– and it is haute couture s continuing devotion to such perfection that gives it pride of place in the world of fashion. The Custom Look, another volume in TIME-LIFE BOOKS series The Art of Sewing, is your pathway to this heady world of elegant design, beautiful fabrics and couturier sewing techniques. here you will discover how to create your own custom clothes. Beginning with ideas and suggestions for matching fabric to design through the crucial fitting muslin to the final tiny hand stitches, all the steps are here, fully illustrated with handsome color photographs and detailed diagrams. Fabrics used in couture clothes are the most beautiful in the world. Shimmering silks, creamy, lustrous linens, deep, soft woolens, glittering metallics, bold-patterned cottons, supple knits–all are staples in the workrooms of couturiers. To easy your way as you begin to work with these special, often very expensive materials, there is a detailed chart explaining how each responds to hand sewing, machine sewing, pressing and cleaning methods. – – Partial excerpt from flap of book