Taunton Press Couture Sewing The Couture Cardigan Jacket Book

This is a clearly illustrated with step by step directions for the person that is interested in coutour sewing. It is not a quick how to for people that want to complete their garment on a week end. Claire shares her vast knowledge expertly for the person that would like to create the highest quality garments. Her instructions could easily be followed by the less experienced seamstress. This book offers valuable information for the advanced sewist as well. The cd is a valuable added bonus. Very worthwhile book.

This is one of the best sewing books! I'm fascinated by the classic Chanel jacket because of it's iconic status and exquisite craftsmanship. I'm not one for designer labels, but I want a similar jacket for the quality. As a home sewer, it's one of those garments that done well, will be a source of pride for years to come. This book will help you get there. Three cheers for a book dedicated to the subject. I was wondering why this hadn't happened before. However, it is worth the wait! I love getting a sneak peak into Shaeffer's personal collection. The garment index makes interesting reading. On to the making of the jacket. Shaeffer starts at the beginning -- with suggested fabrics and a good pattern. Of course there is a section on the famous trims. There's a detailed resources section in the back of the book; you'll know where to go for what. The book assumes you can manage diagnosing and correcting any fit issues on your own. You'll do this with a toile. In terms of construction, this book breaks down a very daunting process into digestible chunks starting with the quilting. This is still advanced stuff and obviously includes tailoring. Please bone up on your hand stitches. There are chapters on buttonholes, the three-piece sleeve, edge finishing, hand-set sleeves, patch pockets and finishing. Perhaps my favorite chapter is "What Makes Chanel's Cardigan Jacket Different." I love it for the historical perspective. It helps ground you as you think about what you want your finished jacket to look like. In the DVD, you're walked through each step of the construction process. The DVD and the book can stand alone as complete instructional tools. Together, they are awesome. I will say that based on the reviews, I'd decided not to purchase Couture Sewing: Tailoring Techniques . After watching the DVD that accompanies this book, I will purchase Couture Sewing: Tailoring Techniques for the DVD. If the DVD instruction is as good as it is on this DVD, it's worth the purchase. If you want to make your own Chanel-style cardigan jacket, this book is a must. As other reviewers have mentioned, the techniques here are specific to construction a Chanel-style jacket, but they will help make you a better sewer as you apply them to other projects. This is a great addition to any sewing library.

So wonderful to have this detailed how-to guide at long last, just as Claire's fans have always wanted! Nice job, everybody, and congrats to Claire on another publishing milestone! As you'll see on the book's Resources page (137), Claire and I put together a vast digital image library based on her fabulous Chanel collection, with over 600 close-up, annotated inside, outside, and under the lining shots that you can zoom in on and ask questions about. The reference in the book left off the link to it, so here it is, in amazon-approved style: go to shaefferonchanel[dot]blogspot[dot]com. If you love Chanel and really want the inside scoop on these amazing creations, we think you'll be thrilled by this earlier labor of love from Claire.

I was very excited to receive this book. I have gone through much of the book, but I have not been able to watch the DVDs. There were some points where I thought the instructions were a bit confusing and not detailed enough. I am hoping the DVD will help with those points. However, I think the overall quality of the book is great. There are a lot of beautiful techniques included in it that I haven't seen anywhere else before. I love that she dicusses the quilting technique. I have always wanted to know how to accomplish that. I like that the pattern she discusses is available through Vogue. I look forward to following her instructions to complete a jacket before moving on to some more adventurous projects. In the back of the books she talks about different ideas for fabrics for the jacket, one of which is denim. I have always wanted a nice denim jacket, but I can never find one that suits me. If I add a collar to her basic pattern (the Vogue pattern) I can create the denim jacket I have always wanted. I am very pleased with this book.

In this book, Claire Shaeffer introduces couture sewing techniques and methods for the Chanel jacket. The meticulous research/studying of original Chanels, and the illustrations makes it a great guide for the home sewer enthusiast. The included DVD, complements her book very well. The instructions of cutting and shaping the jacket sections, princess seaming, quilting, making the 3-piece sleeve, adding the chain weight, creating the double buttonhole, etc. can be found in this book and the DVD. if you are not familiar with basic hand sewing, or couture methods of garment construction, I strongly recommend purchasing her revised & updated Couture Sewing Techniques book along with her Couture Techniques Workshop DVD (sold separately) before purchasing The Couture Cardigan Jacket. Why four stars? It would have been phenomenal if Mrs. Shaffer could have acquire at least one contemporary jacket to her collection and briefly discuss its features. Also, but since one of the things that makes a couture garment special is the attention to detail, a more detailed explanation on sewing different handworked tailored buttonholes, would had been appreciated.

This is another great book from Claire B. Shaeffer. Claire passes on her vast knowledge of couture sewing once again in this informative book. This information is hard to come by but Claire tells us what she knows from her many years of collecting Chanel jackets. She shows you how the excellence of couture can be achieved by the home sewer, including thread tracing and quilting the lining to the outer fabric. These are two necessary steps in the making of a Chanel jacket. The secret of a beautiful Chanel jacket is out there now because of this book.

I've been sewing most of my life but not what you would call couture. The techniques are so well explained and the photography is right on. A Chanel-type jacket will be a time-consuming project but I am looking forward to it and I feel much more confident now that I have this book at my fingertips. Claire Shaeffer has written this book with a lot of history as well as instruction. I read it cover to cover like a novel.

I have other books by Claire Shaefer and love every one. This one leads you through a single project, step by step, applying technique along the way. It also come with a DVD that is really well done. This book employs all the effective teaching techniques for adult learners: see, read, hear and do. So now you have no excuse except not finding the perfect fabric.