The Fitting Book: Make Sewing Pattern Alterations & Achieve the Perfect Fit You Desire

I have made my own clothes since I was 10, I am now of State Pension age. As my body changed over the years and most patterns stuck to their hour glass model of the average woman’s shape I found sewing produced disappointing results. The invention of the Internet allowed access to help guides and videos which did provide answers to several of my fit issues. There is a downside though, you have to know the technical term for your problem and then keep pressing ‘pause’ on the video or constantly refreshing the computer screen. I get a weekly newsletter from ClothSpot an on-line fabric shop based in the UK. Each week they recommend a book, usually a novel. A couple of weeks ago this book was featured. I decided to check it out on Amazon. Over the last 10 years I have bought several sewing books and have been disappointed with the majority of them. Many remain unused. The size range of their patterns is limited, a lot of them you have to download, and many lack a guide on ‘how to perfect’ their pattern to fit your body. I stopped buying books when the enclosed patterns just didn’t suit me - most were too young in style. Having checked out this book I decided to order it. Following its arrival I spent the evening reading it, not something normal for me with ‘how to’ type books. I most certainly haven’t regretted my purchase. The quality of the diagrams, the ‘pace’ of the descriptions - you don’t go from Step 1 - cut out your fabric to Final Step - sew your hem, in three steps - and the range of issues covered is considerable. I have so many post-it tabs now to highlight various possible fixes for my patterns. For example, I have made the same tee shirt pattern for a couple of years finding the end result to be okay. Before I started making another tee shirt a couple of weeks ago I checked the section based on wide shoulders, something I have. My pattern and my body shoulder measurements didn’t match. Following the guidelines from page 87 onwards I started to alter my pattern (I trace my patterns from the original so I always have a ‘perfect’ copy to refer back to if things go array). I adjusted my pattern by under a cm but the difference to the fit of the finished garment is considerable. Do not worry if you haven’t been sewing for long or that you might not understand the instructions, this book is useful for beginners as well as experienced stitchers.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn how to alter patterns & construct garments that actually fit. Very easy to follow step by step instructions & contains QR codes throughout the book to scan for video assistance. Would recommend to sewers of all abilities.

I’m so pleased with this book. It covers all the aspects of pattern adjustment I need. Easy, clear instructions. I wish I had this book ages ago and then I wouldn’t have had so much difficulty with fitting/adjusting my paper patterns. 😀

Great book

This book was very helpful. It solved most of my problems and the videos guided me through each step. I appreciate that the Author made it/ designed it for a learner and advanced tailor. I personally recommend it Worth buying 😊 I love this book.

It's a great book that simply breaks down how to alter self drafted and commercial patterns and the fit of garments. It also has accompanying videos accessed by qr code. There are even images of how to place pattern rulers to create shapes which has been useful and I'm looking forward to working through the book.

I love this book. It has everything I need to help me with my fitting issues. Yes, I can find most of the information on-line somewhere but now I have it all in one place and don't need to search for it. The links to videos via the QR codes are so helpful for the people who are visual learners.

I really did want to love this book but it fell short of my expectations, I found the author’s constant assertions that her book/method is better than all of the others and somehow so unique that it’s trademarked incredibly off putting, especially as I have a number of other books which cover the same information with much better illustrations and details (And for a lower cost as many are available second hand ). One clear example of better information being available elsewhere is with measurements - in this book, measurements are given a single page, and only waist, bust and hips are covered, with no illustrations to show optimal positioning of your measure but instead a suggestion to sign up to the author’s online mini course on taking measurements which runs twice a year. By contrast, my cheap second hand copy of Sandra Betzina’s ’Fast Fit’ has numerous pages dedicated to measurement taking, with lots of clear photographs and tips for getting your most accurate measurements, and no need to wait until a blue moon comes around and you can take an online course. As side note, I think that if an online mini course is truly “free”, it should just be available as a pre-recorded option, not as something running twice a year, especially if your book is encouraging people to rely on it for their basic information. Another frustration is the fact that she recommends making a moulage (although apparently her method is the only method that will teach you how to do it accurately, which I think might be slightly bending the truth) but doesn’t teach you how to make one and instead directs you to yet another course, on her trademarked GRD method, only the course isn’t running again until late 2022 and, as referenced by another reviewer, is expensive to attend. The actual pattern fitting information is perfectly fine, but nothing you can’t find in another places for a lower cost and with a higher quality of information. For a book of basic line drawings with an ever present hard sell of additional courses which aren’t even running, £25 felt a little too steep and as a result I ended up sending the book back and using the money to buy 3 second hand books on fitting by well established authors that provide all the information contained in this book and more. EDIT: Since writing this review, the author has blocked me on Instagram (I’d previously sent her some messages trying to clarify things I didn’t understand before ultimately deciding to return the book and I’m guessing she matched my name to this review). Make of that what you will.

Useful knowledge.

Super livre. Malgré le fait qu'il soit en anglais donc peut être difficile pour certaines personne qui ne comprennent pas le vocabulaire technique, je trouve que c'est claire et très compréhensible, avec les illustrations et les photos pas besoin de plus.

I’ve been sewing clothing of all kinds for almost 40 years, from lingerie and wedding dresses to jeans and outerwear. This is the best book I’ve seen in all these years. The techniques are well explained and illustrated well so that a beginner can understand, and advanced enough to help me fit any garment and any body. I don’t buy many books in hard copy anymore but this is one I like to keep handy in my sewing room. Highly recommend.

Eu amei! É um livro super completo! Muita informação preciosa. Super recomendo!

Excellent