I love this book. I haven't actually made a pattern out of it yet, but just reading it gave me such an insight into pattern making and modifying. I'm waiting to have a bit of time and the right paper to start. You can even make a double of yourself with the measurements you take, an inexpensive way of trying garments instead of the expensive options. I recommend this book to anyone that sews and wants to go beyond the tracing, cutting patterns and following instructions to sew. MN, Ireland.

This is a terrific book! I've just started working my way through it and I'm impressed. I've used other methods before, but this one seems workable.

You know how sometimes you just loved a certain class because the teacher made it so easy and fun to learn?
Well...this book is just like it!

I read some reviews saying that the book was written a long time ago, but the basics are all there! The writer seems to really enjoy teaching and doesn't overpower you with detail, yet explains all the important points in a very unique perspective. If you have never sewn anything in your life (besides pillow cases:)), then this book is for you! I would highly recommend it to every beginning tailor or seamstress.

I bought this book after reading many of the reviews right here on Amazon. I have several other books on patternmaking, sloper-making, and fitting, and they all have some merit, but this is by far the best book.

There seems to be some confusion in the negative reviews of this book regarding what this book is about. This is not a book that shows you pictures of clothes (like a fashion magazine) and then tells you how to make them. It teaches the reader the principles of design in a very thorough manner in order to allow the reader to create their own designs.

It gives the reader precise, detailed instructions on how to create slopers for bodices, sleeves, pants, and skirts. It gives detailed fitting instructions for difficult to fit bodies - sloping or uneven shoulders, rounded backs, post-mastectomy, tummies and/or thighs, asymmetrical bodies, etc. It is the most thorough book I've seen. It allows the reader to make a master garment that fits the client perfectly. That is the first and most important step in pattern creation. If the clothes don't fit properly they can never look good on the client no matter what the style or fabric. The master garment can also provide the reader with the information they need to fit commercial patterns to the client.

It then goes on to explain design techniques - how to move darts, change darts to seams and vice versa, how to add fullness, how to change necklines, add pleats, etc., - so that the reader can create any type of garment they desire. There are many examples to show how to create many types of looks. If the reader has visions of garments they'd like to create, this book will make it happen.

The combination of the master garment and the design techniques allow the reader to create garments they desire with incredible fit, no matter the body type.

The section on pants fitting is especially good, and is probably the only pants-making-fitting guide you will ever need.

There is even a section - believe it or not - on making a dress form from cardboard. I haven't tried it yet. I may for one of my clients, but considering that good dress forms cost a minimum of $3-400, and can cost a lot more - it might be worth the effort.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Even if the reader only goes through the process of creating the master garments to aid in the fitting of commercial patterns, it is well worth it because this kind of understanding can take their overall garment-making to a much higher level.

The book is wonderful. It helps me very much. The only thing is
that I only asked por ONE and I received two I do not know what
happened. I am going to buy another book about Patterns soon.
Tankyou. Blanca Hernàndez

Okay, it isn't filled with beautiful color photos, but if you really want to learn to draft patterns from scratch for yourself or someone else, this is an excellent book, and MUCH less expensive than textbooks with similar information. The author has an e-group (referenced in the book) where you can get help from him and other from other students as you go through the process. The book takes you step-by-step from measuring yourself (this alone is worth the price of the book) or someone else through drafting the basic blocks, designing the darts with a sort of draping technique, transferring darts to the block, and fine-tuning the fit through the second fitting. Then it goes on to teach you how to manipulate the basic blocks to design any garment you can imagine.

I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THIS ITEM. IT IS ALL I HAD EXPECTED AND MORE!

I bought the book to learn how to draft my own patterns. This book has an excellent teaching manner. It's easy to understand and explains why it emphasizes what it does. This book is also helpful for teaching yourself how to alter purchased patterns.

The photos and line drawings are very simple and do seem outdated but that's completely irrelevant for teaching you what you need to know. It teaches methods to sew anything in any style from any era. Once you know the methods, you can raise or lengthen hemlines, sleeves, taper things in or out, etc. and so forth.

The one caveat I have is that if you don't know how to insert a zipper or make buttonholes, when to use interfacing, or when not to, this book will not teach it to you. This book is how to make a pattern. If you need to learn sewing techniques, then get an additional book on the basics of sewing. Pattern drafting and sewing techniques are two different things! Just because you know how to do one does not mean the other will come automatically.

I doubt I'd make this the first book I'd want when first learning to make garments but by the time you're comfortable making basic garments, this is a fantastic addition to your library. I doubt I'll ever part with it and if my friends want to borrow it, I'll buy them their own copy because I never want to lose it!

I have been looking for a book that actually delivers what is on the front cover. I bought this book because I have been trying to make a pair of dance pants from scratch. From all the books that I bought hoping to be able to use in my application, this was the one. Sometimes a bit confusing I still managed to make my project, and not bad looking and fitting. If you want to learn how to measure and apply to a pattern this is it. Len

If you ever wanted to make your own patterns, this is the book for you. It is well-written and easy to follow, geared toward the home sewer like myself. I don't use any of my other pattern-making books anymore...don't need to! It's all there!!!! Well worth the cost when you think in terms of finally having something fit the first time around and do not need to make any alterations. Love it!!!

This book gives a beginner all of the information they need in order to draft a pattern based on any person's form so that they can then continue on and alter the pattern to any style they choose. The only complaint that I have is that is a bit outdated, although the instructions are still perfect for the task.

I've taken classes in flat pattern design, and this is the absolute best text I've encountered yet ... and I have several such texts.

Go for it, if you want to understand not only the what but the why of what you're doing

I bought this book with excitement, and got some aid in patternmaking. But it's nothing to write home about. I never, ever made a pattern before, and this book didn't help very much. While it has a moderate amount of patterns, they are all variations of one another and the diagrams are very, very sparce. They illustrate the "basic" pattern and show you how to spread it out to make a "new" pattern. It isn't very clear, especially to someone who has no training in design whatsoever. It also lacks a lot of description and uses otherwise unfamiliar terms with candor. The author assumes a lot about the reader.

I would recommend a more extensive book, or take a course at a college.

This is a good book for the beginning pattern maker. Has all the basic information needed to draft your first patterns.

I have used this book to draft the basic slopers for my daughters and then to alter them for a variety of styles. The only major drawback was that the information is geared to adult sizes and does not include information such as standard ease amounts for childrens patterns. Also did not include much information on drafting patterns for stretch fabrics.

I would buy this book again.

I have always been interested in making my own patterns, to personalize to my body-am excited to get started. The only book you'll need for personal pattern making!!!!

At first when I opened the book I was disappointed that the pictures were in black and white and that the drawings were hand sketches. But as I began to read through the book I just couldn't put it down. I found this publication to be very informative and easy to learn. The techniques employed are simple to master. The layout of the book should be revised for an easier flow of reading but the context was of great value. A must add to any sewer's library.

Excellent book. Step by step instructions for making patterns and the logic behind each step. Besides learning to make patterns, the book would be helpful for alterations. The process is based on each person's actual measurement to achieve well fitting garments. I highly recommend it.

I have only just begun reading this book but already agree with many other reviews. This book goes into detail on how patterns are created fron the actual human form. It's exactly what I have been looking for and would recommend it for anyone who is ready to start designing their own clothes or matching commercial designs for personal use.
Very easy to read an straight forward explanations. Includes both male and female examples. A a male this is hard to come by.
Buy this book as you will not regret it.

A little time with this book has really taken the guess work out of making my own patterns. I was almost giddy when the first pattern I made with this method went together better than a smiliar purchased pattern I had used in the past. I would have apreciated a few color photographs and some fashion design information, but one book cannot hold everything.

I love this book! I have never taken a pattern making class before and I just learned to sew a year ago. So you do not need to be experienced with sewing or pattern making to be able to use this book. I was able to make a slopper pattern based on my own measurements, then the book teaches you how to edit the basic pattern into a new design. This book is great! The only thing I do not like about the book is that it does not teach you how to draft a sleeveless bodice. Other than that, this book is great for beginners because it is so easy to follow and really explains what you are doing. I highly recommend this book!

excellent book for a beginner. it has helped me tremedously

This book is so easy to follow. The wording and drawings make it understandable. Explains how to make pattern for puff sleeves, yokes,and everything almost imaginable. This is a must have for anybody who wants to make their own clothes!

I thought I would learn how to draft my own patterns, and this book teaches you how--if you lived in 1976. I think this book would teach you how to make an impressive wardrobe than friends would be envy of if we lived nearly four decades ago. Most of the items he goes over is completely out of fashion such as peasant sleeves, gathered waistlines, and leg-o-mutton sleeves. Another things that rather bugged me is that they went over how to draft a men's suit, but ignored how to draft a women's suit. There is a lot of salvageable information here, enough for someone with the know-how to pick out and use for his/her own drafting, however unless you're in love with the vintage way of the 1970s, don't get it. I'm rather disappointed that I did.

This is the single most useful sewing book I have ever read. I would literally take this book with me to the proverbial deserted island (the better to make skirts out of palm leaves with). I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you sew garments, you NEED this book.

The book covers not only the basics of skirts, pants, and tops, but also how to take measurements and do fittings - including on yourself!, how much ease to leave, how to move darts, how to tell if you need to change purchased patterns, and how to produce various styles - even fairly complex ones like leg-of-mutton sleeves.

It has a few small flaws - such as claiming that women's pants sit at the waist because it was written in the seventies, not really covering stretch fabrics, and not explaining how to make sure extra fabric puffs out instead of drooping down - but they're nothing compared to the immense overall usefulness of the book. It also does not cover foundation garments (bras, corsets, hoop skirts, etc), though that's really a topic all it's own, so I can only hope they someday come out with a companion volume.

The author is very clear and concise in introducing the subject. He both talks about modifying store patterns and in creating your own patterns and slopers from individual measurements. Then he discusses how to take the slopers and modify them to create a variety of patterns that would match modern store patterns, but to the individual's measurements. No more baggy-too tight clothing! He also covers how to make your own temporary fitting manikin and how to measure yourself if you don't have someone to help. All in all an excellent manual for the clothing designer.

This book is just average. There are better books out there.

I must have fifteen books on pattern making- I'm a fashion design student who is trying to make it through pattern drafting! Honestly, this is the only book I ever use. I take it to class and all of my classmates ask me where I got it, because it helps them as well. If you need a book that is extremely down to earth in it's approach, then this is for you. I applaud Donald McCunn for knowing that when you're doing something like pattern drafting, you want a book that is going to remind you how to do basic stuff like take measurements. Also- plenty of pictures (even though they're black and white, they are easy to see.) I love this book!

Wow, I'm impressed. I've been sewing since I was about eight--I won't tell you how long ago that was!--and even got into designing my own clothing as a teenager. Because of this experience I was already aware of the degree to which one can combine patterns or redesign parts of them to suit one's own design ideas. What I had not learned already was the wonderful principles of measurement--especially self measurement--provided by the author or of the methods by which a pattern piece could be altered easily and more precisely.

The chapters on altering patterns for the bodice and sleeves of blouses or of skirt darts and drapes, etc. were amazing and so easy. The word descriptions sometimes get a little confusing, but a quick look at the illustrations makes any issues clearer immediately.

I felt that the explanations especially of fitting the garment to the figure of the wearer were very informative and helpful--they were definitely worth the price of the book. Little that I had learned previously prepared me as well as this book did for fixing design flaws. One still has to recognize what looks well on the individual for whom the apparel is designed, but at last no one is expected to diet down to the figure of a hat-rack with a head to wear a nicely designed and fitted garment.

Those who like to buy commercially made clothing might also appreciate the information on tailoring garments to the figure, since from these instructions, problems areas in fitting might also be corrected with a little additional work.

One of the more interesting facets of the book is the set of instructions for putting together a posterboard designer's model for fitting clothing without the wearer's presence. The stiff material of the paper model of a blouse or dress, sans bust, is made from a pattern, and a padded bra placed over it to help with fitting. Ingeneous and very inexpensive!

This book is excellent for home or professional sewers who want to make their own patterns from scratch that fit perfectly on imperfect bodies - something design school books generally don't cover. This easy to understand guide shows how to measure yourself or others to make patterns for both men and women in many different styles, as well as how to make up a mannequin, and how to alter store-bought patterns. This simple, straight-forward, inexpensive book is easily worth more than any high-priced designer school book I've seen.

This book is packed full of drawings so that you can visually compare them to the written content. It's very useful, just be aware that it is an older book so a lot of the styles are out of date, still the principles remain. No matter your style, the technical information is worth the purchase.

This book is so easy to follow....all the way from how to do your own measurements up to designing my own clothes. Best sleeves I've ever drafted. Highly recommend it to everyone who is tired of RTW that doesn't fit and comercial patterns that don't fit. You won't be sorry!

Great Book. This book takes all of the guess work out of pattern drafting. It is also very easy to follow. It teaches you how to first draft the basic patterns, then it explains how to incorporate different designs into your patterns. This is a must-have for the person who is tired of buying commercials patterns that do not fit. You will gain a better understanding of commercial pattern design and how to alter them by reading this book.

This book should be an industry standard. It is perfect for beginners and more advanced. Every detail of clothing design and pattern drawing is very well explained. Thank you Donn.

This book totally lived up to all the reviews posted here. It is very easy to follow and INFINITELY USEFUL! I love to design clothes but I am completely self-taught. This book really helped me to transform my ideas into perfect patterns! I am soooo glad I bought this book!

This book is a worthwhile buy, it's very clear and simple and provides a lot of basic information you need to start to wrap your brain around pattern making. A great primer.