When requested, I did not realize this was a digital book.
I'm not entirely certain if it ever downloaded, and I was unable to access it.
Thank you for the opportunity, and I wish I had been able to provide better feedback on the content.

This was an informative and easy to follow guide. I look forward to referring to it for future projects.

I am a quilter. I have had no formal training with clothes and clothes are hard to sew. I love that this book takes you through the basics. It takes you through what to do if a certain part of the garment does not fit. I have a really tall- skinny 5'8 daughter. A shorter- normal 5'4 daughter. I am 5'3 and I don't look like I did as a teenager. We are three different people with three different body types shopping at the same store.
I now know how to take these patterns or clothes I have purchased and make them to fit all three of us. It will take some trial and error, and I know that I will make mistakes. But with this book by my side, I know that I will be able to conquer the alterations needed.

I am an advanced sewer but I often teach others how to sew. I think books like this are very important to help people learn how to sew well. I have always felt one of the worse things someone can say about your project is that it looks homemade. Usually it comes down to how the fit of the dress is. When you follow detailed instructions like this you can alter the pattern so it’s made for you. A good instruction book.

I'm an advanced beginner sewer so I really appreciated this book on garment fitting. It's one thing to make your own clothes but if it doesn't fit quite right, what's the point? This book is great in that it gives a lot of tips and advice on technique for sewing as well as how to get the perfect fit. I have been using commercial patterns so I appreciated that there was a section on how to adjust patterns. For a relatively new sewer without formal training, I think this is a great resource! I would highly recommend if you're in the same boat.

Full of techniques that can be used to adjust patterns so they fit correctly. I know I have never had a pattern that I have purchased fit me without a lot of tweaking. This book will guide you with pictures and techniques to a successful sewn item that fits!
I received this book through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Great book, but much of the information in this work was in her earlier book "The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting." If you have that one, this one is not necessary. If you only pick one, I'd pick this one.

I requested this book on a whim, but I definitely don't regret it! I still don't know the first thing about clothes fitting - mostly because my interest in the matter stems from the Phantom Thread, rather than any existing talent - but even so this book has been extremely useful in providing size guides etc.

Was a cool how to. I have been sewing for a few years, This book definitely breaks down how to measure correctly and reminds you to take your time! I loved everything about this book. Great for first time sewers!
4/5 stars!

Promoted as a guide to beginners on how to alter patterns to ensure garments fit properly it certainly lives up to the claims. In an easy to read format the author uses instructions and illustrations to show how to make a pattern work for you. The reader/sewer is also guided through measurements and where and when to make adjustments.
I have made very few alterations although I consider myself an experienced sewer. The ones I did make lacked a professional look (to my eyes). For this reason I believer this book will be a very useful reference and not just for first time sewers.
The author’s wide variety of experience in the fashion design and sewing world shines through this book. It will certainly de-mystify the process for beginners and encourage them to make their own alterations. Highly recommend this as a great book to have in the sewing room.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy and the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I have dabbled in sewing; I've made some quilts, even a skirt and a t-shirt. It's a skill I'd love to develop more. One of my not-so-guilty pleasures is watching the popular Project Runway series when I can. I'm in awe watching skilled designers whip up clever, attractive garments on a tight deadline.

One technique I witnessed countless times on that show was how designers would work up a muslin before cutting into their limited, expensive fabric. It was fascinating to me as I watched them conduct fittings, pinning from the outside and altering the garment to fix unflattering issues. But I had never been taught how to do that -- how to learn such skills instead of relying on patterns that don't perfectly fit? After all, some of the appeal of sewing your own garments is getting a better, more flattering fit than you can off a clothes rack.

When I got the chance to review an advance digital copy of First Time Garment Fitting from Netgalley, I was excited to dig in. One of the first things Sarah Veblen does is inform us how to train our eyes to recognize fit issues so we know how to correct them. She has been creating garments for others for 25 years and her expertise shines through these pages. I felt like I was getting to sit in on a master class of techniques. She stresses the importance of sewing muslins, sample garments that will allow you to correct fitting issues so you end up with the ideal pattern pieces from the start, not wasting nice fabrics on shoddy workmanship. Veblen says after she's done some different muslins, she'll sometimes work up the pattern first in a less-expensive fabric for the final fitting. Then, if that works, the client has a new casual garment in their wardrobe, in addition to the final piece.

I especially appreciated her teaching about drag lines, folds, and horizontal balance lines. Veblen encourages designers to use mirrors and photos, both when working on a garment on yourself and on others; those mediums allow you to view a 3D garment in 2D, which can make it easier to identify fit issues. The frequent sketches and photos helped me feel confident I was understanding her thorough, comprehensive steps. They reinforce her teaching, and I liked how she sometimes demonstrated the same pattern on different body types to show how different issues could come to light.

Even her short demonstration on how to transfer pattern markings to muslin by using dressmaker's carbon/transfer paper helped instruct me, as I have some of my mother's sewing supplies but am self taught and didn't know how to use them.

Veblen pulls from her expertise to relay how to compensate for "unbalanced" bodies (for instance, those with scoliosis) so that the garment doesn't draw attention to shoulders being at different heights and so on. There's even instructions for how to scale patterns up or down; for instance, with your final pattern pieces for a blouse, you could size up for a jacket or up a little more for a coat.

This book is a phenomenal resource. The repeated examples of fitting different garments are useful for a beginner like me. I'd love to add this book to my collection and have it near at hand when I'm next working on clothing for myself. It will help me know how and where to add/edit darts, fix drag lines, and establish more skill and confidence in my abilities. The book doesn't supply patterns, but it's so comprehensive with advice and the step-by-step process that it will translate well to patterns you have on hand.

An excellent book for new students of textile and design. Clear instructions on how to take body measurements and translate them into making your own patterns for dressmaking. Also how to correct errors when sewing clothes so that you get a nice fit. Anyone hoping to make a living from dressmaking and tailoring would benefit from reading this book.

This is an interesting look into garment fitting, with lots of photographs.


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#FirstTimeGarmentFitting #NetGalley #DYI

Sarah explains clearly the steps to follow by providing professional tips. I liked the way that she illustrates the projects with a very easy step to step.

An excellent resource for anyone who knows basic sewing but wants to learn to make alterations so that garments fit well. Lots of diagrams and photographs illustrating how clothing fits differently on different bodies, and how to make flattering adjustments.

This is a very detailed and well explained book on garment fitting. I found the book very easy to follow, but my mother was a dressmaker and I learnt to sew both had home and at school, whilst generally making my own clothes then and when my children were growing up.
The book does have a reliance on fitting the garment on a person or self; I think for a first timer a very good and well set up dressmaker dummy would be easier to use, and understand, and a must to have for a beginner. The section on using and adjusting commercial patterns is very well explained and in a language that is easy to understand. By following these instructions, you'll end up with a very well fitted and comfortable garment that looks and feels good, and which is unique

The one thing that I appreciate most in terms of having access to advance reviewer copies is to have a wider view into different types of books available. The Arts and Crafts are very interesting and are some things that I would probably find hard to make a choice if I was to go out and purchase them.

Last year in a spurt of enthusiasm I invested in a sewing machine, then came to realise it is one handicraft habit that needs complete undivided and precise interest. I am yet to make any complete garment which can be worn outside the home, but this book has me one step closer. It addresses that important point which differentiates the regular homemade attire with that of a store bought one. It is all about defining the fit of whatever it is that we would be trying to make.It has enough images to clear any smaller doubts. The explanations though, would probably make sense once we actually work with the cloth and the process of measuring ourselves.I am hoping it encourages me to put in more time in honing the craft.

I found it a little daunting when I first started to read. Thinking I’d never manage to absorb all of the information provided. I kept on reading and the more I read the more confident I became. This book was really going to guide and teach me it all. Lots of detail and plenty of pictures. I do feel confident in the capabilities I have to sew clothes with this book. I have never found one that has made me feel so before so a great find

WOW! The first sewing book I've seen that so thoroughly deals with fitting. It goes into an amazing amount of detail and there are pictures for every step along the way. This is a sewing technique book done right.

There's so much information here that I can't soak it at all up at once, of course. This will be a great reference book to come back to whenever I have a fitting question.

The only negative I can find with this book is that it only deals with fitting adult female bodies. This is not uncommon in sewing books, though, so it's no worse in this respect than any other fitting book. I wish it included some info on common fitting problems for men and children, but I think as I get better at sewing and learn to apply what I've learned here, the common principles about fitting around various body shapes will help me.

Highly recommended!

Sarah Veblen starts with a very useful section on taking body measurements, an obvious starting point, but not always easy to do. I particularly appreciated the section of choosing the *order* of fitting. She correctly notes that fitting issues can conflict, making the process of getting a good fit a hopeless task of chasing perfection for us novices. Really practical suggestions are included, aimed at both beginners and more experienced fitters.

I always need to shorten pattern, and this section of the book which includes advice and illustrations on where to shorten for particular patterns, was particularly useful for me.

The final section, with start to finish examples of pattern fitting is well illustrated and full of useful tips.