Gertie's Charmed Sewing Studio
Pattern Making and Couture-Style Techniques for Perfect Vintage Looks
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Bestselling sewing author Gretchen Hirsch returns to her roots with a fresh look at fashion classics—how they were made then, and how modern day sewists can re-create them now—in Gertie’s Charmed Sewing Studio.
Gretchen Hirsch, aka “Gertie,” returns to her roots with a dive into beloved fashion classics, including the mermaid gown, the structured sheath (think Elizabeth Taylor), the Rose Marie Reid swimsuit, and more—plus a little fashion history, to inspire modern-day style mavens.
Sewists, thrift shoppers, and fashion collectors will love making the book's three downloadable patterns, and learning how to reproduce favorite vintage looks that fit modern figures.
The first half of the book is a journey through pattern and couture sewing techniques and iconic designs. Gretchen combines a bounty of sketches, historic images, process photos, and clear instructions to create an irresistible sewing guide and lookbook for the vintage fashion enthusiast.
In the second half, Gretchen deconstructs three intricate garments, the Madeleine dress, the Camille sheath, and the Lillian princess coat: Focusing on just three designs offers a sewing and design foundation in a full range of sizes—from 2–20 and 18 to 34, with separate A-H cup sizes. This wide range is not easy to find in other sewing books, and more important than ever for body inclusivity. Each garment (two dresses and a jacket) is shown with detailed instructions and links to download and print full-size patterns.
Featured garments:
The Structured Tropical Dress
The Rita Blouse
The Night and Day Dress
The Lilli Ann-Style Princess Coat
The Rose Dressing Gown
The Tropical Mermaid Gown
The Marilyn Jeans
The Rose Marie Reid Swimsuit
The Cummerbund Bubble Dress
Plus full-size patterns (to download and print) for:
The Madeleine Dress, the Camille Sheath Dress, and the Lillian Jacket
From Gretchen Hirsch:
Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing
Gertie Sews Vintage Casual
Gertie’s New Fashion Sketchbook
Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book
Gertie’s Charmed Sewing Studio
Customer Reviews
Made me miss her blog
This is not my aesthetic, like my style antithesis, but I’m a fan of Gertie’s curiosity and commitment and I love the construction side of vintage clothes. I think every sewist has looked at a course-in-book and wanted to check off every project. Gertie did, and she documented it on a blog. She brings that same completionist ethos to cataloguing her much more seasoned current work. This book is friendly and accessible, breezy even, but the garments are complex and well thought out. I read it as soon as it came out and it just felt like getting a thoughtful tour from an enthusiastic docent. I think I’m taking the plunge on this one and making a fancy fitted dress - just because it seems like a ton of fun!
Also she worked in dress rescue and I would read a whole book about that!
Summary: if you like smart women talking smart about hall-of-fame vintage clothes, this is your book.