Couture Sewing Techniques: Revised and Updated Paperback – Illustrated, May 24, 2011

I had started sewing maybe a year ago, just making little projects here and there, mostly just bags and things to organize various items in. Just recently (within the past 4 months), I had fallen in love with the design and construction of corsets. I had never used a pattern for any of the three corsets I have made to date and was very proud of my accomplishment, however, they weren't the quality I had wanted to produce. I had been stumped by the limitations of my $60 Brother sewing machine and haven't had the money to upgrade. I decided that I would learn sewing by hand, and make a completely handmade corset. I had researched different methods of stitching and pattern design online, but nothing that I had seen really made an impact on my style and design. So I decided to put up the $20 to buy a book about the finer techniques of sewing. This book is absolutely amazing, the incredibly informative and descriptive writing style, accompanied with beautiful graphics, photos and illustrated techniques was a godsend. The book actually flows through the subjects with phenomenal continuity, and allows you to basically practice as you go along, by illustrating step by step stitches, techniques, tips and tricks. The author has amazing knowledge and credentials, and many of the photos of garments are from her own personal collections. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to learn how to make clothes entirely by hand, or even just understand how different stitches and techniques will help you with machine sewing. Great book for beginners and amateurs alike, but would probably not recommend it for the advanced seamstress.

I was sewing with my mother when I was four. I am a good seamstress. I would have said excellent before I bought two of Claire Schaffer's books. I'm so excited, I feel like I did when I was finally old enough for home ec all those years ago. This book is great for anyone who sews, or wants to. Not only is it full of technique and information, it's enjoyable. Highly recommend this book.

A very complete technical guide with a treasure trove of information

Claire Shaeffer is the expert providing education for the home sewist who wants to advance to couture sewing techniques. She is an excellent historian for haute couture and gives wonderful nuggets of information that one probably would not learn otherwise. This book gives detailed illustration and instruction in couture techniques. All of the supplies one needs have been listed and explained along with resources for finding them. I think this book should be the first one a home sewist would want to purchase because it covers techniques and how they should be used for all of the kinds of garments a home sewist would want to make. I would suggest Ms. Shaeffer's book devoted to the couture construction of a jacket as the next book to purchase. She goes into great detail and gives especially devoted detail to construction of the iconic Chanel jacket. I have all of her books in my library and value each of them for different reasons.

I've had this book for three years. Now, I think I can write an informed review. As the title may imply, this is not a book for the novice, which is why I struggled with reviewing earlier -- I just couldn't understand it. While my skills may not have improved much in three years, my sewing knowledge has and that's what this book requires.Others have spoken to this edition versus the previous ones. I can speak to, as someone relatively new to sewing, how this book compares to other couture sewing books. This book is a must-have reference. It covers a lot within its 12 chapters. I do take issue with how things are covered. The book gives very clear step by step instructions, but the illustrations are a bit lacking. I like the updated approach taken in Shaeffer's newer books, Couture Sewing: Tailoring Techniques and Couture Sewing: The Couture Cardigan Jacket, Sewing secrets from a Chanel Collector. These text are easier to grasp because of the step-by-step photography. They layouts are cleaner and overall feel more modern. The DVDs are wonderful aides.To be fair to the publisher, I'm sure photography and DVDs would have added exponentially to the cost; I'm inclined to think it's worth it. Now, what's missing from the newer books is the history and background in Couture Sewing Techniques. It's that information that makes for good reading. It tells you why a particular technique is important. I like having that info.I guess if you are an experienced home sewer or professional, this book is a five-star deal. As someone who is self-teaching, this book is unnecessarily advanced in terms of presentation, not content. I'm hoping the next revision is more along the lines of her newer books.