Wendy Mullin, of Built By Wendy, a notable fashion designer, of whom I learn of when I was back in high school reading Seventeen magazine, has written a how-to book on the subject of making dresses.
The dress designs in this book are based on three basic dress shapes, the sheath, the shift, and the dirndl. The basic dress patterns are printted on tissue paper and provided in a pocket in the back on the book. All the patterns are illustrated with instructions on how to draft a pattern of each dress.
However, one should note that there are no photographs in this book, none of the patterns are made into a sample and photographed for this book. All of the patterns are illustrated with cute drawings and easy to follw directions. However, I do find it a bit disappointing that there are no photographs that I can refer to. I also find the cover of the book a bit lacking.
There are some cute dress styles included in the book. But even if you didn't like the styles offered, one good thing about it is that you can easily change the patterns into something you do like. This is a great start for someone who is just learning to make clothes, someone who may have the sewing skills, but does not know much about pattern making. However, if you are a veteran sewer who knows a thing or two about pattern making, like how to manipulate blocks, you might want to pass and find a more advanced book for pattern drafting.
