Outerwear Books

This is a great book, but you should know that it is not a second edition of Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 1. It is the second volume of the anthology, and a different book with all different patterns. The title is actually Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 2: Evening, Bridal, Sports, Outerwear, Accessories, and Dressmaking 1877-1882. It's just as good as Volume 1, none of the information is the same except the intro on how to use the patterns, and the dressmaking manual is really unique.

I heard both volumes were published but it took me awhile to find the second one on Amazon because it was mislisted. So I thought I'd warn other people.

I just reviewed Volume 1, where I said the book contains a huge selection of patterns. Volume 2 focuses on patterns for evening dresses, bridal wear, sports wear, and outer wear. The chapters on accessories and trimmings contain some needlework patterns, embroidery and so on. I figure if I don't do the handwork I'll still have learned a lot about buying appropriate materials.

I bought both volumes, but they are organized so you can use them separately. Both contain the instructions for using the book and the special rulers that allow you to draft patterns to fit you. They also both have a big glossary, a bibliography, and two indexes.

Volume 2 has something really special though--a dressmaking manual. The book says it was rewritten from numerous rare original sources that are listed in the bibliography. But it's been rewritten so it doesn't read that way; you can't tell where any source begins or ends. That makes the manual a lot easier to use. And it's so long it could have been published as a book by itself. I'm glad to have it, because I've never been able to find a comprehensive sewing manual for this period. It even has corset-making instructions (the corset patterns are in Volume 1).

Both volumes are very well edited and produced. This is not a cheap printing job.

Anyone who does Old West reenactment or Victorian teas would love these books!

Frances Grimble shares her meticulous vision with us once again. A great two book series full of facinating information and patterns galore. I cannot wait to clothe many a pretty lady using them. Not for the faint of heart. The patterns are period correct and I would advise an advanced skill level, or a great deal of patience. Always do a mock up. Remember these are patterns of the age. So start at the skin and work your way out to a glorious new costume.
Enjoy.

So many great patterns,easy to create your own by mix and matching.

This book is perfect for the home sewer who wants to sew functional outdoor wear that has all of the professional looking features found in store-bought garments. The author discusses ALL of your fabric options; although many of them I have not found in retail locatios, I found the information very interesting. The book is written from the standpoint of altering ready-made patterns, so if you expect this book to cover every step of the garment construction, you will be disappointed. The photos and illustrations are thorough, clear and abundant.This book de-mystified a lot of techniques I never even thought possible for the home sewer. However- this book is not for the faint-of-heart: the techniques can be labor-intensive, but to me the results are worth it. There are plenty of fashion and embellishment ideas in this book, but I mostly bought it for the technical information, which takes into account weather, wear stresses and movement. With this book I improved upon the standard hunting gear patterns I had been making for my husband, and you almost can't tell that they are not store bought. I would recommend this book to someone who has sewn several projects and is comfortable with the basic construction process, but ready to move on to more custom, functional and professional looking garments.

This is a wonderful book, from Taunton; how could it be less? Professional models against professional backgrounds; each part of a garment examined, discussed, presented.

What it is not, however, is about "gear." I wanted a book about sewing equipment; bags, backpacks, etc. I completely failed to pay attention to the reviews, the precis, and every other comment about the book, which never once mentioned what I think of as "gear." (The dictionary corrects my assumption. Oh well.)

Good book. Won't help you sew a backpack, except to the extent you can map a parka to a backpack.

If you are an advanced beginner knitter and want to pet some cute outfits for your small(ish) dog, this is a good starting place. You will need to be able to knit, purl, do the occasional ssk/k2tog/yo, and do a small amount of seaming. If you need some assistance, there are instructions for these steps in the back of the pamphlet.

There are only a couple basic designs (a sweater or a poncho plus one blanket); the patterns are variations on these designs. But the ideas are cute -- there is an adorable Christmas sweater (kind of a "Santa suit" design). They knit up quickly.

The chest sizes range from 12 to 24 inches (helpful to know if you aren't up for doing your own modifications to the pattern). Also, it is helpful to know that the sweaters knit from the top down; the ribbing goes around the neck. It might not be clear from the photos.

These patterns are great for beginning knitters and practical for dogs or cats. However, only 4 patterns were useful. Capes are not really useful for dogs. They only look cute in the photos. There is an adorable holiday jacket that would make a great gift. All but one of the patterns uses bulky weight yarn. The thing I liked most about these patterns is the tummy straps. Dogs and cats often don't like to be stuffed into the commercial sweaters with leg holes. These patterns all have easy on and off features. It's worth the money and covers sizes 12" back length to 24" back length in all of the patterns.