Book: Pants for Real People

Look what arrived in the mail for me today! Thank you, Step-Sis and Boyfriend for the Chapters gift cards!

I've pretty much wanted this book since the disaster that was my first pair of pants.

This book is pretty amazing. It spells out all the alterations you could possibly need in an easy to understand manner, with tonnes of clear and helpful drawings.

They even go through multiple pants fittings on non-"standard" body types. What I really like is that they teach you to alter commercial patterns, rather than drafting your own. While drafting is well and good, there are so many great patterns already out there that would be lovely to sew, if you could do the correct alterations. This book teaches you that.

The authors have included so many useful tips and tricks throughout the book, and it's written from a knowledgeable but humorous angle.

Haha, whoops. Looks like I found one of the many errors I made when altering my pants. Silly side seams.

They even have a chapter on Pants for Men, in which they not only show you how to alter the initial pattern, but also on altering ready-to-wear pants. And yes, they have a chapter on that for women as well!

Just looking over this book for a couple hours this morning has proven that this is going to be a very useful book when I'm ready to tackle pants again. Without even using the advice in this book yet, I'd recommend it to anyone, beginner or otherwise, who needs to alter pants patterns. Which is probably everyone, in one way or another!

It'll definitely been a great addition to my sewing library, and go well with my copy of Fit for Real People. My wonderful Grandma sent me that one after laughing at me over the phone as I ranted about my fitting woes. Isn't she great!

Now all I need is a copy of Jackets for Real People, and I'll be set!

Happy sewing (and fitting) all!