Patternless Sewing Mod Style: Just Measure, Cut & Sew for the Perfect Fit! - 24 Garments for Women and Girls

by Patty Prann Young

Sew a complete wardrobe without the hassle of pricey paper patterns! Learn to properly measure, cut, and sew for a fabulous fit every time. From a maxi skirt to a shirred blouse and even a raincoat, these projects are ideal for beginning sewists and women and girls of all sizes. Customize looks with a variety of pockets, belts, and hem bands. This entire collection costs less than a few tissue-paper patterns!

Genres: Sewing, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2016

Reviews

[Elodie c. Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative!

Helpful, basic info presented concisely. There's fun to be had with these basics if you stretch your imagination! The author gives you foundations that are simple and straightforward and easy to follow, it is my silliness that combined different hem lines and different textures to wrangle myself a Wench dress for a local Ren. Fest.! Lol!

[Irene Adler · Rating 3 out of 5]

First up the MODstyle part of the cover relates to the author's pattern company and doesn't have anything to do with either the Mod style (1960s) or particularly modern style.

Secondly I was put off by the fabric choices, which are not ones I would make. The book's styling doesn't appeal to me - except for the models looking like real people so you can judge the patterns IRL.

Thirdly it starts with shirring, and the dresses look exactly like the ones made for me as a kid. So I think of them as childish, although objectively there is nothing to say that they are.

So my initial impression was meh, not for me. But I went back and looked at the text and from a technical point of view it's pretty good. It's a clear, easy way to start down the path of drafting patterns to individual measurements rather than using patterns and altering them. The section in taking measurements is good.

The patterns go beyond the gathered with elastic skirts I don't particularly like, and instead explain the more elegant yoga band. It has a pants pattern, which most beginner pattern making books avoid. I don't want to make the harem pants, but as a jumping off point it's okay. So the patterns are a lot more interesting than most other beginner books. I have items like some of these and wear them regularly. Just is quite different fabrics. But then a major reason to learn to sew is so you don't have to put up with someone else's fabric choices.

Patterns are not included (obv) but instructions are given for:
- 3 x dresses
- 3 x tops
- 9 x skirts
- 1 x pants
- 2 x robes
- 6 x capes and similar
- belts, sashes, pocket and straps

[Laurla2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

-i was looking specifically for shirring instructions and found 2 pages/3 pictures on how to do shirring.
-3 pages on how to sew the shirred sundress.
-5 pages on how to sew a shirred blouse with cap sleeves (that are more like wide straps than sleeves of any kind.)

-also has 2 page instructions for a knit maxi skirt, with yoga waistband panels. those instructions do NOT include ANY waistband instructions at all. nor does it refer you to a previous page for instructions. it just *ends* without addressing the waistband. the skirt instructions are incomplete and you have to figure that out, and figure out where to go to do the waistband. in the back it has instructions for adding pockets, and spaghetti strap instructions.

-3 stars, maybe 2, for printing incomplete skirt instructions like that. at the very least it should have referenced page numbers to finish the patterns.

[Ligaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing in here that I'd really want to sew. The shapes are kind of formless and in real need of well executed darts and a good ironing. It's hard to see some of the detail in the photographs. The first Simple Sundress is supposed to have shirring across the top but you cannot at all see it in the photo. better art director, better models, styling, and photography would have much improved this book. It looks a bit amateurish.

[Page · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for something a beginner could use but this was above my limited abilities. Rather than teaching me to "fit" a pattern to my own measurements, there were a few pages on shirring which, I suppose, eliminates the need to fit. Beyond that, none of the examples were attractive to me.