Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this book three month before its release without knowing who the author was or what the contents were. I am an Haute Couture aficionado and when I saw the magic word 'Couture' I immediately added it to my shopping cart. The author, Lynda Maynard, has a BA in textiles and clothing from San Jose State University and is an adjunct professor in the fashion design departments of two community colleges and a private design school in the San Francisco Bay area. Apparently she is also an author of the CD-book De-Mystifying Fit. Nevertheless, my experience with instruction books like this is that it's not about all the titles and affiliations with prestigious organizations but about the commitment of the author to her subject. So, here you have a very well illustrated and designed handbook for ESSENTIAL couture techniques, not more not less. It starts with a Couture Technique Selector, which is a thumb preview of exactly thirty-nine couture techniques. These are divided into Binding and Finishes, Design Details: On Show, and Design Details: Concealed. Each technique is accompanied by a number of illustrations and steps. The author also includes so-called Couture Secrets and tips on materials, pressing, construction and style. With my rather patchy knowledge of couture techniques I do see that a lot of information that I have seen scattered across different books dedicated to Couture has been very nicely compiled and presented under individual techniques. For example, in a section on Banding V-Neck on Woven Fabric, Ms Maynard says: "Silk organza is an indispensable item in the couturier's supply arsenal. Use it to underline and interface garment sections, stabilize curves and angles, tape straight edges, and steady wiggly fabrics for specific procedures." In Style Suggestion she adds: "This technique works well on bateau necklines also, since each shoulder seam join functions as a V. try using a contrasting fabric or color, or experiment with bias stripes for added dash." The book also includes a section on "all the essential equipment for the couture sewer", including a sewing machine and a serger ( I thought a serger is a no-no in couture sewing?). It goes on to tools like scissors, pins, patternmaking tools and, finally, pressing equipment. However, nowhere in the book does the author explain how or where to use many of these tools. Read a chapter on Pressing in Roberta Carr's "Couture: The Art of Fine Sewing' - it is much better. A section on underlinings/ backings is interesting. I thought, finally, more than a page on underlinings, but, unfortunately the technique of applying underlining is just half a page. To compensate this, the author gives eight pages with images comparing several combinations of backed and unbacked fabrics, explaining the effect the backing/ underlining has on the fashion fabric. I could not see much difference on images, but the text part was quite informative Directory of Luxury Fabrics and Trims includes an incomplete selection of fabrics. For example, under lining Maynard lists only Silk Crepe de Chine and Acetate Satin. I didn't know Acetate Satin was a luxury fabric, and waht about silk charmeuse or china silk? I read all the time how Chanel skirts are lined with silk charmeuse. To give you my opinion on Fabrics & Trims section, I think you are much better served with Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide Maynard's book dedicates its final pages to another dozen of Essential Couture Techniques (yet again? what about Couture Techniques part that takes up most of the book). Why all these techniques ended up on final few pages is a mystery to me. Nevertheless they are worth learning. Finally, the instructions for the techniques are not always clear and require background knowledge of garment construction to be able to guess the correct process. I think the author needs to revise the instructions making them more precise. I know, I have criticized several sections in the book, but I have to say that most of the main part - those 39, and 12 more techniques hidden toward the end of the book - is really interesting. While this book is not a substitute for Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Schaeffer (which covers couture construction process from start to finish), it is a great collection of selected techniques. It's a great addition to my library and I will start applying these techniques starting with the next projects.