Couture Sewing - The Couture Cardigan Jacket

I have finally finished up reading The Couture Cardigan Jacket and watching the DVD by Claire Shaeffer. 

I read the book first and then watched the DVD and walked through the book with it.  I took my time reading through the book because I really wanted to understand the techniques shown. The examples shown throughout the book are beautiful.  They really make you want to duplicate the look on your own. 

The book really does not discuss fit.  Before starting, you should already have made a muslin and made all necessary changes. 

Chapters:

1.  Getting Started  - information is provided on materials and trims, and cutting and marking.
2.  Constructing the Jacket - quilting, stabilizing and shaping, and order of construction.
3.  Buttonholes - information on hand worked buttonholes and how to finish the buttonholes.
4.  Assembling the Sleeves - information on how to put a three piece sleeve together.
5.  Finishing the Edges - information on how to finish the hems and applying the trim.
6.  Setting the Sleeves - information on how to hand set a sleeve.
7.  Patch Pocket Techniques
8.  Finishing Details - information on finishing the buttonholes on the inside, sewing on a button, adding shape to the jacket back, and adding the chain.
9. Characteristics of the Couture Cardigan Jacket - What makes it different? How the copies and knockoffs are different.

The DVD run time is about 1 1/2 hours.

After reading this book and watching the DVD, I'm convinced that I could (and may) duplicate this look, hand stitching and all.  The only thing that I find a little bit daunting is the hand worked buttonholes.  In watching the DVD, you can see how comfortable Claire Shaeffer is with the hand work.  It is second nature to her.  I wonder how long it takes to be that comfortable.  She even made the hand worked buttonholes look easy. 

Is this a must have book for the sewing library?  If you like books that contain a lot of how-to and give examples, I would say "Yes".  If you have any intentions of making this type of garment, I would say "Yes".  I'm glad that it is now part of my sewing library. 

I'm now looking forward to the skirt book which will also be part of my sewing library.

Happy Stitching!