Tailoring Book : A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Custom Garments

"An impressive curriculum in creating beautifully crafted garments ... If you don’t have the opportunity to learn from Alison Smith in person, this book is the next best thing." – Threads


Whether you want to alter a vintage jacket or create a full-tailored suit, this tailoring reference guide has everything you need to produce elegant, bespoke garments that last a lifetime.

With over 80 step-by-step techniques on measuring, cutting, altering, and finishing, this is the only book you will need to create and alter a tailored garment.

Alison Smith MBE is one of the world's leading tailoring experts, and in her new book, she reveals trade secrets and all the practical know-how necessary to master this heritage craft. The Tailoring Book is the latest title in Smith's best-selling sewing series. It covers everything from choosing patterns and fabrics to fitting and construction, including techniques that can be applied to both womens- and menswear.

With this book, you can learn how to:

-Tailor garments by selecting the right tools to create a toile and picking the perfect hand stitch.

-Follow 10 detailed garment projects to create shirts, jackets, coats, and trousers

-Master the techniques of tailoring with step-by-step instructions and downloadable patterns that guide you through every part of the process

This book includes key equipment and techniques, garment projects with clear step-by-step processes and downloadable patterns, and tips on repairs and alterations. It takes the reader from the basics through to couture techniques.

Alison Smith, MBE, is one of the UK’s most celebrated fashion and textile teachers and one of DK’s best-selling authors. Her School of Sewing, based in Leicestershire, has been open for over 30 years, and in 2013, Alison was awarded an MBE for services to Sewing and Corsetry. Alison splits her time between the UK and US, where she has made nine videos for the US online platform Craftsy, which have attracted over 40k subscribers. She also hosts her own online teaching platform in addition to her hands-on, in-person workshops—the School of Sewing Members Club. Alison writes on couture sewing each month for Love Sewing magazine and is well established on the conference circuit.