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Gertie's Modern Guides
Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book: A Modern Guide to Sewing Fabulous Vintage Styles
What if you had 23 brilliant patterns to sew wow-your-friends-and-family dresses? What if you could use those sewing patterns in combination to create your own unique style? With Gertie’s help you can!
Every vintage-obsessed sewist dreams of having a closet full of gorgeous dresses. Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book is packed with all the information and patterns you could ever need to create a wardrobe filled with stunning vintage frocks.
The book begins with all the essential techniques for dressmaking and includes instructions and patterns for 23 dresses for a variety of occasions. Elements of each pattern can be mixed and matched, allowing readers to customize the bodice, skirt, sleeves, pockets, and details of each dress for a truly unique creation. Chapters Gertie also includes pattern maps and resources. There is so much you can do with what she offers. She writes in her introduction, “In the book’s pattern envelope are all of the mix-and-match skirts, bodies, sleeves, cuffs, and collars you’ll need for the twenty-three dresses featured here. But remember, this is just a starting point—there are literally hundreds of combinations you can make from your patterns. So, here’s to designing your perfect wardrobe.”
If you love vintage style, you’ll love Gertie, her passion, her sewing patterns, and the fashion you can make for yourself to fill your closet, or for your friends and family. Don’t wait. Get started sewing now!
Every vintage-obsessed sewist dreams of having a closet full of gorgeous dresses. Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book is packed with all the information and patterns you could ever need to create a wardrobe filled with stunning vintage frocks.
The book begins with all the essential techniques for dressmaking and includes instructions and patterns for 23 dresses for a variety of occasions. Elements of each pattern can be mixed and matched, allowing readers to customize the bodice, skirt, sleeves, pockets, and details of each dress for a truly unique creation. Chapters Gertie also includes pattern maps and resources. There is so much you can do with what she offers. She writes in her introduction, “In the book’s pattern envelope are all of the mix-and-match skirts, bodies, sleeves, cuffs, and collars you’ll need for the twenty-three dresses featured here. But remember, this is just a starting point—there are literally hundreds of combinations you can make from your patterns. So, here’s to designing your perfect wardrobe.”
If you love vintage style, you’ll love Gertie, her passion, her sewing patterns, and the fashion you can make for yourself to fill your closet, or for your friends and family. Don’t wait. Get started sewing now!
236 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2016
8 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 8, 2017
I WANT. I NEED. I MUST HAVE!
This is THE ultimate book on sewing vintage dresses everyone's been looking for. This lady is simply amazing and crazily talented and I want to make ALL the dresses in this book. They are all so stylish, beautiful, and feminine, and everything is explained so well. There are whole sections on fitting and pattern altering, choosing the right fabric, and vintage sewing techniques. It's just AWESOME and I really, really need it (I mean, I'm studying costume, so technically buying this book would be an investment....heck, it should be in our list of required textbooks!).
Oh, and did I mention it comes with all the patterns? Yeah, I'm DEFINITELY getting this one!
This is THE ultimate book on sewing vintage dresses everyone's been looking for. This lady is simply amazing and crazily talented and I want to make ALL the dresses in this book. They are all so stylish, beautiful, and feminine, and everything is explained so well. There are whole sections on fitting and pattern altering, choosing the right fabric, and vintage sewing techniques. It's just AWESOME and I really, really need it (I mean, I'm studying costume, so technically buying this book would be an investment....heck, it should be in our list of required textbooks!).
Oh, and did I mention it comes with all the patterns? Yeah, I'm DEFINITELY getting this one!
May 1, 2017
I've got her other books and love them however this one has really disappointed me. The styles are absolutely lovely as always but there are major errors in the sizing of the patterns. I've contacted the publishers asking them when an errata sheet will be available and they haven't responded. I know others have asked Gertie as well and she hasn't publicly responded either but did privately email to say just go up one size. That doesn't help either, the mistakes vary across sizes and pattern pieces. I really really wish more people would review after having tried to make some of the styles up rather than just giving it five stars for being a pretty book.
July 15, 2016
Whatever possessed me to make my first sewn garment a Regency style gown is beyond me. However, I am now inspired to try and make something that I can wear out in the real world! After a Regency dress I feel like I can tackle anything. Wish me luck :)
June 21, 2021
I love this book! Although it technically does not have my size, (I have a size 31 bust, the smallest bust size in the book is a 32) many of the styles can easily be modified slightly to fit me. I have made about 5 dresses out of this book, and they all turned out well. The only downside of this book is that the sleeves and armholes are not proportionate. I attempted to make a dress with sleeves, but the sleeves turned out way too small. I had to cut the armhole bigger and cut out a larger sleeve. The book has a skill section, where it has detailed instructions on steps that can be tricky, like sewing a full facing or darts. The book also includes fold-out pattern pages in the back, so I just trace them out of freezer paper (it’s so cheap and easy to get). A really cool upside is that all the patterns work together, so say you want a boat neck bodice, with an A-line skirt and puff sleeves, but that combo does not already exist as a dress in the book you can just get the A-line skirt pattern, puffed sleeve pattern and a boat neck bodice pattern and they fit together. I love vintage fashion, and I love sewing. All of Gertie's books include these, and it’s really awesome.
September 10, 2017
Well, I think I liked this better than her first book, but it's still not my favorite sewing book. As with her first book, you get a huge info-dump at the first half of the book before you finally arrive at the patterns. The info is all top-notch and immensely useful. There is just a lot of it. It can be a bit overwhelming to someone new to sewing or dressmaking. I'm not sure how exactly I would change the layout of the book, but I feel like it could be tweaked a bit to have a better flow. The patterns are so lovely and I want to get to sewing some of them right now. The actual physical patterns are great too. Stiff paper, easy to trace, no need to add in seam allowance. There is even a handy chart in the back of the book to help you figure out what pieces are on which fold-out.
If you love her other books, this one will be another gem in your sewing library. If you didn't like the others, maybe pass on it. But at least give it a glance.
If you love her other books, this one will be another gem in your sewing library. If you didn't like the others, maybe pass on it. But at least give it a glance.
February 1, 2018
Really great tips if you are interested in vintage dress construction. I preferred her previous book in overall skills and patterns
January 30, 2020
I picked this book up from the library because it was next to a baking book I was initially seeking. Also, I own all of Gertie’s commercial sewing patterns and have never sewn one, so I thought it would be cool to use the book as a reference point. I learned and relearned a great deal between these pages. If I was a fan of more than half of the included pattern looks, I would most definitely purchase.
February 17, 2020
I'm only starting out with sewing, I really want to learn how to do it and I really enjoyed this book for it! Everything was really clear, the instructions are done in a way that it doesn't make you feel dumb, haha. I really enjoy it and I can't wait to actually make some of these dresses!
February 19, 2020
Exactly what I needed to make dresses for my daughter. I did have to alter the patterns to fit her body shape but I knew that would happen. The pieces fit across the different dresses so it is fun and easy to mix and match.
August 31, 2020
This book is well above my skill level, even as far as just reading and hypothetical-doing in my head. It’s big and intense. There’s a lot to learn. Tons of pretty dresses, and tons of explanations about how things are done. Lots of depth. This is another for me to revisit later.
September 27, 2018
I'm impressed. She's thorough but doesn't make you feel like an idiot. Perfect for beginners and an excellent reference for seasoned seamstresses.
August 30, 2020
Nice description of learning fabrics. Not incredible designs—as in not my cup of tea. Maybe someone else’s.
October 9, 2020
I really love the book and the styles but none of them were particularly good for my body type, which is slim but curvy and middle-aged.
May 24, 2024
Love the myriad of options, I just wish it had the inclusive sizing that Charm Patterns is now famous for!
October 20, 2021
Not a bad all-in-one dress book, but there's nothing particularly vintage about this book. Multiple pieces that can be mixed and matched into many different dress looks. Book includes 24 examples.
I prefer the "Sew Many Dresses" book, which has more necklines, more collars, more alteration tips, and goes up a few more sizes.
If you want a vintage dress book from Gertie, get "Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses". A much better Gertie book that is unique and has a truly vintage feel.
I prefer the "Sew Many Dresses" book, which has more necklines, more collars, more alteration tips, and goes up a few more sizes.
If you want a vintage dress book from Gertie, get "Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses". A much better Gertie book that is unique and has a truly vintage feel.
August 7, 2016
nonfiction; advanced sewing. A manual for experienced sewists wanting to take their sewing to the next level (such as to make your own wedding dress or other formal gown).
The paper patterns included are for structured dresses (as opposed to flowy) suitable for parties or for the office (or for casual outings, if that's your style). She goes over in detail the various fabric choices, how to prep and care for your fabrics, how to alter patterns to suit your body, and dressmaking techniques--including how to line your dress, and how to add boning or preformed cups to help your bodices hold their shape and stay on (about half of the bodices included call for boning, but you have a choice of less-complicated styles to swap in if you prefer). Well worth a purchase if you like the styles and want to tackle a more advanced construction process; less ambitious sewists like myself will pass on these for now (I might suggest her "vintage casual" book instead, which also provides some very stylish patterns for work and play, but often with less-fussy, stretchy fabrics).
The paper patterns included are for structured dresses (as opposed to flowy) suitable for parties or for the office (or for casual outings, if that's your style). She goes over in detail the various fabric choices, how to prep and care for your fabrics, how to alter patterns to suit your body, and dressmaking techniques--including how to line your dress, and how to add boning or preformed cups to help your bodices hold their shape and stay on (about half of the bodices included call for boning, but you have a choice of less-complicated styles to swap in if you prefer). Well worth a purchase if you like the styles and want to tackle a more advanced construction process; less ambitious sewists like myself will pass on these for now (I might suggest her "vintage casual" book instead, which also provides some very stylish patterns for work and play, but often with less-fussy, stretchy fabrics).
May 18, 2016
Dress Heaven!!!! If your a lady who loves to wear dresses- this is the book for you. Gretchen Hirsh has made the art of the vintage dress available in her new book: Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book: A Modern Guide to Sewing Fabulous Vintage Styles. Timeless patterns are shared to give you the inside info and techniques for making 23 vintage dresses. Some of the patterns can be interchanged to modify the look and each pattern has details to give your dress an individual flare- a must have for any seamstress with a love for vintage look!!!!
June 19, 2016
I loved all the valuable information about dress construction techniques. Mix and match bodices, sleeves, and skirt patterns are given. I thought a few of the more complicated steps described could have used more pictured, but in general everying was very clearly explained. I liked that the author not only explained various techniques but also when e situations when you might want to use them.
May 18, 2016
Collection of vintage style dresses with step by step instructions accompanied by multiple color photographs. Book includes 4 basic patterns which will make any of the dresses shown.
May 20, 2019
Very good book with very descriptive patterns and tips.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews