The Fitting Book: Make Sewing Pattern Alterations & Achieve the Perfect Fit You Desire

by Gina Renee Dunham

Many women struggle with the standard sizing of commercial or indie sewing patterns, which often leads to fitting issues. This garment fitting guide will help you adjust sewing patterns to achieve the perfect fit you desire. This fitting book has visual sketches and links to videos to help during each step of the 3-part fitting process.
Here’s How it
A) Identify the Fitting Issue.
B) Pin, Cut, & Tape the Fitting Sample.
C) Correct the Sewing Pattern. The Fitting Book covers the following categories for pattern
You will learn about terminology, abbreviations, pattern tools, and patternmaking supplies. The Fitting Book shows how to use a hip curve, a French curve, and a clear ruler for patternmaking. The pattern corrections can be applied to womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, knit styles, and woven styles. The sketches and photos are in black and white. This is a fitting book primarily with sketches. It is not a pattern drafting book. Finally, you will learn about the customization scale in garment fitting and patternmaking. I share my knowledge from fitting tens of thousands of garments while working in the garment industry since 2003. You will learn industry-expert fitting tips to achieve the customized fit you desire. If you are one of my 58,000+ followers on Instagram and Facebook, you may have seen my short fitting videos. For all the fitting alterations in this book, there are corresponding simple videos to reference. There are QR codes that can be scanned with a smartphone which direct you to each fitting correction. The videos give you a quick visual of how to do each correction, so you never get stuck. Stop wasting your time and money sewing clothes that don’t fit well. It’s time to sew the clothes you love that fit.

Genres: Sewing, Fashion, Patternmaking, Nonfiction

278 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2021

Reviews

[Laura Tenfingers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for understanding garment fitting issues although I'm absurdly terrified of literally cutting my muslin in order to then tape it back up in the proper spot. I'd love to see it in video format to complement the written description of the process.

The book also has helpful tips if you're drafting your own garments and want to adjust your sloper.

She seems super knowledgeable. I'd love to take a patterndrafting course from her.

[Ness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those who want to make their me-mades fit even better. There are lots of diagrams in the step-by-step instructions. Plus, there are videos for each adjustment, which are accessible via QR code. Highly recommend this book for all sewists!

[Calla Reviews (كالا) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will just say this book is worth it. Gina gets it. I wish I had, had this book when I was learning to sew. The book is both comprehensive and cohesive. The author did not fill the book with information that you won't remember, its user friendly. The bits of information given was "again"' extremely useful, for instance the section on measuring knits the correct versus incorrect way. A lot of books or information sites overlook this.
This book uses illustrations and photo's. There are only a few photo's though. The photo's show the fitting problem while the illustrations show how to correct. The fact that the book also links to videos for every fitting alteration within is even more impressive.
This book is made for home sewers and new pattern designers alike. For the sewer who can already fit garments well, Please be sure to check the look inside feature and if possible look the book over. After a certain point its more realistic to grab a book like Fast Fit: Easy Pattern Alterations for Every Figure to just identify the problem and move on. As opposed to learning how to fit. I literally am in love with this book. Instead of inundating us with text the author uses illustrations and the text have a supporting role. I hope more authors follow suit.
I really enjoyed the complete guide to perfect fitting but this book ranks above that one. I feel this is more user friendly and only gives you the information you really need to know to get a great fit.
Now can we please get another volume covering dresses, coats, jumpers/jumpsuits. As this one only covers, a limited number of tops, skirts and pants which is understandable as reading the lines, and wrinkles in a garment helps you fit more independently but I would really like to see things like halter tops, as they are usually never covered and a lot of people have a hard time transferring the knowledge to different bodice types.

[Jaque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fitting book? Not at all! With almost two decades of experience fitting clothes in the clothing industry, Gina knows how to read a garment and what is needed to improve its fit.
I was using this book like I do with other fitting books: opening the section that explains how to make a specific adjustment. However, everything changed when I read it from start to finish as a study book: I have learned A LOT, and this became my favourite fitting book to date.
I highly recommend home sewists to buy the book and check all the other amazing things Gina has to offer, from courses (totally worth taking; I am taking one if them right now) to great youtube videos.

[Melika]

I always had problems about fiting my garments and patterns, because human's body has diffrences from standard sizes so I tried many classes and courses.
someday I saw this great book about fixing fitting problems with simple and pofessional language and most importantly with related pictures to make it easier for u to undrestand. so I said to myself "thats it, I found my solution" and I got this book and guess what?
My problems solved !
Thanks for Writing this book, the fitting book

[Pip Packer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing informative book for anyone new to sewing or the experienced sewer. It is full of information and easy to follow diagrams. I’m sure I’ll be referring back to it over and over again. Definitely recommend.

[Ghevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very interesting. It is also quite complete.