| Bridal Couture: Fine Sewing Techniques for Wedding Gowns and Evening Wear | 
 enlarge | Author: Susan Khalje
Publisher: Krause Publications
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $16.94
You Save: $13.01 (43%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $10.99
Avg. Customer Rating:   (24 reviews)
Sales Rank: 96588
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 7
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 10.7 x 8.2 x 0.4
ISBN: 0801987571
Dewey Decimal Number: 646.47
EAN: 9780801987571
ASIN: 0801987571
Publication Date: May 1, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Though ostensibly a how-to manual on wedding gown construction, this magnificent book teaches all about advanced dressmaking skills, and its principles can be applied to creating many other types of haute-couture-style gowns. The very thorough text details all aspects of fabrics and construction: the unique characteristics of each type of fashion fabric, including extensive information on manipulating lace; preparing the muslin mockup (a necessary first step to ensure a perfect fit); adjusting the bodice, sleeves, and skirt and joining them all together; adding ornamentation; and handling bustles and trains. The final chapter presents all the specifics of making four gowns of different styles. The novice and even the advanced sewer will learn much here, and perhaps best of all, pattern-drafting experience is not required--the author works her transformations on purchased patterns. If you're ambitious enough to make your own wedding gown, this book is absolutely essential, but even if you're hiring someone else to custom-make your gown, you'll find this an invaluable guide. And anyone pursuing a dressmaking career should have this important reference work on the shelf. --Amy Handy
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| Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...
 interesting September 26, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have done a lot of sewing. I did make bridesmaid dresses and altered brides dresses. It was very interested to read about the different technics in the making of a good bridal dress. I hope I will get to make one in the near future and than I can use this book for the fine touches
This book is not for beginners.
Lucie Zandstra
 Many useful tips & tricks, worth having April 28, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Susan Khalje book is an excellent source of its sort - not speaking of the nice design and pictures, it tells you everything you would want to know when trying to make an evening or wedding dress. Susan Khalje gives many interesting tips and tricks that would otherwise be very time-consuming to figure out, like how and where exactly to attach boning, what layers to use under skirts to make them look as you want to, how to work with lace and how to place it on the curved bodice while hiding the cut places, she gives suggestions as what fabrics to use for what garments - she is very fond of silk organza - for petticoats, underlining, bone channels.
This is one of the rare books that show you professionally-done garments and reveal all their making secrets. Even if you're an advanced sewer, I still think you'll find many good tips here. Maybe a pure beginner would not be able to appreciate the value of the information given.
Required reading if making wedding gown February 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Highly recommend this book if you are making a wedding gown for the first time. Very clear instructions complete with pictures. There is also great chapter on how to attach lace.
Excellent technique book December 14, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have been sewing for over 25 years and have a degree in design. However, I am always looking to evolve my technique, and I looked into this book because I wanted something that detailed couture techniques for formalwear. In reading other comments on this site before I purchased this book, I noticed some reviewers did not like it because of the outdated dresses. However, I wanted to add that while the specific dresses shown in this book are dated, the techniques described and illustrated are fantastic. This book is for someone that already knows how to sew well, but wants to take their sewing up another level. Don't buy this book expecting to copy one of the dresses used in the examples. Buy this book if you are looking for instruction on choosing and adding stability, using boning, etc, etc. This is about applying couture techniques to your own design. I was looking for something very specific, and found this book to be very helpful. I am glad I purchased it.
Engieering a Gown October 17, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Though some of the featured gowns are very "eighties" (big sleeves, big skirts), this book is wonderful for showing how to engineer and fit the understructure or foundation necessary to achieve a remarkable fit on evening wear. The detailed instructions on preparing a muslin are easy to follow and thorough, and this book describes the small steps that, if followed, provide a "knock-em-out" gown that will stay put, even when dancing. Underlining, corsets, boning, and "how to keep things from drooping" are all demystified here. This will be terrific for evening wear and costumes, too, once the wedding gown is finished.
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