"Made to Measure" by Elisalex Jewell of By Hand London offers sewers the freedom to step away from print patterns and to use their body measurements as a guide to create garments that are perfectly suited to you.
As a garment sewer who has used both patterns and self-drafted patterns, I love Jewell's approach. Print patterns can often be a struggle as you have to come to terms with the size number on the side of the package. Self drafting or drafting from garments you own and love allows sewers to practice self-love and appreciate the body they have (plus, make garments that actually fit).

A great reference book for garment sewers!

"Made to Measure" by Elisalex Jewell offers a refreshing approach to sewing, encouraging readers to break free from traditional patterns and create customized garments that truly fit their style. The book starts strong with essential tools and techniques, making it accessible for those new to sewing as well as those looking to enhance their skills.

The projects are diverse and inspiring, ranging from tops to dresses, which provide a good starting point for building a personalized wardrobe. However, I felt that while the ideas were solid, some of the instructions could be clearer, particularly for beginners. More detailed guidance on common fitting issues would have also been helpful. Overall, it’s a great resource for those wanting to dive into garment-making, but it might not provide all the detailed support that some sewers may seek.

From that first crooked apron made in HomeEc class to quilting, home decor, and costumes, I've sewed it all. I confess that I tried Simplicity, McCalls, NewLook, and other patterns. So did my mom, except that she customized them to her shape and mine like a dressmaker.

I wish I'd had this book instead. What if I could draft and customize clothing to my mood and figure without patterns?

Well I can - and so can you with the help of this book. Have fun with it. Buy wild fabrics, leave your sewing machine out, and open to the one of sixteen projects that gets your mind buzzing.

Recommended for beginner and advancing creators.

A step-by-step guide to drafting, and sewing, 16 outfits by the experienced sewing pattern business owner Elisalex.
A wide range of basic skills are clearly illustrated, but only swiftly discussed. Pattern drafts are based on your own measurements, so the resulting clothes should suit a wide range of people. Pattern alternations are also covered for the most popular alternations, e.g. gaping necklines, tight waistlines and uneven hems. Also included are brief instructions on how to make a pattern from an existing clothes item. The projects cover skirts, trousers, dresses, tops, faux jumpsuit and blouses. They are relatively straightforward, and ideas for ways to adapt them to related items are also included.
I'd recommend this book for confident beginners upwards.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I loved the ideas in this book, including how to make a pattern based on a piece of clothing you own and love. These projects did seem a bit more advanced than my current skill level, but they did inspire me to up my game.

Sewing books are tough to review since I should at least have tried to make something from it before passing my reaction on. Due to personal reasons, I was unable to do just that before my access to the book expired.
It is a very comprehensive book that helps people choose better by not conforming to a typical size chart. This is very helpful, I have noticed this while trying to make my own clothes before.
I would recommend this to those people who want to make their own clothes but do not fit entirely under any one size.
Since I did not finish the book, or actually make something I would not be able to provide a more elaborate review for this book.

This is such a beautiful book even for those who are not into sewing. It is so important to incorporate body positive messaging and the ability to customize clothing as fashion is so much a part of our personality.
These pages really make sewing seem doable and approachable - making me want to rush out to begin buying supplies.

I received a copy from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re interested in learning how to draft and sew custom clothes for yourself or others, this is an excellent place to start! Inside you will find everything from a supply list to a basic sewing guide. While I’ve been sewing on and off since my high school sewing class, I still read the supply list that had really pretty drawings of the supplies. I learned that the loop turner tool exists, which is going to make making drawstrings for pajamas so much easier!

The sewing guide is excellent. It contains a lot of information but is presented in a way that is simple and easy to follow that is also not overwhelming in any way. I really like that there are troubleshooting tips that help with everything from the secret to sewing necklines to adjusting fit issues. I also really like that it has some sewing patterns at the back to help you get a feel for what was introduced throughout the book before diving into doing your own thing.

While it is easy to follow and understand, I do think it is not meant for beginners. However, I also think that drafting a pattern will be extremely difficult for beginners in general. It is an excellent book to have on hand once you get to the point of feeling ready to learn how to customize and draft patterns.

I wish all my sewing students had this book! Great list of terms and tips for anyone who wants to sew clothing, from premade patterns or through making their own.

I've always loved the idea of sort of DIY patterns to make your own since I am not normal adult sizes and have unique tastes in clothes. I was hoping this book would help me design my own, but the ability level was above me and the styles weren't the sorts I wanted as basics to go from. It will be a great tool for others though.

Book 165 of 200 ~ 2023

🌟🌟

*meh*

Checked this with my husband as he is the one who sews most of my clothes.

Many designs were so passé and definitely not flattering for many body types.

Two stars for the excellent list of to-dos listed as that is especially helpful for newbies.

Will I use any of the clothes if my hubs makes them from the book?

Helllll naaawwwww...

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Made to Measure is a beginner friendly book to make beautiful garments. The pastel colours throughout this book are beautifully done and delicate looking, giving it a cool vintage style.
From the very first pages, this book makes the reader comfortable and ready to tackle some of the misconcepts and hardships for sewing. The vocabulary used is easy to understand and the images and sketches support the text well. It explains how to keep fabrics, what tools to use (and what they are used for) in 'The basics' chapter.
It follows with an 'important measurements' chapter which is explained well, and gives different options such as 'narrow shoulders,' 'broad shoulders,' or 'slopping shoulders'.
In the 'Draft it yourself' chapter, patterns are shared along with levels (easy, medium, difficult) in the shape of a sewing machine which was a cute detail. Each project has a list of things you'll need, and also a list of 'skills practiced' which I thought was a nice touch.
Finally, the pictures in this book look really nice and have a diverse cast of women, with different body shapes. I thought this was a really good thing and really added to the whole package for me. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who'd like to sew beautiful dresses and skirts and would love to see more books like these from this author in the future. This book would make an amazing birthday gift or just-because gift.

If you don’t want to attempt to follow a pattern or just want to taylor your clothes, this book would be helpful. It seems aimed towards beginner sewists. She goes over types of fabrics, different basic seams, darts, zippers, sleeves, and fixing common issues. There are 16 items of clothing to sew. They weren’t my style and many called for silk or satin. Mostly dresses and skirts. I wasn’t a fan of the fabrics she picked out for her examples, lots of bright florals.

This is great book for anyone who is interested in sewing and wants to try their hand at making their own patterns,

the first half of this book is all about drafting and fixing common mistakes and the second part is all about DIY'ing your own patterns. Now, this book isn't for complete beginners, if your only just starting out on your sewing journey the information might go over your head, but if your not a complete beginner you might be able to make sense of the information.

its clear from page one that Elisalex poured a lot of passion into this book. I would really recommend this book to anyone who wants to tackle making their own patterns

This is the book for you if you ever tried making clothing for yourself and have got stuck at some point. It most probably is the sizing. Even with a dressmaker's dummy it's hard. Elisalex guides you al the way and makes you believe you can create something wonderful with your trusty sewing machine. Make sure you get a print copy of this book!

This is an excellent book for beginner dressmakers or for those who want clear advice on how to customise patterns and improve fit.

The sections on tools, fabrics and basic sewing are well illustrated and described and will give beginners confidence in choosing the right materials for their projects. The sections on customising patterns is excellent, again well illustrated with step by step instructions.

The second part of the book contains a number of patterns which can be self drafted and customised. I didn't try any of these out as they are mostly for dresses and skirts, and I don't wear these. However, if these styles appeal to you, the directions are straightforward and easy to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book for review.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars.
I thought this book did a decent job of showing how to create your own patterns for the designs provided, as well as make adjustments to a store-bought pattern. There was a lot of detailed instruction and pictures to help you understand better. I tried to read it from a beginner's point of view, and I wonder if it might be a bit overwhelming. I've been sewing for over 30 years, so it all made sense to me.

I received this as an e-book, and I had trouble reading it because, while reading it on my phone, I kept having to enlarge the pages so that I could see the drawings and notes. I also tried to read it on my desktop computer, and I found the layout to be awkward. It showed 2 pages side by side, If you FIT To WIDTH, the size of the font was too small. When I increased the size, I then had to use the scroll bars (left-right as well as up-down) to maneuver the pages multiple times to read one page pair. To be honest, I think an instructional book such as this needs to be in large print, hard cover, with a cover that can be opened and laid flat. I can see people trying to reference the book while working in their sewing room.

I also thought that the designs presented seemed very 1990s. So I knocked it down one star for that. Maybe I'm just not in tune with today's fashions.

Fabulous book, only wish I’d found it sooner to help with all my alterations on existing patterns.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I just reviewed Made to Measure by Elisalex Jewell. #MadetoMeasure #NetGalley.I am a trained seamstress and love reading books about anything sewing related. This is good source of understanding sewing and patterns.This book has all the basics if you want to start making your own clothes.

After seeing infinite versions of the BHL Anna dress all over the internet, I was pretty excited about a book from the company. As advertised, this is a pattern-free book, so while the designs are BHL, the sewing experience is something different. For novices, following the detailed instructions for drafting a pattern from scratch to arrive at even these uncomplicated pieces might take some determination.
With the sewing world full of books that include a variety of hackable patterns, though, I have to wonder how big the audience will be. I don’t think there’s another Anna in here, at least.