A place for current and future students of trouser making, esp. those following the techniques and ideas of David Page Coffin, and the many examples in his multimedia workshop in a book/DVD package, Making Trousers, to gather for previews, announcements and discussion. Welcome!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Cover Update, more details




Here's the current state of the cover for Making Trousers; I'll post the whole thing, back, front and flaps, asap.

The DVD contents is also pretty much set; here's the TOC:

DVD Contents

Bonus Chapter: Keyhole Buttonholes

Video Tutorials:

Cutting Out Tips
Slant Pocket Variations 1
Slant Pocket Variations 2
Slant Pocket Variations 3
Piped Pocket
Side Pockets: Women’s Experiment
Finishing Front Pockets: Men’s Experiment
Welt Pocket: Men’s Experiment
Button Fly 1
Button Fly 2
Button Fly: Men’s Casual
Shortening Zippers: Men’s Experiment
Zipper Fly: Men’s Experiment
Zipper Fly: Women’s Experiment
Hooks: Men’s Experiment
Eyes: Men’s Experiment
Hook-and-Eye Tip
Cut-On Front Bands: Men’s Casual
Cut-On Back Bands: Men’s Casual
Shaped Band 1: Women’s Experiment
Shaped Band 2: Women’s Experiment
Shaping Tabs: Men’s Experiment
Tabbed Bands 1: Men’s Experiment
Tabbed Bands 2: Men’s Experiment
Tabbed Bands 3: Men’s Experiment
Back Bands: Men’s Experiment
Finishing: Men’s Experiment
Adjustable Waists
Hemostat Tip
Sewing On a Button
Keyhole Buttonholes
Stitching Tips

RTW- & Custom-Garment Galleries

Project (or Author's)-Garment Galleries

Printable Patterns

Sources, Further Reading & Extended links


The videos, of course, are the most obviously interesting part, and as you can see, there are a LOT of them; nearly 2 hours worth. They were intended to be simple demos of the book techniques, but turned out more like documentaries of the projects I settled on as sample garments for the book techniques. And since I couldn't resist trying out variations and new ideas as I made these, the videos turned into more of a sequel than a retelling.

The still-picture galleries were a big help to have available as the book pages developed. Basically, every time a page layout issue made me wish a picture could be shown bigger, or that more pictures could be included without running over the page limits, I would simply remember that I could put whatever images I wanted, as big as possible, on the DVD. So, I was able to include a quite huge collection, over 180 large images, including details of many RTW and custom-made garments that aren't mentioned at all in the book.

These garment-interior images, which basically come from me rummaging around in my own and other people's closets and collections, and taking snaps, reveal the vast range of finishing techniques and details designers of generally very expensive garments (plus some interesting every-day stuff, too—my contribution) choose to include in their wares; very instructive, I think, for folks choosing to make their own. I'm planning to post some of these here, with commentary, and will encourage readers to post their own detail images, with questions and comments, of course.

Overall, my hope for this blog is that it can become a forum of sorts, after the book is out, where readers and I can share current projects and techniques, tips and sources, inspirations, links, and whatever else seems fun and useful to folks who like to make great clothes. Before the book arrives, I'll post preview snippets, teasers and supplemental tidbits, and welcome any and all comments and questions.

Thanks to everyone who bothers to read this; I hope you'll join me!

8 comments:

  1. I received my book today with DVD and I am so impressed. It is like having 2 books in one. I will be using this book to make my next pair pants. Just Awesome!

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  2. I hope you'll post a picture when you do:)

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  3. i would like to know if there is any information on how to do the lining of a trouser in the book

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  4. Nope, no lining info, except for lots of pictures of quarter-lined RTW and a brief note or two about how that's done (these linings are caught in the side seams). I've only ever done a full lining once myself and didn't like it, and I prefer to write only about things I've explored in detail. But there's good info in Connie Long's book, Easy Guide to Sewing Linings, listed at Amazon here:
    http://tinyurl.com/ygtxkk2 and no doubt in many libraries.

    There have been quite a few articles on lining pants in Threads Magazine over the years, too, if you have access to a library with a back collection. Here's their index so you get issue numbers; just search for "lining":
    http://www.taunton.com/cgi-bin/artresult-th.cgi

    This page has some links to separate pant liners, like slips for pants, which seem like a smarter idea to me (washable and optional when lined pants would be too hot):
    http://www.modestclothes.com/neat_inventions.html#pants

    Good luck!
    dpc

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  5. Hello,
    What is the difference (apart from the inclusion of a DVD & 144 pages as opposed to 128) between this book & your book Making Trousers: How to Acheive Great Results, published by Apple Press in August 2009, as well? My son has asked for your book & I want to make sure I get the correct one.
    Also, why is this not printed in a hard copy version. I know that he uses the shirt one so often that the paperback copies eventually become pages on the floor. I was able to get him a copy of your shirt book in hardback, after a long search.
    In any event, I thank you for the finformation you may give me in advances. Ms. Bard

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  6. The missing DVD (and all references to it in the text) is the only difference, and neither edition is available in hard cover, I'm afraid. I guess they just don't do that anymore with most books; sorry!
    As for which version to get, I strongly recommend the one with the DVD if you can find it locally. But if not, there's said to be way to buy the DVD separately once you have the book. I've never been told what that is, but I'll try to find out and will post it here, if I can.

    Sorry for all the confusion! When I heard that the Apple folks wanted to leave out the DVD, I knew it would result in nothing but questions, but they were adamant, so there must be a good reason; I just don't know what it is!

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  7. I liked the comments about what you were doing, hunted down the book and ordered what I thought was a book with a dvd. got a book, paid the same price they told me for a book and dvd. still trying to find this online videos on trouser making.

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