CONTENTS
PART I - SO YOU WANT TO SEW!
Why Not? . . . 3
See How It Runs! . . . 5
Practice Stitching for the "I Can't Sew a Straight Line, Myself" Contingent . . . 9
Fabrics and Fibers . . . 17
Facts about Fibers . . . 21
"The Responsive Eye" . . . 23
PART II - GET READY!
As Exciting as the Fabric That Makes It . . . 29
High Style in an Envelope . . . 31
Try This for Size . . . 32
The Pattern, Structural Diagram . . . 40
The Pattern Envelope - What's in It for You? . . . 49
The Tools of the Trade . . . 56
Shapes and Symbols - How to "Read" the Pattern . . . 61
The Proof Is in the Fitting . . . 71
The Pattern and You . . . 75
A Change for the Better . . . 81
PART III - GET SET!
Prepare the Fabric for Cutting . . . 93
Prepare the Pattern for Cutting . . . 98
Placing the Pattern on the Fabric . . . 100
The Preliminaries Are Vital . . . 107
No Trial, Much Travail . . . 107
Parenthesis - Pattern Placement on Figured Fabrics . . . 109
Cut It Out! . . . 112
Mark Everything! . . . 113
Stay Stitching Saves the Shape . . . 118
Progress Report on the work thus far . . . 120
Built-in Beauty . . . 121
Shoulder Pads - Should I? . . . 128
Trial Fitting . . . 131
PART IV - KNOW!
The Headwork in Handwork . . . 149
The Courage to Cut . . . 164
Inside Information . . . 167
The Needle Points the Way . . . 173
Press as You Sew! . . . 180
PART V - SEW!
Sew Right - Right from the Start! . . . 195
Facing - A Saving Device . . . 200
How to Apply the Interfacing . . . 210
Hold That Line! . . . 212
That All-Important Lining . . . 216
Thinking in the Round . . . 218
No Exit? . . . 219
Happy Ending - the Hem . . . 224
Make a Skirt . . . 228
The Waistband . . . 229
How to Line a Skirt . . . 235
On-the-Move Skirts . . . 237
Make a Shirtwaist Dress or Tailored Blouse . . . 242
Bound-to-be-Good Buttonholes . . . 244
And Sew On - the Button . . . 250
Snappy Snaps . . . 252
And Hooks and Eyes . . . 254
The Loop-and-Button Closing . . . 255
Fanciful Frogs . . . 257
Embroidered Eyelets - Eye Openers . . . 257
Flattering Frame for the Face - the Collar . . . 258
How to Set and Sew the Sleeve . . . 261
You Can't Beat a Band for a Sleeve Finish . . . 266
The Kimono Sleeve and Its Gusset . . . 268
Pockets - Pretty or Practical . . . 270
To Belt or Not to Belt . . . 277
More Than Meets the Eye . . . 283
Beginner's Luck? . . . 285
INDEX . . . 288