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Please help me find a book!

bmichlig | Posted in Patterns on

Hello – I was so pleased to find the forum, and I’m hoping that as a new person here I can impose right off the bat. I was given a wonderful book as a child – probably 25 years ago or so – that was essentially a book of around a dozen designer outfit patterns. There was a gorgeous 2 piece top and long skirt for evening done in steel gray and dafodil yellow – a wonderful one-shoulder thing, a fantastic knt jacket done in a very deco/nouveau fan pattern, and a simply divine sundress cut from a single piece of fabric, sewn with a single spiralling seam. It tied halter style, had a v-neck, and was gathered and held at the hip with a large brooch. THIS is the pattern I so dearly want to make!

 

Problem is, I have lost my book, can’t remember the author, and haven’t had any luck on my searches. I am hoping that one of you will recall this book, or at least the author, and I can begin searching again, this time in a smaller haystack!

 

Thanks in advance –

Bridget.

Replies

  1. ablakemo | | #1

    I don't know of the book, so that's not very helpful-but it sounds very cool. Please let me know too if you find it, it sounds very fun. I rummage through old book stores and will keep my eyes open for you. :) Best of luck.

  2. FitnessNut | | #2

    You're in luck!!!! From your description, I was able to figure out that you were referring to a book in my sewing library......at least I hope so, since I can identify each of those garments. Its a fabulous book, complete with gridded patterns, and if I am correct, the dress you wish to make is the spiral sundress by Antony Kwock. The book is "Creative Dressing" by Kaori O'Connor (1981)....I picked it up for $10 about a decade ago in a used bookstore and have made several of the garments over the years.

    Are you going to try to locate a copy of the book, or do you wish to have the directions for the dress? If I can help you, let me know.

    1. Jean | | #3

      If that's the book, it's available on line here

      Edited 8/16/2004 10:30 pm ET by Jean

      1. bmichlig | | #4

        Sandy, Jean, Aim - THAT"S THE BOOK!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am so incredibly thrilled to find this, and am so grateful to you for your help. You all are amazing!

        be well -

        -b.

        1. Jean | | #5

          Hey, Sandy---^5!!

          1. FitnessNut | | #6

            Yup! We did good!!!!

  3. mcgintie | | #7

    Creative Sewing by Kaori O'Connor - I have seen a few second hand copies in the UK. I love that book - made the spiral dress twice.

    1. mcgintie | | #8

      Hi, I should have checked first - it's called Creative Dressing. Good luck in finding it - where are you?

      1. bmichlig | | #9

        Hi - and thank you to all who helped me id the title of the book! I found it through ABE Books via amazon.com - a seller I've used before. The book arrived on Tuesday, and as soon as I finish up my current project I'm all over making the spiral sundress.

        Jintie, since you've made the dress twic, perhaps you can give me some advice. When I first made the dress years ago, my skills were sadly lacking - I couldn't even thread the machine myself (I used my mom's vintage Bernina - a fab machine, but so different than the little Singer my DH gave me for Christmas a few years ago). Also, I chose a gorgeous fabric that was 100% cotton - like a batik weight, I think. I had troubles with the draping, and I was super thin then, so I didn't have much body to put into the dress. ANyway, to get a good fit and clean line, I ended up putting in sort of a sunburst pattern of darts, which weren't even anyway, and never wore the thing.

        This go-round I have a wonderful Pucci-esque paisley in a poly crepe-like fabric. Also, I need to biggen the width a bit, since my hips are now 38" around, and the pattern maxes out at 36".  Any advice for me?

        Thanks again for all your help, this wonderful group of expert sewers and creators!

        -b.

        1. mcgintie | | #10

          Hi,

          Sadly, I was also the right size to make that dress then! I have had in the back of my mind to make it again, but didn't get round to figuring  out the increase in size. It is a math problem - anyone out there willing to take it on? Imagine taking a couple of metres of 90cm fabric, and rolling it into a spiral and sewing the edges together as seams..... The top is cut diagonally from the top corner and this forms a halter. The hem is cut diagonally from (I think) the opposite corner, but when it is sewn together, it lies horizontally.  (The book has a small diagram for the layout that you scale up to make the pattern - if I had not been such a novice I would never have believed it would work!).

          I see you had problems with a batik - I used a fine Liberty lawn and it was probably the stiffest you could get away without putting in darts. That fluid drape material you describe might not need darts. I would imagine it would drape as in the picture - and this season's style of a large brooch to pull the material over to one side would work very well to get round the lack of waist definition in this dress. (You can tell I spend more time looking at my library than actually getting down to making stuff!)

          Good luck and keep us all posted. This book is a must to have. Anyone done anything else out of it?

          1. mcgintie | | #11

            Hi, Can anyone scan the diagram fort this dress and put it up here? A guy at work showed me one possible way to enlarge it - briefly, you hold it together as you would have sewn it, note where the waistline falls, then open it up and attempt to increase the size - but it would throw it quite a bit off the bias the way he showed me.

          2. carolfresia | | #12

            FYI, before posting anything from a published source here (or on any chat board, I would think), it's a good idea to check into the copyright availability of it. That would probably be the same as, say, photocopying the pages and mailing them out to hundreds or thousands of people, and is usually a no-no. We strongly encourage sharing information, but only if it's in the public domain!

            Carol

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