Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book: A Modern Guide to Sewing Fabulous Vintage Styles (Gertie's Sewing)

I just got this book today. I want to start by saying I HAVE NOT YET SEWN ANY of the patterns included. I will update my review once I do. There is a lot of good info in this book. What fabric is what, seam finishes, dress construction, zipper, installing linings, facings, some hand sewing, fit issues and how to resolve them. Gertie says her sizing is better for curvy women as she has a bigger hip to waist ratio. I'm hoping this will help me as I have a 26in waist and 41in hip. There are 23 completed dresses with pics and instructions, and supplies needed. The 23 dresses are to get your creative juices flowing but Gertie says you can easily mix and match a bodice from one with the skirt of another. I like most of the patterns. I love the vintage look (there is a Peter Pan collar!) patterns for several different bodices, a few different skirts, and a couple sleeves and collars. If you are already a well experienced dressmaker and tailor than you probably know everything already, this is great for beginners and intermediate sewists (is that a word?)Sure most or all of the info you could find for free online, but having a book and seeing the pics is something I like. I can't wait to start...off to the fabric store!

I love Gertie's instructive youtube videos and thought her book would be a valuable resource. I was shocked to realize that there are over 20 patterns that come with this! So much to learn and do. Also, a very important side note, I love that Gertie models all the patterns. She has a normal, healthy body and the dresses are not overly tight. She is not sucked in or uncomfortable. This means that the patterns and dresses promote a healthier body view and look amazing at the same time. Thank you!

I ordered this book because I love vintage-style clothes and wanted to branch out to start sewing my own. I am a strong intermediate home sewer, and found this book easy to follow and understand. Gertie is excellent at showing you what you need to know - there is written direction as well as visual directions. As someone who is a visual learner (I need pictures, video, or to see it done to learn) I really appreciate this detail. She also shows the garment on a mannequin turned inside out, showing you what the construction details look like when finished, which I found exceptionally helpful. She also discusses foundation garments, which you are going to want to learn about if you want the finished dress to look correct - silhouette is soooo important with these styles!! I strongly recomment Gertie's books, her pattern line, Charm patterns, and joining her Patreon account. All of these have proven VERY helpful to me as I learn more about vintage clothing and style, and how to translate that knowledge into creating my own closet of beautiful, perfect-to-me fitting clothing.

WOW - I have Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing and I didn't know it could get better!! Even though this is an older book (I think) but this one is SO SO SO GIRLY GIRL that I want to carry it with me 24/7. Also, when I purchased the "New Book" I had not yet started tracing off my patterns and I was intimidated by the added work. Having now enjoyed the extra control I have when tracing patterns and the added advantage of saving your original patterns - well -- I'm no longer intimated and want to make EVERYTHING in this book - yay! Fast delivery. The binder is a bit broken but I have a new mail girl and she throws stuff around - so I am not going to blame the binding rip on the delivery. More likely my mail-woman who stays on the phone 24/7 and delivers half of my packages to my neighbor - LOVE THIS BOOK!!

Great dress options provided in creating your own patterns.

I'm just getting into sewing and have several of Gertie's patterns, but was afraid to cut into them before I learned a bit more. I purchased this book in hopes it would give me some better tips and techniques before I tried to sew my first garment, and I was not disappointed. Gertie goes step by step with the patterns she's included, and even has a great intro on types of fabrics, how to do boning, what you should look for when looking for the grain line, etc. This is a great reference for beginners and experts alike. The patterns go up to a ready to wear size 16, which is great, and has instructions for several combinations of the pattern pieces. Highly recommend.

Gertie put out a great book that is full of background info and I am sure a novice could sew with the clear instructions. She put out a quality product at a reasonable price. She is a sewing guru.

Had to add this book to my collection and I’m so glad that I did. I love that her older books come with already printed out patterns that I can trace. Now I just need to narrow down which dress I want to make first.

Got it for my wife for Christmas, She is a seamstress so she loves it.

Es el único libro de Gertie que tiene la opción mix and match, se pueden armar los vestidos. Como siempre muy buenos libros, bien explicados y muy lindos vestidos

Adoro la moda anni 50 e in questo libro ho trovato quello che cercavo. Bei modelli con spiegazioni molto chiare!

Très beau livre, très abouti. La combinaison des différents corsages, jupes, manches, ceintures, etc. permet de réaliser une multitude de robes différentes. Je n'ai pas encore testé en pratique, mais le livre m'inspire déjà beaucoup. Attention: en anglais!

I was very excited to start learning to sew Vintage Dresses and even though these books are amazing, I gave up on the idea and ended up selling them to my friend.