Jackets for Real People: Tailoring Made Easy!

This book is a great resource for tailoring jackets using modern fusibles. It fills in the blanks left by my other tailoring books and instructions found in commercial patterns. It is arranged in the order one would fit, cut, fuse, and sew a tailored jacket, making it easy to follow. It is perfect for sewer's who draft their own patterns, as I do. This book is a MUST in the library of any serious home sewer. I would also recommend the DVD.

It really helped me with my jacket , step by step tutorial is better for me to actually get it.Really good book, highly recommend it.

I used this book to supplement the very skimpy directions of a coat pattern. The coat that I made originally a decade ago did not fit very well and I also wanted to change the styling from double- to single-breasted. I recently made a muslin that fitted really well, but needed better directions for sewing my new coat. The Jackets for Real People book provided the advice I needed, and more. I found the 'Tips' sections particularly helpful. I have not finished my new coat yet but reading ahead tells me that everything I need to know about collars, linings, etc. is there.

Like its companion Palmer-Plesch "real people" books on general fitting and pants fitting, this does not confine itself to the perfect size 6 figure. The photos are inspirational for that alone! More importantly, it gives valuable pointers in how to work with the bodies most of us actually have (versus the runway models' bodies the pattern manufacturers have designed for). I own several books on tailoring, and I would rate this one of the very best in explaining how to do it. Making a tailored jacket is an intimidating project; with this book, the mystery is reduced. The photographs are excellent and the instructions concise and easily understood. Anyone making a tailored jacket for a woman of just about any shape or size would find it helpful--and much of the information would apply to making a comparable garment for a man.

I watched a segment of Sewing with Nancy and just Knew this book would fill the bill of sewing instructions to make myself a jacket that would fit and be properly constructed.When it came in the mail it was exactly what was needed.I have several (from the twenties and thirties) tailoring books, but with no access to horsehair and cotton padding - (well those are just two products mentioned) I felt helpless to construct a proper jacket that would fit in all the right places.Now, I can!

There are so many sewing DVD's on the market today, but this one I found to be one of the best for beginner as well experienced sewers. Imade a jacket following the instructions and I'm very pleased with the finished jacket fit and professional appearance. I have been sewing for many years and learned so much that I did not know from this DVD.

I saw her do a 2 part TV teaching session on the jacket and this book far exceeds all I learned from watching. I'm getting ready to make a jacket and t his book is going to make it much simpler.

I own Fit for Real People and Pants for Real People, so this one rounds out my collection of books by these authors. All of these books are my go-to references when I sew. Any book or article by the Palmer/Pletch folks are full of information regarding the topic they cover. This one is no exception. I highly recommend it for anyone who sews.

I have been tailoring for over ten years now, and have no difficulty at all making coats and jackets for myself - but I'm a bloke with a fairly average 44 chest. I only have to make very minor tweaks to a stock pattern to get a good fit.However. Mrs. Z is curvy. Very curvy. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get a jacket to fit her properly without it looking like something Jessica Rabbit would wear, or massively baggy under the arms.Following the guidance in this DVD I am now able to alter the patterns using a 'full bust adjustment', which gives the correct fit across the shoulders while adding in enough fabric in the right place to accommodate a lady's curves.I've used the method on uncanvassed jackets and coats, so despite the title, this book applies to different garments.Every sewer should have this DVD, and the books that go with it.

Having purchased the other 2 books in the series,I now have complete instructions for most aspects of sewing my own clothes. Previousy had to make toiles in order to get the fit right. With tissue (pattern) fitting that's a thing of the past.The instructions and illustrations are very clear and well written. Recommended for those who have been sewing a long time and those new to the craft. You'll probably never make another toile but still have clothes that fit you.Mine was a second hand book but arrived as new condition. Looks like it had never been opened.Excellent service will use Wordery again.

Easy steps to achieve great results. Learned a great foolproof way to create double welt pockets, I won't use any other method now. Took my jacket sewing to the next level. Would highly recommend this book whether for a first time jacket maker or more experienced, it's my jacket making bible and certainly gets through the tricky bits with ease.

This is an excellent DVD containing lots of tips for making the perfect jacket. All steps can be viewed in any order from the menu and each aspect is explained whilst you watch Marta sew. I have been sewing for years and I still learned a few things. Sadly there is no info or demo's on fitting or toile making which, to me anyway, is an essential part of tailoring. However, this does not detract from the overal quality of the product. If you are a first timer or an old hand like myself it is worth having this one on your sewing shelf.

Brilliant book. Well illustrated with clear, understandable instructions and diagrams.