The Shirtmaking Workbook - review

The Shirtmaking Workbook is an instruction book about making shirts and blouses. It was written by David Page Coffin and has many photos with details and descriptions. Do you really want to learn how to make the perfect blouse? This book is your ideal guide. Or do you just want to know a little more about how shirts and blouses are made in general? It will be great as well.

The art of making shirts
The book is about the art of making perfect shirts. It all seems so simple, but making a perfect shirt is sometimes quite difficult. You usually notice immediately when a blouse or shirt is a DIY blouse. The collar is just not right or not so neatly as it should be. Or maybe the buttons are slightly different and you can see from the breast pocket that it is not an industrially made shirt.

But should you be ashem of a DIY blouse? We do not think so. Shirts from mass production are often boring, are anything but sustainably produced and the packaging is often greatly exaggerated. There is a lot of plastic involved and all kinds of sliders, pins and cardboard that you have to throw away anyway. A homemade shirt is not only more durable and environmentally-friendly to make, but also much more fun.

If you learn to make shirts according to this book, you will eventually no longer see the difference between a purchased shirt and a shirt made by yourself. Author David Page Coffin shows how to make tailored blouses and shirts for men or women that look beautiful and beautifully finished. With a lot of attention to detail, you just want to try it all out for yourself.

Timeless shirts and blouses
The examples in his book are all very classic and timeless. Sometimes super modern and sometimes old-fashioned or classic. In principle it does not matter much because the construction of the shirt remains the same.

The variation in collars, cuffs and closures make the book extra fun. Now you will learn what all those collars are named and how to make them. You can also completely personalize a shirt yourself.

 Photos and instructions 
The pictures are all clear and the instructions are good. Sewing patterns for blouses also contain excellent instructions, but this book provides some more intermediate stitches and some more detailed photos. Both basic sewing techniques and couture sewing techniques are discussed. In that sense, the book is ideal for both beginners and advanced seamstresses.

Fabrics & Co
The book is almost based on cotton poplin as the basic fabric. Hardly any other fabrics are used, but canvas, fleece and slightly heavier cotton are featured in "Featured Technique" and "Featured Garments". We would also have liked it if silk blouses were discussed or fabrics such as chiffon, linen, and modern sustainable fabrics.

Summarized:
We think this book is an absolute must-have if you want to specialize in clothing and couture making. It offers a lot of background information and the photos and instructions are clear with many intermediate steps.

Do you finally want to make a really perfect shirt-collar or blouse with collar? This book will be a great guide to learn the art of making shirts.  'Practice makes perfection' in this case: the art of making shirts!