Folds in Fashion: The Art of Pleating in Clothing Design and Construction

Step-by-step instructions for 24 specialized techniques for the experienced sewer.

The newfound fondness for fashionable handmade clothes is driving a robust market for sewing machines. The New York Times reports that sales more than doubled over the last decade. These creative sewers are hungry for resources to help them create personalized clothing.

Folds in Fashion provides detailed instructions on how to make 24 basic projects that create sophisticated embellishments for contemporary fashion pieces. Experienced sewers will revel in the creative projects and ideas from Rosa Garcia Prieto.

Clear line drawings and concise instructions simplify the complex construction of features that are both consistent with current trends and timeless. Only standard sewing tools are required.

Folds in Fashion covers both traditional projects and those with elements of innovation. The book is about working with the natural tendencies of fabrics to create three-dimensional shapes with the appropriate textures that often imitate natural forms. Each project provides different ideas to apply to small details or to an entire pattern. Thanks to great illustrations that show the final results, everyone can adjust an initial idea and give it a personal touch.

The 24 projects include:

• Origami Rectangles with Strips
• Filigree Pleats
• Symmetrical Tucks for Skirts
• Frills inserted into Pleats
• Pleats and Ruffles Combination for Necklines
• Louis XV Jabot
• Frayed Fabric Roses
• Wire Snails
• Pointed Shoulder Pads
• Microdrapery
• Irregular Pleated Bodice
• Sixteenth-Century Ruff
• Godet Pleats with Tulle Ruffles
• Quilting with Kapok.

Innovative, inspiring and concise, Folds in Fashion is an ideal how-to book for new designers and adventurous sewers.

With more than 15 years’ experience in fashion, Rosa Garcia Prieto has been head of production for Alma Aguilar design house since 2004, and oversees the Bridal Atelier. She creates prototypes and prepares technical specifications of seasonal collections, as well as teaching production at fashion schools.