Basic Sewing for Costume Construction: A Handbook by Rebecca  Cunningham
168 pages, $39.95 list
1-57766-755-7
978-1-57766-755-1
eBook availability
Basic Sewing for Costume Construction
A Handbook
Second Edition
All students of costuming need to learn basic sewing techniques to build costumes for theatrical performance. Basic Sewing for Costume Construction teaches just those fundamentals. Cunningham brings decades of classroom experience as she guides readers with clearly laid-out projects covering hand stitching, fasteners, pinning, sewing, and seams. Additional material on measurement, fabric selection, and use of commercial patterns, as well as three complete construction projects, round out the Second Edition. Each project builds on the previous one to develop a full understanding of the costume construction process.

NEW! Click here to download a bonus project for constructing a fabric mask!
Reactions
"I love how it's laid out. . . . It has great exercises and it allows the students to create a manual/handbook for future reference. I really appreciate the price point for my students." —Tracie Folger, College of Lake County

“Excellent format . . . and price! It succinctly and effectively covers what I’ve been teaching. And the space for real samples created by students is genius!” — Victor Capecce, Millersville University

“The revisions in the second edition of Basic Sewing for Costume Construction are well thought out and beneficial to the costume practitioner. Cunningham has taken a well-done workbook and made it even more so.” — Theatre Design & Technology

“I love that the book is in binder format so pages are easy to remove, use, and put back in. It’s a wonderful step-by-step process that has been boiled down and simplified for beginning students.” — Suzanne Mann, Hartnell College
Table of Contents
1. Hand Stitches
2. Hand Sewn Fasteners
3. Machine Sewing
4. Pinning and Sewing
5. Seams
6. Seam Finishes
7. Special Techniques
8. Advanced Techniques
9. Fabric Basics
10. Measuring the Actor
11. Pattern Making Basics
12. Drafting a Drawstring Bag
13. Drafting a Two-Piece Beret
14. Drafting a T-Shaped Tunic
15. Building a T-Shaped Tunic
16. Using Commercial Patterns
Appendix I: Tools of the Trade
Appendix II: Conversion Chart