Friday, December 3, 2010

Book Review: The Party Dress Book by Mary Adams

 
How apropos! We've been talking about Black Tie and party dresses a lot here lately, and I also recently picked up this new sewing book devoted to making festive frocks. What you should know up front: The Party Dress Book was written by Mary Adams, a longtime custom dressmaker who is perhaps best known for outfitting Amy Sedaris on many occasions. (In fact, the fabulous Ms. Sedaris wrote the foreword to The Party Dress Book.) The reason I think this is crucial information is that it will help you understand the book's aesthetic from the get-go.
Amy Sedaris on the Letterman show in a Mary Adams dress
A ballgown designed for Amy, from The Party Dress Book
I love Amy's eccentric style, and that's exactly what this book is: eccentric. I'll admit that I picked it up once at Borders, flipped through it, and decided it wasn't for me. Some of the embellishment techniques, like neckline ruffles, big rosettes, and crazy-quilted skirt appliques, just aren't really my cup o' tea. But I judged too quickly, readers. Because, on second look, there is a ton of inspiration to be found in here: silk organza petticoats, luscious color combinations, and my absolute favorite: a stunning use of bias strips to embellish an entire dress. Have you ever seen anything so lovely? I want to do this!

In fact, since finally purchasing the book, I've completely absorbed it. The beginning chapters give you a sense of Mary's history as a designer, and they're rather fun, looking at her various influences: 50s glamour, Marie Antoinette, brilliant colors. I especially enjoyed the subsequent technique chapters, where she shows you how to use piecing, quilting, pintucking, and yes, the fabulous bias strips, to customize your own dress.

A page from the book, on quilting
I've taken a lot of her advice to heart, like her recommendation to use a narrow hemmer attachment to finish the edges of your candy-colored organza petticoats. And I've finally mastered that persnickety little foot! (With the help of this great YouTube video.) Also influenced by Mary's book, I've given my red lace dress a flouncy coral underskirt. I credit this book with getting me to loosen up a bit in my dressmaking.

The book does come with one pattern that will enable you to make a party dresses, using one of these three design/fabric choices: 1) layered organza, 2) pieced cotton, 3) soaked taffeta (see images below). It's a basic princess seam bodice with a circle skirt and a choice of a halter or regular straps. You could take the pattern and apply any of her techniques to it.


The book is skimpy on fitting methods and construction extras. She doesn't have you make a muslin or use boning in your bodice, for instance. The construction directions are straightforward and include a lining and an invisible zipper. I really liked her directions on making a petticoat, especially because I feel you can never have enough different methods for making a crinoline! If you're looking for couture methods, you'll want a supplemental text. While this isn't a must-have construction guide, I would definitely take a look to see if you think it might be a good inspirational text. It's definitely proved invaluable to me in my current party dress obsession!

16 comments:

  1. Inspired by a review of this book by Erica (http://www.ericabunker.com/)on
    10-8-2010, I was able to borrow a copy of this book from my local Library. A miracle in and of itself because there is not great demand for anything "sewing" there! Pure inspiration absolutely. My party dresses/pants tend to be tried and true basics, usually black, that provide the canvas for accessories and jewelry. While most of my party occasions out here in endless suburbia tend to not be dressy affairs, I like the possibility of using some of these ideas to enhance some basics. No time this season, but look out 2011. As always Gertie, you are spot on with information, trends and inspiration! Thanks for all the work and effort you put into this blog. We all learn so much from you!

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  2. We need a tutorial on how to use the small hemming foot ! Even though I went to Fashion school I could never figure out how to use it.

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  3. I was thumbing through this book in B&N the other day. The colors are really stunning. Wish I had bought it.

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  4. Just in time to be added to Christmas lists! Yay!

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  5. Cindy, I added a link to a YouTube video that was my savior in figuring out the narrow hemmer foot.

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  6. I fell in love with this book when I found it. My biggest pet peeve is when a book has the potential to be a great sewing book, but it's only useful for beginners. This book manages to be useful to anyone with a base sewing knowledge, and the inspiration is endless. Love it! Thanks for posting.

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  7. The pics from the book certainly do look inspiring. I am going to see if my local library has it. Thanks for the review. I wouldn't have known about it otherwise.

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  8. The bias-trimmed dress reminds me of this fabulous dress made completely from selveges!

    http://vintagericrac.blogspot.com/2008/10/big-selvedge-project.html

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  9. I've seen this book floating around sewing blogs and am intrigued--especially now that you mentioned the petticoat/narrow hem instructions! Shall have to hunt down a copy for myself to page through. ;)

    ♥ Casey | blog

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  10. Jenny, it totally reminded me of that too! Thanks for providing the link, I'd forgotten where to find it.

    I should clarify that the book doesn't have narrow hemmer instructions, it just suggests that you use one! Another reason it's not the best technique book. But it did inspire me to seek out good instructions elsewhere, so that's something!

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  11. This book must be very trendy right now as someone just mentioned it to me yesterday; I reserved a copy at my library.

    Even with that tutorial vid on that narrow hem foot I still swear to Jeebus I will never be able to use that thing! (& what happens when you get back to the place you started?). Thanks tho' for posting that vid... I'm starting to want to practice and make it happen.

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  12. Oh fun! That's what the book looks like to me, full of girly inspiration! Thanks for the review and for telling us what it's not about (ie. fitting and muslins) as well as what it did for you!

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  13. Ooh, this sounds lovely. If I had my way, I'd wear party dresses every day, so this sounds like something right up my alley. Thanks for the thorough review!

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  14. I'm not going to lie, until your review I had never heard of Mary Adams or this boook. I fell in love with the picture of the bias dress you posted and ran to Borders after work to pick it up. Thank you so much! This book is so inspiring. Who knows whether I'll actually cut 100,000 strips of bias to make this dress but I do know that I will be more adventurous with color in the future. I want a candy colored frock now too!

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  15. Thank you for this review! All the embellishments you mention are my kind of thing (even though I haven't learned how to do any...yet ;) so couldn't resist to order the book. Received it today and I'm loving it. Thank you so much for a great review and share post.

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  16. If I ever need a tutu dress to wear to a mad tea party, I know which book to consult.

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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