Clone Your Clothes by Claire-Louise Hardie

Do you adore a particular item of clothing? Is there a skirt, a top, or perhaps a pair of trousers that fits you like a dream and makes you feel fantastic? With "Clone Your Clothes" by Claire-Louise Hardie, you can recreate your wardrobe favourites without ever having to take them apart!

This practical guide is perfect for home dressmakers wanting to expand their skills and create a wardrobe filled with perfectly fitting garments, all based on beloved originals. Imagine being able to remake that perfect dress in a variety of fabrics, time and time again. This book shows you how.

While the most accurate pattern comes from dismantling the original garment, this book teaches clever techniques that allow you to duplicate your clothes without damaging them first. Learn how to create your own dressmaking patterns through a combination of tracing and measuring.

Cloning Techniques Explained

Inside "Clone Your Clothes", you'll discover various methods to suit different garment styles:

• Direct Measurement: Ideal for simple shapes with minimal shaping or detailing.
• Over Draping: Perfect for intricate designs like waterfall frills or ruched panels, where measuring or tracing proves difficult.
• Tracing Method: A quick and straightforward technique suitable for a wide range of clothing styles.

Claire-Louise Hardie, drawing upon her extensive experience in film and television costume departments, presents a comprehensive guide accessible to all skill levels.

The "Cloning School" section of the book offers step-by-step instructions and clear photography, making it easy to follow each technique. Each method is illustrated with a real garment example, so you can see exactly how it works in practice.

The second part, the "Design School", demonstrates how to apply these techniques to specific garments. You'll find detailed instructions for cloning:

• A pair of trousers
• A simple dress
• A gathered skirt
• A shirt
• A camisole top

Learn which cloning methods are best suited for different types of clothing and how to combine techniques for the most accurate results.

Beyond the step-by-step guides, Claire-Louise provides valuable advice on choosing the right fabrics and tools for the best possible outcome. She also shares inspirational ideas for adapting the designs, allowing you to create entirely new pieces for your wardrobe based on the patterns you've cloned from your favourite garments.

"Clone Your Clothes" is your passport to a perfectly fitting and endlessly customisable wardrobe. Start creating today!