What's New?

My guiding philosophy when writing these books is, that I want to write the books I wanted and needed when I was starting out. These PDF books are for those people, like myself, who wish to master the craft of haute couture pattern making and construction.

The big advantage of books on PDF is that I’m not limited by the constraints of publishing a paper book, but can include as many illustrations, photos, and explanations as I feel necessary, to be entirely clear about the topic.

 

If you wish to have the PDF books printed off, I can recommend Best Value Copy.  They print and bind at a reasonable price!  Click here to go to their web site.

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PDF book! Cool Tricks Takes Manhattan
By Kenneth D. King

$25.95

Kenneth has introduced yet another PDF book, on garment techniques, called Cool Tricks Takes Manhattan! This PDF book is over 230 pages, and is divided up into three sections: Tips, techniques, and Drafting and Construction details. As always, there are many photographs to illustrate these techniques, which Kenneth has developed during his years in The Big Apple. So, you can email Kenneth at kennethdking@earthlink.net, or go to that address at Paypal to purchase the PDF book. Be sure to put your mailing address in the message box, so I know where to send it!

 

PDF book! Patternmaking 1
By Kenneth D. King

$30.00

This book is Kenneth’s patternmaking notes from his first semester class in Patternmaking at FIT in New York. It covers drafting skirts, dress form sloper, basic set-in sleeves, and beginning collars. For those who dream of studying at FIT in New York but can’t, this will get you quite far!
 

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PDF book! Patternmaking 2
By Kenneth D. King

$30.00

This is the continuation of Kenneth’s notes from teaching patternmaking at FIT in New York. In the second semester, he covers the dropped shoulder bodice and sleeve, the dolman and kimono sleeves (princess kimono, kimono with a gusset, kimono panel), and flare silhouette. Also covered are the shawl lapel, broad shawl lapel, notch lapel, broad notch lapel, funnel collar, and fichu collars.
 

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Leather and Fur
By Kenneth D. King

$24.95

In this PDF book, Kenneth outlines his techniques for sewing first, leather, and then fur. Tools and materials are covered, as well as classic seams in leather, and fur. The final section includes two projects Kenneth produced for clients–converting an ocelot evening coat into a safari jacket, and making a leather and hair weave statement coat! This would be a good companion text for Kenneth’s DVD from Taunton Press, called “Smart Sewing With Fake Cur. You can find it by clicking here!
 

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PDF book! Embellishments
By Kenneth D. King

$24.95

There’s a new PDF book out by Kenneth! Called Embellishments, it gathers many diverse embellishment techniques that Kenneth has written about, taught at the Fashion Insititute of Technology, and across the country. At over 170 pages, with many, many photographs, this is a compendium of techniques that Kenneth has used over the years. The information is divided into four sections: Flowers, Braids, Pleating embellishments, and miscellaneous techniques.

So, you can email Kenneth at kennethdking@earthlink.net, or go to that address at Paypal to purchase the PDF book. Be sure to put your mailing address in the message box, so I know where to send it!

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Scroll down the page to read about Kenneth’s other books.

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All Grown Up Now: A friendship in three acts
By Kenneth D. King

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I’ve published my novel!

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And I am reading it in installments as a podcast!  For information on that, go to allgrownupnow.com!

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Viewed separately, moments in life may sparkle like beads, but strung together in the right order, they create a jewel.

Kenneth D. King grew up gay in Oklahoma City, the capital of Places Not To Grow Up Fabulous In, dreaming of getting out of Oklahoma and moving to the Big City. After graduating from college, he quickly begins his first career as a store display designer. It is here that he meets a fellow window display creator named Mark and strikes up a friendship with his gay co-worker. When Mark and his significant other, Victor, move to San Francisco, Mark becomes a display manager for a chain of stores and hires Ken. But Mark and Victor have a dark secret, one that will cloud Mark and Ken’s friendship for the rest of their lives.

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A riveting, non-linear depiction of an enduring and complicated friendship and the tragic pain caused by domestic violence, King’s inimitable wit and style fills every nuance of their relationship with honest emotion. A work as heartbreaking as it is hilarious, Ken’s eventual kidnapping and rescue of a man who can somehow fulfill the title of “Best Friend,” despite all of the ups and downs they experience, is as much a moment of triumph as it is a sign of devotion.

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A letter from a reader in Scotland reads:

Dear Kenneth,

Ken, (but definitely not Kenny…I know you only allowed two people to call you that). I have just read your novel….I couldn’t wait to read it, and I can honestly say that once I started I couldn’t stop. What a story….what a life you have led. I think I felt every emotion….I hurt with you, cried with you, loved with you, laughed with you and even got angry with you.Thank you so much for sharing YOUR story.

I first “met” you via a video and book from Vogue (I think) many years ago where you demonstrated sewing lace following the pattern….I wish I had known that a few years earlier when I made my wedding gown, and a nifty way to make bias strips. Who would have known this lovely man with the good manicure was leading such a dramatic life.
 

I still follow you through your books and now via Craftsy, but with even more respect than I had before.

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Thank you,
Love,
Mary Anne Chambers xxxx (Scotland)

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If you’d like to purchase it, you can find it at Amazon.com.

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Podcast:
Listen to the Podcast as host Harry Faddis, host of the “The Quest of Life” radio show, interviews Kenneth about his book “All Grown Up Now”. View here

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Online Classes
Take Kenneth’s online classes at www.craftsy.com

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Kenneth’s piece is on the cover of Threads Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Issue!

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Kenneth has an article on laser cutting in the November 2010 issue (number 151), for which he made the piece featured on the cover.

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Cool Couture is still selling strong!

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The long-awaited update to Kenneth’s 1996 book is finally available! You can look through pages, and order it from Amazon.com, by clicking here.

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Full disclosure:
The UK version of this book is called Home Sewing: Couture Techniques. Know that these books are exactly the same, except the title and cover on the UK version are different. There seems to be no information on Amazon that this is so, that’s why I mention it here.

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A special offer:

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Email Kenneth proof of purchase, and he will email you a pdf lesson of the slant welt pocket. This pocket was developed after the book went to press, and references different sections of the book. Kenneth’s email is: kennethdking@earthlink.net

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Upcoming Classes

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Kenenth schedules classes throughout the year. If interested click here!

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Kenneth teaches classes at Sew-Right, in Bayside Queens.

To sign up, click here for their classes page.

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You can get information on these classes, and Sew-Right, by going to: www.sewright.com

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Online Classes
Take Kenneth’s online classes at www.patternreview.com

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Birth of a Bustier
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book*
• $24.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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If you’ve ever made strapless garments, you will know how difficult it is to make a garment that fits well and stays in place. This book is expanded from an article I wrote in Threads Magazine. After a brief introduction, the steps to a well-fitting strapless pattern are covered. (I base this book on The Moulage, so if you don’t have it, I recommend it.) From there, materials for construction are covered, along with a resource list. There are two types of construction covered–bustier construction, which is a garment that stops at the waist, and corselet, which is an inner foundation to support a full-length dress. A section on high, faced waistbands, which also utilize this technique, are also covered. Illustrated with lots of photographs in color.

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Tailored Jacket
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book, 289 pages*
• $27.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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My aim was to create a book that illustrates the process so well that one would feel confident to try an tailored jacket. This book covers the construction of my tailored jacket by following a jacket, from the cutting out to the finishing. The text is illustrated with over 300 photos, showing even the smallest details in the process I use to make my tailored jackets.

 

Some of the topics covered are:

Materials and tools

Patternmaking to create the linings, facings, and other corollary pieces so that all pieces fit together perfectly
Interlinings.

Complete construction of the garment, with “sidebars” at different points in the process.

 

For example:
The perfect way to ease a sleeve cap
Constructing the notch lapel, as well as the shawl lapel.
Handling uneven shoulders
Constructing the lining, including installing the hidden lining pocket and piping

And more!

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The Moulage
By Kenneth D. King

• A PDF book* – 130 pages
• Includes Video Demonstration on CD-ROM.
• $24.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included

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The moulage is the foundation of the couture pattern drafting system taught by the Ecole Guerre-Lavigne in Paris. This is a system of measuring the figure, calculating, and drafting a pattern that will fit the torso like a second skin, incorporating any of the infinite variations of shape the human figure can take.

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The book starts out with an introduction and some history of the development of pattern drafting systems. This is followed by a discussion of the proper way to measure the figure, for this system. The CD-ROM, which is made for QuickTime Player, shows a video demonstration of these measurements.

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Calculations of the measurements follow. Measurements are in both inches, and metric. The book then proceeds to show, step by step, how to draft the moulage back, then the front. Common adjustments to the muslin is next, followed by instructions on drafting the men’s moulage.

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From the Moulage the book will cover how to add wearing ease to create the sloper, or block (the basic unit of pattern drafting). A chapter on “special cases” follows, covering unusual situations such as osteoporosis.

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Finally A discussion of how to use your sloper to check a commercial pattern will enable you to use this tool as a fitting aid, making it easier to adjust patterns to your figure. This book uses Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download for free from Adobe. The CD-ROM video uses Quick Time Player, which you can download for free from Apple.com. The follow-up to this book is, The Basic Sleeve.

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The Basic Sleeve
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF book* – 89 pages
• $19.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included

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Once you get your slopers, you will need a sleeve. This book continues with the Ecole Guerre-Lavigne system of couture pattern drafting, to draft the three most basic set-in sleeves: Shirt sleeve, fitted sleeve with elbow dart, and two-part tailored sleeve.

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Before drafting these sleeves, there are calculations to be done to generate the values for the draft. Inches and metric are both used here. The three sleeves are demonstrated with step-by-step illustrations that will lead you through the entire draft.

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Finally a discussion of common adjustments to the sleeve, and other considerations, are covered.

This book uses Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download for free from Adobe.

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Advanced Sleeve
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF book* – 215 pages
• $24.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included

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Advanced sleeve picks up where The Basic Sleeve leaves off. Using the drafts from The Basic Sleeve as a starting point, first covered are the more advanced set-in sleeves, like puffed sleeves, leg-o-mutton, bell, square-cut, and emmanchure bateau. From there, how to draft the different raglan sleeves are demonstrated. Finally, the book covers the kimono sleeves (those cut-as-one with the bodice) and gussets. At the end of each section, a discussion of common adjustments is given.

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This book uses Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download for free from Adobe.

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Trouser Draft
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book* – 178 Pages
• Includes Video Demonstration on CD-ROM.
• $24.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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Trouser Draft discusses the system of drafting trousers (for men and women) from measurements. After taking the proper measurements (which is covered in the text, as well as on the video on the CD), we cover calculations for the draft, and drafting the trouser. Once the trouser is drafted and made, the next section of the book covers common adjustments that might need to be made to the test garment, to ensure proper fit. Finally, after a well-fitting trouser has been made, the directions for adding style, such as pleats, pockets, waistbands, and the like, are included. The object of this book is to give the information to make any type of trouser you desire.

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This book uses Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download for free from Adobe.

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The Collars
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book*
• $24.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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The Collars is another installment in the series of couture patternmaking CD books. After drafting sleeves, the collars are the next step in developing a pattern. This CD starts with the collars on a round neck, which are drafted on a rectangle. Examples are the band collar, men’s shirt collar, the Peter Pan, and petal overlap collars. V-neck “rules” are next, followed by collars on a V-neck. Examples are the all-in-one standing, and all-in-one roll collars, the insertion collars, and the semi-collars. As the other CD’s, this one makes use of numerous step-by-step illustrations to ensure a successful draft.

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Necklines and Draping
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book*
• $24.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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This is the next installment in the series of couture pattern making CD’s. The book starts out with what I call “blouse necklines, such as the boat, oval, and high faced necklines. My teacher invented the “neckline theory” in this CD book, which enables one to make a neckline that is low in front, as well as in back, one that will not gap or slip off the shoulders. After learning the neckline theory and its group ofnecklines, the draped necklines, such as the cowls are next. We finish up with flat-pattern draping theory, as it is related information.

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Handbag Construction
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book*
• $24.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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Handbag Construction is a CD book, based on the popular classes Kenneth teaches at www.patternreview.com. In this CD, he outlines what he calls “soft” construction, and “rigid” construction. He uses these techniques, either separately or in combination, when making his evening bags. There is a separate section on handles and closures, as well as a gallery chapter. This gallery chapter, shows photos of Kenneth’s favorite bags, and tells how he constructed them.

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Brush Fringe Jacket
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book*
• $17.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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This is a CD that is an extension of the Tailored Jacket CD. It deals with how to make fringed edges on tailored garments. This volume covers patch pockets, pocket flaps, cuffs, and jacket fronts.

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The Skirts
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book*
• $24.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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The Skirts is another installment of the Ecole Guerre-Lavigne system of pattern drafting. It covers all of the classic skirt lines, such as flares, straight, pencil line, gored skirts, pleated skirts, divided skirts, and circular skirts. Once you get this CD, you can draft any skirt you desire.

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Dress Lines
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book*
• $19.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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The Dress Lines CD is the final installment of the Ecole Guerre-Lavigne pattern drafting system. In this CD, you will learn how to draft the princess line dresses, the A-line dresses, the tent dresses, and the empire-line dress.

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Making Garments from Existing Garments
by Kenneth D. King

• A PDF Book*
• $24.95 US – shipping and all applicable taxes included.

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If you have a garment that you love, one that you’d like more of, you can use this way of taking a pattern from it without ripping the garment apart. Based on the classic “rub-off” technique, the innovation here is to use buff-colored organza (which is see-through), to retrieve the information from the garment. Once this information is retrieved, you will learn how to transfer it to paper, and then to create the corollary pieces, to produce a working pattern ready for construction. Also covered is how to find grainlines when the fabric doesn’t show them readily. All in all, this is a useful book for studying garment construction, as well as making copies of a loved piece.

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De-Mystifying Fit:
Using the moulage to adjust commercial patterns
$27.95
by Lynda Maynard

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People have asked me, how to use the moulage (and the slopers it generates), to adjust commercial sewing patterns. I myself draft designs from scratch, so have been only able to give general answers. If this information ever was in print, I’m not aware of it.

My friend and colleague Lynda Maynard, has made that question her challenge. She has indeed developed the method to adjust commercial patterns from the moulage.

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Better news–she has finished a CD book, outlining this technique, using text, illustrations, and photographs of a number of real-figure women. In this way, Lynda is clearly demonstrating the theory and practice of this new technique.

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To see a sample page, click here.

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It’s exciting, when new thinking comes into the base of sewing knowledge, and this work is just that. That’s why I helped her a little bit to photograph and to organize the CD book, which will have 282 pages, with over 600 photos. I learned a lot in the process.

You can contact Lynda Maynard directly, at (408) 362-1864, or email her at lmaynardsews@yahoo.com

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You can send a check for $27.95 (shipping included in the U.S.

$8.00 extra for international orders) to:

Lynda Maynard, 531 Glenburry Way, San Jose, CA, 95123

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She also takes Paypal!

Her address at Paypal is lmaynardsews@yahoo.com

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Moulage update!

Kenneth has discovered a better way to pivot the princess dart into a side dart, for converting the moulage to the sloper.

This update replaces pages 94-97.

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So, for all of you who have the Moulage CD (and those who don’t), you can download this free update, by clicking here.

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