DRESS DESIGN
Draping and Flat Pattern Making by Marion S. Hillhouse and Evelyn A. Mansfield 

There is no way one can say enough about this book.  It is the companion to Pepin's fantastic Modern Pattern Design but goes further into the WHY of draping and flat pattern design.  It pulls together valuable anatomical information, textile characteristics, fitting and the ever-elusive transformation into 3-D from a flat plane in complex designs.  The illustrations are very beautiful and there are many on each page, some even showing exactly where to hold your hands in draping.  Originally published in 1948, it was used by the pioneers of American fashion, showing them how to create the vintage designs we still love. Many in this field have searched for this book since it went out of print with prices rising each year for hard to find copies.  Look at the sample pages and then enjoy the whole book!

Reprint, paperback with coil binding, 8.5" x 11" - 326 pages.