Hand made Sewing Sample Book with Watercolor Illustration on Cover - Pièces de Confection ("Garment Parts")

France, 1930. Very good to fine; some toning, one or two short tears.. Pièces de Confection" is a completely unique, handmade book that showcases the skills of an unidentified French tailor or seamstress. Each page features one to three squares of sewn fabric; there are 32 squares of fabric in total. Each square is labeled carefully in black ink, and shows a different skill or offering from the maker. Examples include: "Patte indéchirable" (ripstop tab); "Bordé en Forme" (edging tailored to shape); "Col chale" (shawl-style collar); and several kinds of "poches", or pockets. Materials used include tweed, cotton, satin, and thread. The upper wrapper features original gouache art of a young boy fishing and a young girl toting a comically large fish, giving the object a quirky and charismatic energy. Folio (12.5" by 9.5"), 16 unnumbered pages, gatherings held in place with pink ribbon. Fine and meticulous work.