Moving the dart

The first thing we learned in pattern making was how to move and combine darts for different styles. A basic and simple base of design.

To pivot the dart to the shoulder, follow these steps.

First, mark on the shoulder pattern or sloper where you want your shoulder dart and label your dart legs A, B, C, and D.

Then, draw around the sloper or pattern onto another sheet of paper starting at your marking on the shoulder to dart leg C.

From there, pivot the sloper so that dart leg D connects to where you stopped drating at C

Basic Pattern Alterations: a bodice

Commercial patterns are great. They give an easy guide to sewing a garment. However, people are not cookie cutter to the pattern numbers (i sure am not) and to achieve better fit they need to be altered.
Here are some easy and basic alterations you can use to achieve great fit.

When choosing a pattern, choose a top based on your bust measurement and a skirt or bottom based on your full hip because these are the most difficult to alter.
I will be using a basic two dart sleeveless bodice that I've copied off.

1. Altering the waist

The waist is a common area that needs adjustment and is easy to achieve.
First thing to do is measure your pattern to compare to your own waist measurement.
When you measure your pattern, measure right on the waist line and make sure you don't include your seam allowance or your darts. These will be enclosed within you garment and won't add to the width of the waist. measure the front and back, add them together then double them because the pattern only covers one side of the body.



Measureing front



Once you have compared you waist measurement to the pattern, you will either add or take away from the pattern.



Measureng Back



For an easy example: let's say your waist is 30" and your pattern measures 25". 30-25=5 so you would need to add 5" to add for your waist measurement, plus 1" for fitting ease so it's not skin tight. That's 6" total. Add additional width for design ease depending on the style of the garment. If its a tunic, you'll want more fitting ease than a closer fitting tank.

This 5" need to be added to the pattern all the way around. So you need to divide the measurement by 4. One fourth for each side seam (two front side seams and two back side seams).

So you will add 1 1/2" to each side seam.

Once you have measured and determined how much you should add, tape a wedge (the 1 1/2" at the waist and taper to nothing at the arm side so you don't make your arm hole 3" bigger) piece of paper or copy the pattern like I have and draw the 1 1/2" to both the front and the back.

To make a pattern smaller, do the same thing with the wedge but cut away the pattern.

(make sure you adjust your seam allowance)

2. Lengthing or shortening your bodice

Depending on your body proportions, a top can be too short or too long to fit or for just personal preference. Adding to the length is just as easy as the width.

first measure yourself to compare to the pattern. Measure down your center front from where the neckline hits to your waist or high hip (depending on where your top hits). Then measure down your pattern.



Measuring down the front bodice

Comparing your body measurement to the top measurement, add or subtract the difference between yourself and the bodice. (BE CAREFUL! Make sure you leave your hem or seam allowance and hem in!)
So say you want to add 2 inches to the length of your bodice. you would transfer a two inch strip following the line of the center front and angle of the sideseam. You may want to re measure the waist to make sure you dont take or add to the measurement.



Not too bad is it? i hope this helps!

More Frank Gehry inspired

Our presentation for Gehry is due this week so i have been sketching a lot more using inspiration from his architecture.

Career Day

Today was the big day all the designers here at Baylor has been waiting for. Career Day from Fashion Group International. It was an early and long day but a fantastic day in the fashion world we as college students know it. From the stylish to crazy dressed students, to big name speakers and a runway show, the day was eventful. Having an early arrival time at the Dallas World Trade Cemter in my cigaret pants and high heels and my Starbucks in hand, I made my way through the morning.

After the opening remarks and speechs we made out way to our first session. I was to report first to couture custom design with Suzanna Perron, a custom gown designer out of New Orleans. After graduating from LSU, she spent a year at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. With excellent construction technique under her belt, Perron was hired as an assistant designer by Caroline Herrera! (THE Caroline Herrera!!) she moved her way up through high fashion up to Vera Wang! With that luck, experience and contact list, Perron was able to move to New Orleans and start her own couture business. A one in a million career path. She's definetly living my dream life!!

After lunch I went to the trend forecasting seminar with the one and only David Wolf, the inventor of trend forecasting. Rather than telling us what's going to be hot next season in fashion, we have the internet for that, he told us as future designers how he has watched the trends of fashion cycle, every season there's styles from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s as the hot new trend. There needs to be a new turn to the future to follow architecture, science and technology.

It was sure a busy day, and I sure did see and learn a lot.

Inspiration Project

In Apparel Design, we are working on developing our creativity and locating new sources for inspiration in our designs. We were divided into groups of three and then given a list of architects to choose from with only a few minutes to research to restrict us to picking simply who caught our eye. My group chose the architect Frank Gehry to research and pull influence from for our designs.

With our first inspiration board, we were required to find out general information on Frank Gehry’s style, buildings, and where he pulls his inspiration from. Like how Gehry falls in the deconstructionism, that looks unfinished and non-traditional, and one of his main sources for inspiration is fish!

From this research, we were instructed to design a garment that was inspired by our architect. The sky was the limit because we didn’t have any guidelines or restrictions to our designs because we didn’t have to make them! This project has helped me develop my creativity and I have found inspiration in places and objects I never thought I could pull inspiration from.

Design

Hello this is Curly-Q again, ive been gone for winter break and now have started a new semester at Baylor! Advancing in out Apparel Design program, I am done with Tailoring and illustration and starting in Apparel 1. We are finaly getting to start creating our own designs and make out own patterns :) (scary but very exciting) i cant wait to share what i learn here and show what ive designed!

Stay fashionable.

Tailoring: Shaping your shoulders.

The Shape of your jacket is important to making a good looking blazer. Like the collar, the shoulder structure of your jacket is an important component to make your jacket fit well and look sharp and professional. There are multiple components to add in your jacket shoulders to achieve the smooth structure.

1.       Shoulder pads

a.       Shoulder pads may be associated with the 80’s, but they are still well used and needed to shape your jacket shoulders. You may buy shoulder pads from the store, or you can make your own from pellon and fleece.

b.      Shoulder pads should be large enough to cover your shoulder without intruding into the neckline.

c.       Shoulder pads should be the correct thickness to fill in the hollow parts of a shoulder and for the style of jacket.

2.       Sleeve heads

a.       Sleeve heads aid shoulder pads in filling in the hollow parts that fall off the shoulder into the arm. They also prevent the seam allowance from showing through to the outside. Sleeve heads are easy to make but can be purchased as well.

b.      Sleeve heads are sewn into the seam allowances so that the fold into the sleeve.

3.       Further shaping

a.       Depending on the weight of your fabric, stays on the front and/or back may also be needed to fill out the hollow spaces.

b.      For front and back stays, use your pattern to cut a section that matches the shape of your shoulders from a light weight muslin, pin and stitch to shoulder seams.