Dress

I have just started to create a dress in pattern cutting. I firstly started off my cutting out my pattern pieces and slightly changed then to how i wanted my dress to look. I firstly drew around the dress block and got rid of the shoulder dart. I measured the same distance and shaved it off the side. I then drew a design line on where i wanted my panel line to be. I then traced off the backside panel and back centre panel and transfered the notches.

 I traced off the front of the dress from my first draft and then drew in a new dart in the arm scye and then the original dart, i drew in design line for where the 2 panels were going to go and then traced off the front side panel.

I added a seam allowance and then traced the centre front and changed the neckline but i had to check that the shoulder seams were going to fit and they werent, so i lined them up to make sure they fit and then added a v shape neckline facing, i put all the pieces togther by getting the 2 front pieces and lined up the arm holes togther and taped them down, i then got the 2 back pieces and lined them up with the front pieces and neckline. I taped it down and then to get the neckline facing at the shoulder seam,i drew my neckline facing design line and measured it 5cm from the edge and then traced off the pattern piece. To get the arm hole facing i did the same procedure.

We then ironed interfacing onto the neck and armhole facings.

I then lay out all of my pattern pieces onto my fabric and craefully and correctly cut them out;

I then took the centre front piece and one of the centre side pices and sewed a 1.5 seam allowance to the front centre and then pressed open the seam.

I then did the same with the other side and pressed open the seams and pinned it to the mannequin to make sure it was looking okay and fitting right, which it was.

I then took my 4 back pieces. For the zip on my dress i chose it to be in the centre back so i had 4 peices instead of the 3 for the front. I overlocked both of the back pieces and put them togther right side to right side and then put my zip on following my guide.

I then had to sew my dress front and back togther. I did this by lining up the sides, wrong side to wrong side and pinning it so all the notches etc lined up. I overlocked each side first, and then once it was all lined up and pinned, I then sewed a 1.5 seam allowance down the sides to attach the dress togther. I then had to line up the top of the dress on each side and sew them togther with a 1.5 seam allowance.

Now I am on to creating the arm hole interfacing. I put my dress on a mannequin and then making sure i had the correct front and back parts of my arm hole interfacing, i then pinned them on right side to right side of dress and sewed both of them on with a 1.5 seam allowance, i reduced the bulk and then I did a retaining stitch along the facing to ensure it stayed on the inside of the arm hole.

now i am onto creating the neckline facing.

I did this by pinning it onto the neck on the inside out dress. I used the same method as on the armhole facings, I sewed it on with a 1.5 seam allowance and then did a retaining stitch to make sure the facing stayed in place.

Finished dress;

Shirt..

When i created my shirt, i firstly had to lay out all of my fabric making sure it was folded in half on a straight grain. I lay out my pattern pieces that i wanted to be in my main colour. This was the front and back and side peivces of the shirt, the collar pocket and the cuffs. Out of my second piece of fabric, i decided to cut out the other part of the collar stand, the inside cuffs and the yoke.

I started off by firstly making a box pleat in the back piece of the shirt. I then attached the base of both shirt yokes to the back of the shirt by sandwiching the back between the two yokes and then topstitched with a 1.5 seam allowance, making sure I had pinned them into place before hand and that the right side of the yokes were next to the fabric.

I then pressed the yoke upwards and away from the seam to ensure i got a nice neat clean seam line. I then pressed the back button stand to match up with the pattern and then topsticthed it.

I then attached the front shirt pieces and back yoke togther at the shoulder seam using a 1.5 closed seam and i pressed it all flat towards the yoke.

I then went on to do the collar of the shirt. I firstly made sure i had pressed on the interfacing onto the 2 collar pieces and 2 collar stands. I then placed the right sides of the collar togther using a 1.5 seam allowance. I had to make sure i had reduced the bulk by about a half on the collar points. I turned them and pressed them and then sandwiched the collar between the collar stands using a 1.5 seam allowance, reduced the bulk again and then turned it to the right side and pressed it.





I then pinned and sewed the collar stand to the shirt placing the right side of the main body of the shirt using a 1.5 seam allowance making sure i have matched up the notches and the edges are nice and accurate.

I then flicked the collar over and finished off the collar by using a topstitch along the inside of the collar stand.

I then went onto the sleeves, i firstly had to cut out a piece of bias binding for the sleev vent, i used a purple colour for mine, i attached the bias binding to the wrong side of the fabric, reduced the bulk and then pressed and topsticthed on the right side of my fabric. I then sew a little triangle at the top of the vent to hold it securely.

I then had to attach the sleeves on to my shirt, i did this by placing the right side of the fabric togther of the sleeve to the main body of the sleeve and the front and the back, there should have been 1 notch at the front and 2 at the back.

I then had to ease the sleeve into the opening as best as i could and i then sewed around the sleeve using a 1.5 seam allowance, overlocked and reduced the bulk slightly. I then sewed a 1.5 seam allowance from the base of the side seam to the top to the bottom of the sleeve and made sure that the sleeve seam is matching on both sides.

I then had to gather the bottom of the sleeves by sewing 2 lines along the sleeve without backtacking and on sticth length 4, i had to make sure that one line was above 1.5 and the other was below. I then gathered the material.

For the cuffs, i firstly had to iron on the interfacing, sewed a 1.5 seam allowance along the sides and then reduced the bulk. I attached the cuff by putting the right side of the cuff to the wrong side of the sleeve, i then flipped it over, pressed it and top stitch it.

I then had to create the hem of my shirt. I did this by folding up the bottom of the shirt twice, as big as i wanted it to be, but the way i did mine was about a 2cm hem, i folded the first part up and pressed it about 1cm and then i folded it up and pressed it again another 1cm's. I then sewed along the bottom of it as close to the fold as possible so the hem stayed nice and neat.

Now i am onto create the button holes,

Skirt with a yoke..

Firstly, you will need to start by laying out all of your pattern pieces onto your fabric, which is folded in half on a straight grain.

Making sure that where the pattern pieces are cut on the fold they are placed on the fold of the material neatly, also keeping in mind the grain line on the patterns will have to be straight with the material.

Now you will need to pin the pattern pieces in place so that they dont slip or move when your trying to cut them out. Take a pair of sharp fabric scissors and slowly and carefully cut around your pattern pieces as neatly as you can.

Now you need to take the front piece of your skirt with the box pleat, and take the paper pattern off the back of it and make sure you mark the wrong side with a simple cross with some tailors chalk. You will need to take some pins and start to pin the darts togther which will show how and where the pleat is going to sit. Now you will need to press the fabric to hold where the folds will be.

Now you will need to get your front yoke, and pin it to where it fits into the top of the front box pleat, making sure your pinning right side to right side. Then sew it on with a 1.5 seam allowance. 

You will now need to turn the skirt to the right sside and do a topsticth all the way along where you have just sewn to as close to the fold as possible,

Then you need to turn it back round to the wrong side and overlock along the 1.5 seam allowance you just sewed.

Then you will need to do the exact same with the back pieces of the skirt.

You will now have the front and back pieces of your skirt. You will need to sew the right side to the right side togther along the sides with a 1.5 seam allowance, you will also need to put a centre zip using the step by step guide in to the skirt.

You then need to fold over the flare at 1.5 cm and then press it to keep it in place, now you need to sew along side it and turn the needle twhen you need to change the angle. You will also need to hem the outer edge of the kick pleat to stop it from moving.

Now you will need to sew on the facing. You will need to make sure they have interfacing on the back of them, so if you havent already done it then you will need to lay your facing out on the interfacing and cut around them, making sure the glue side of the interfacing is on the wrong side of your fabric facing pieces.

You will then need to press them on the iron so that the interfacing sticks.

Now your interfacing is on, you will need to sew the facings onto each other along the short sides with a 1.5 seam allowance and then overlock the seam allowance.

Make sure your skirt is inside out and then pin the facing on and sew it along the top of the skirt. You must make sure that the facing is in line with the skirt, or as accurately as it can be and the end of it should lie on one side of the zip.

You will now need to turn your skirt the right way round and make sure the tops of the zips are pushed out with either a pair of scissors or sharp object as much as they can be, or if it isnt pushing out properly then you can turn it inside out again and carefully cut away diagonally some of the seam allowance.

Now you will need to start on the hem, to do this you will need to fold up the hem of the skirt 1.5 and then topstitch it into place.

 

colour page pictures

Progress over easter..

Over the Easter holidays, I have started to go more into depth into my research of Religion and Culture. I have started by researching more into different types of religion and culutre, and I have looked into the different foods eaten and clothing worn and also the more sinister side of religion, which interested me a lot.

I now want to develop my designs a lot more. I liked a fair few of my earlier designs so nopw i want to combine them with my newer research to try to draw up some stronger designs. The darker side of religion interested me, as a lot of people in a religious family or who have been born into certain religions have to endure some awful experiences and are more or less trapped within their culture. I want to encorporate this into my final design to show that some religions condone barbaric acts and use their religion as an excuse.

For example, honor killings. This is where a member of the family has shamed the rest of the family somehow by either refusing to marry a person that their family has chosen them to marry, breaking a rule of their religion, hanging around with or dating people the family dont agree with and lots of other things, so either the family kill, or arrange for someone else to kill that member of their family. This is acceptable in some religions and this is the side of religion that is evil and restrcting.

I also want to show restriction in my final garment as i think a lot of religious clothing is very restricting. Some people in the islamic religion where full draping material covering their whole body except for their eyes, whatever the weather or where ever they are all day everyday, which is highly restricting and trapping.

Colours of religion though are very bright, like the architecture and foods, and also some cultural clothing has very birhgt and loud colours, so somehwere pn my dress I want to add either a bright strip of fabric or section of my garment to show the differences and contrasts within different religions and cultures.

I am now going to do further research in my sketch book and complete another mood board so that i have 2 main mood boards to refeer to.

 

Final Brief..

So we have had our final brief given to us and as its the easter holidays I've started my research early to get a good head start! Ive rfesearched into 5 different collections of 5 different designers who tend to use visionary art and are inspired by all different kinds of things which is really interesting to look into. I am also going to start making me thread of religion and culture a lot more in depth and informative to ensure i can come up with an even stronger final design.

My favorite collection from the ones I have researched has definitely got to be his spring 2007 collection. It was really creative and unique and I think it will definitely be a collection to remember, I admire Gareth Pugh as he seems to be a designer who isn't afraid to be himself or be different and although his collections get mixed reviews he still goes on to create distinctive garments.

Completed design brief!

So I have finally completed my design brief, it has all been handed in this week and I can truly say that I really enjoyed the final part of the brief, where we were designing our own garments using our mood boards and sketchbooks. It was really fun and enjoyable to create 10 strong designs and I now feel a lot more confident about continuing onto our next brief!

Will update with pictures of sketchbook asap.