LIVE PROJECT - Week 8 - Technical Flats / Pattern Cutting / Toiling

NEW DESIGN DEVELOPMENTS

After meeting with Kait, I developed two of my designs that she liked. She drew over the top of my existing designs to show me ideas of how I could push the designs further. She wanted decaying and distressed elements, experimentation with asymmetry and proportion and using the stripes in considered directions. I took her advice on board and tried to recreate what we both agreed on, the best that I could.

ILLUSTRATION AND TECHNICAL FLAT

I knew straight away which one of each design that I liked the most so I quickly moved on to  drawing them up into illustrations and then creating technical flats.

TOILING

I started off with a basic bodice block and went back and fourth from the mannequin to the pattern, to get the best fit. If you compare both of these photos, you will see that I've taken the bodice in a little bit to make the shape more flattering and fitted.

Panels are added into the back.

Panels are added into the front and the point at the bottom of bodice is chosen to desired shape.

Pleated collar sewn in.

Trying to create the point on the shoulder using pattern cutting was pretty difficult but I was very happy when I finally mastered it. It was surprisingly easier than I first thought! I used a basic sleeve block and adjusted it for the pointed shoulder. I now need to attach the bell sleeve to the second half.

REPORT IDEAS

I've been looking at the examples of reports from last year to give me a little inspiration and I really like the 'How to be an intern by and intern' report. I want to do something along the same lines but with a different twist as I want to make my report a bit more interesting. 

I recently wrote 500 words of my report and decided to ask Anna for her advice. Sadly, I was taking my report in the wrong direction so I had to start from scratch. I wanted to make my report a bit more investing but that's not what the brief asks! So I went back to the drawing board (reoccurring theme in this project!?)

I don't usually write my essays this way but I remember Anna telling us that planning is very important for any writing and it helps to keep things in a logical order. I am now at the 500 word count again but with a whole new approach and tone. I think that I am back on track in terms of the brief now. I have learned that this way of writing is so much easier! I printed off lots of research pages with the reference material so that it was easy to reference in my report. I went through with a highlighter because I know that having the information in physical form will help me absorb the facts better.

REFLECTION

Although the making side of this unit is really stressful, I'm glad that we have the opportunity to further practice our pattern cutting and garment engineering skills. This is all really valuable for third year and I feel like I have learned so much just from making this one garment. I do think it's really important to pattern cut and make garments frequently because that's when you get better at it. 

I'm very happy with how my toile is going so far and it seems to me that slow and steady definitely wins the race. I've been taking my toile step by step, fixing problems as I go along and trying to amend my patterns as I go along too. I just hope the rest of my toile goes as smoothly!