First Fitting Notes

I was pretty worried going into my fitting on Friday, something I have never felt before as I am normally not too concerned about fittings. I knew my front panels were totally wrong and I simply didn't feel very confident in my costume.

As it turned out, everything went well! My tutor Graham says 'it would help if you had a belt for this', and I handed him the belt I had brought; 'you should have something to show the cuff' and I hand him the cuff; 'you need something to illustrate the pocket size and placement' and I hand him 3 different pocket samples.

The two front panels were, as I suspected, wrong. We marked that the waist seam needed to come down about 4 cm and that the collar was sitting too far away from the neck on the front. Graham also agreed with my suggestion that the shoulder seam needed to move forwards about an inch, which I think will help the sleeves sit better. We also opened out the armhole and I therefore had to redraw my sleeve.

I then had my skype fitting with Nelson in the afternoon

He said well done and that he really liked how it was looking! He picked the pockets he liked and the collar size, as well as suggesting there should be a gusset in the sleeve and that the design required real belt loops not fashion ones..

Actually a really positive day all round, can't wait to crack on!

Pre fitting photos

The front is still wrong....lets hope it can be fixed tomorrow!

Success!

Further adjustments

So once I had sorted my silly little CF mistake, I moved onto the badly lying collar, which for some reason just wouldn't fall right:

While I had taken the basic concept from one of my commercial patterns, I drew up this collar from Hilary Campbell's Designing Patterns – a fresh approach to pattern cutting, so I went back to my commerical patterns to work out the difference. I made a mock up of Butterick 8501 and it lay perfectly:

So I redrew my patterns and recut my front panels and fingers crossed it should work out better! I'm also gonna put some stay-flex in the collar and overlap...see if that helps!

Redone Pt1 dress and fabric scraps for Pt2

Just a quick update to say:

Here is the redone Gladys 4 dress. The collar still isn't lying right so that is a job for this weekend but at last all the seams and darts lined up beautifully!
Other observations: The button flap is too long on the skirt and the kick pleat on the CF is too low and short. But we shall see on the model









Secondly, here are the fabric scraps I got for part 2 yesterday:

I only really need a couple of them, but I love the palette all together, so there is food for thought.

The design I am currently considering is by deviantart user edarlein *fingers crossed she replies to my email*

Oh and the first mistake is....

So I thought I was doing so well getting my toile together :

Yea, I did the button flap on the wrong side of the skirt piece. Oh it was all going so well! The joy of a toile of course is that I can just flip the panel over...need to make sure I don't make the same mistake in top fabric.

On the plus side, today I went fabric shopping and found some things for part 2 and I've booked to go to the Bath Costume Museum to look at actual 18th Century Dresses, which is exciting. The other day I went to the Museum of Design and Plastics and looked at 50s dresses too, a really good way to learn about historical construction:

Patterns 2

So at the end of last week I got all 3 of my patterns

The Butterick is 50s, the Le Roy I'm not sure and the Simplicity is 60s.

I picked each one for different elements that when combined will make my design. For example, the Butterick is the base, while the Le Roy helped with the button overlap and the Simplicity placed the pleats.

I did a practice half toile before these arrived and so spent today updating my patterns essentially. I learnt how to draw up a skirt pattern last week  (although I'm not sure if I did it right), I was amazed that this was something we were never taught but I get the feeling most skirts are pretty easy to guess, although that knowledge might come from learning to draft a basic skirt!

I then had to stick the skirt and bodice pieces together at the waist to make sure everything lined up, and to draw in the darts/seams that need to match. For some reason, the front piece of the skirt was about an inch to thin...not really sure why, but easily fixed, when I get a minute I will go back and try and work out what I did wrong. Once I'd lined everything up I had to cut the pieces apart again and reshape the waist line, but at least I know everything matches up!

I mostly used the Butterick, but I used the Simplicity to get the darts in a pleasing place. It was just nice to look at vintage patterns and see how it would have been done as opposed to looking in current fashion instructions.

Also learned an interesting way of doing the collar: by attaching it to the bodice front piece as opposed to it being separate, fingers crossed it works!

Its very difficult getting my head round this project, I'm so used to looking in a Jean Hunnisett/ Norah Waugh book for a historical pattern and adapting it to the design, it has definitely been interesting looking at commercial patterns and fashion instructions, but I'm enjoying it so far!

Had a chat with Graham today, he seemed happy with what I was doing (and suggested going with the collar addition), which was nice. My fitting on the 29th at 10am. And then we have another in the afternoon over skype with the designer, another new experience I'm looking forward to.


Must crack on!

Patterns Patterns Patterns

So yesterday and today I've been thinking about patterns. I've been collecting images mostly so I decided it was probably time to look at some vintage patterns and see how the dresses were actually constructed back then.

I bought three on ebay that *fingers crossed* show up soonish.

I've also drawn up my basic block and 1 piece sleeve patterns ready for adapting, and I got a couple of pattern drafting books out of the library that I hope will help a bit. I've also got a mannequin padded and ready for my toile!

Not much to report other than that, trying to find a model this week, although it is a struggle as the actress is a slightly larger girl and we haven't seen anyone who is both the same height and size as her. 

Back view & 1st Line Drawing

So we've got a facebook group for the project to help us keep in contact with the folks across the pond, and we have been asked to start a discussion for each of our costumes to ask Nelson directly any questions we may have.

I asked for a back view and he uploaded this with some notes:

shirtwaist dress

functional front button closure with side zipper

front waist darts - can have side bust darts, back standard bodice darts from waist and shoulders

elbow length sleeves finished with cuff

self belt (kit included-follow instruction on package), self belt loops at SF, side, SB

bias edge (wine cotton) around collar, down front, around pockets and fake flaps, sleeve cuffs

skirt front double darts (open end), back princess seaming matching to back bodice darts 0 inverted box pleats to match CF pleat - arrow head finish at top

And I did a quick initial line drawing for myself

There were a couple of notes I didn't really understand, but I'm going to have a read and a sit before going back with more questions...wish me luck!

Fabrics!

So first day of the new term and we got to see our fabrics today!

I didn't manage to get a picture of everyone else but it was all so bright and fun! We will never be depressed on this project!

Coloured Design

I'm loving this design now it is in colour. I don't know why, it just looks more exciting, although I'm a little concerned about the checks!