First realization of the day:
Can't properly vision my work in 3D when the 2D don't make sense.
Does that make sense?
This is the most fun I have had so far in draping (even though I wasn't sure where my head was at last class). Moved a little slow, but I got a bodice that is so curvy and beautiful.
The first steps to draping is quite familiar now:
1. Determine grain line - bias or straight grain? Draw in clearly.
2. Mark the second important point for reference, i.e. if it's a skirt, it'll probably be the hip line. If it is a top, it will most likely be the bust point.
Right at the top of my (our) head(s), was to put in princess seams because that's what most strapless bodices have. I don't think there is (m)any other ways to get a really fitted bodice without having at least two seams down the front.
The fun here comes in when I can start to decide which direction I want the darts to go - at what angle and how many of them. All comes down to the design.
Very quickly decided to just drape on one half of Meredith. This is good for a proportional fit but no body is proportional. One boob is always bigger than another right? I think we ignore that because it is such an insignificant amount. But if anyone is up for having twice as many pieces to cut...
I used the shoulder guide point as a reference for where my dart should sit. And since the "dart" will turn into a seam, I made sure it matched up to the waist dart.
It wasn't part of the plan to put a dart between the bust, but I was unhappy about how there seemed to be some fabric just hanging out there. I should say that we were advised to do this... I was being stubborn. Then I couldn't be stubborn anymore.
This "dart" felt so awkward to me. I didn't really know how it was going to sew in - how to make it disappear from sight but still maintain the shaping I wanted.
After pinning and pinning, I finally had to pick a bodice design. I assumed we were all going sweetheart - but apparently not!
I was inspired (I copied) this Peggy Hartanto bodice. If you look closely, you will see that there are sheer armholes attached. The design/fitting lines are also quite clear.
See whole collection here.
With advice from my teacher, I made a snip at centre front. I did not understand this entire process until I put it on paper.
After making the snip, the fabric will sit slightly away from the centre front line on the body. Mine measured at 0.4cm.
And that was it for pinching and pinning! Drew in my design lines, darts and main reference lines (side seam). I did not get a picture, but I drew in my armhole shape after because it was hard to visualise.
Here's what the muslin looked like when I took it off the body.
The first thing I did was added the 0.4cm back to the centre front. Then I cut through the weird dart and transferred it to the shoulder (hence the tape and huge opening).
For awhile I was still confused because my darts were not even. I wanted to make them even but... I would lose the shaping I worked so hard for. Slow brain. It wasn't going to be a dart from the start, it was going to be a seam.
The pretty pattern pieces that I am quite proud of.
I made this to fit Meredith, but I forgot to snap a picture of her in it. So here is my H&M anorexic mannequin wearing it. I cannot decide if I would put boning in this design. Maybe for the princess seams, but I do like how angled it is but in such a feminine way. There's a chance boning might ruin it.
There isn't a lot (any) of people doing draped bodice on the Internet. Most people are sewing from a pattern and fitting it to themselves. This is a thread from a lady sewing her own wedding dress and having fit issues. She posted it to get help from other people and it's an interesting read!
We also worked a little bit on the oh so fun sheers and played with bias. Plenty of sources on Pinterest sharing tips on sewing with them (here and here) and even more sharing secrets to sewing the perfect tiny hem! (here, multiple ways here - not in English but plenty of pictures, and a super interesting method here).
No comments:
Post a Comment