Wearable Structure

Today we began creating our wearable structure, which is the final project for the semester. 

To create my final garment, i decided to use a few of the techniques which we learned throughout the semester. I decided to de-construct a jacket and re-assemble it's panels in order to create a new look and shape.

Front

Back

Side pocket

Inside back/lining

Inside front/lining

I have decided to mix this jacket together with the tailored jacket which i used for the first DE-constructing exercise. My idea is to undo all the seams and to combine and re-arrange them together with the other jacket to  create a different structure and look. For decoration I want to use the spare fastenings (zips and buttons) and also add some pleating and gathering. For the fastening I think I'm going to use either hook and eyes or I'm going to create new button holes (depending on the structure i will come up with). I don't have an idea of how my garment is going to look like because my plan is to work on a mannequin spontaneously as i think that some of my best work is done like that.

 

Yang Li

Draping on stand

The purpose of today's session was to learn how to drape on a stand and to learn how to make a base (bodice) for a design.

Here are the simple instructions on creating a bodice.

• Cut a piece of calico - 60 to 40 cm

• Measure and mark 20cm across fabric (horizontally)
• Measure and mark 5cm away from raw edge

•  Pin calico onto mannequin - Pencil line must line up to bust

(make sure the fabric beneath the bust is loose, as it will be used to create darts)

•  Pin darts

• Also pin along the side

• Cut spare fabric around neck and around shoulder

• Draw seam line on on shoulders and down the side of the calico

• Trim down
  
• Draw a seam around the neckline ( make it 1cm shorter otherwise it would be too tight)
   

The process for the back is very similar to the front.

• Line grain line along centre back and pin
• Level the pencil line with the line at the front
• Form a small dart along the shoulder line and trim excess fabric
• Dart the back

•  Pin the front and the back together along the shoulder line
• Draw the back neckline and trim again
• Match the sleeves at the side of the mannequin and cut them into shape

Mark lines along pinned darts

 After creating the bodice, take down the calico and mark the pattern lines using pencil.


 After outlining the pattern, lay it on spot and cross paper and cut it out - creating a new pattern.

Transferring the bappern onto paper.

 After cutting out the pattern and laying it out on a new piece of calico, I re-created the bodice again.

Pleating Workshop (08/11/11)

The aim of today's session was to explore the world of pleating. 
Techniques which we used were, folding paper into pleats and using it as a template to make perfect pleating. 

pleatnoun

1. a fold of definite, even width made by doubling cloth or the like upon itself and pressing or stitching it in place.

The first exercise was to create knife pleats

To create the pleats, I began by folding a card template into the shape of the pleats, which I used to iron over the fabric to create the pleats with.

Its really easy to create knife pleats.
The first steps are to divide the paper horizontally and equally into lines which are separated within 3 centemetres, leaving a gap every 6 centemetres.

The next steps are to fold the lines the same direction.

Folded paper

The next step is to fit the fabric inbetween the card and press it with the iron.

The next process I undertook was to make box pleats. To create those pleats, I used the same folded card except i changed the directions of some of the folds.

Here is the result of the Box pleating.

The next exercise that we undertook was to create '' Herringbone'' pleating.

This is my first try, It took me a long time to understand the pattern of folding the paper, and I also chose a poor quality of card as it did not hold its shape too well.

Here is my second try, This time i used the same Card but i doubled it to give it more structure and to prepare to pleat a piece of fabric with it.

Here is the video of the full instructions, where Carol explains the process in detail. (filmed by Anna Roditi)

(Part 1.)

(Part 2.)

Here is the result of my pleated fabric. It was hard to establish the proper shape of the pleat and to keep it because i chose an unsuitable fabric for pleating - Cotton Jersey, it doesn't hold its shape and it does not allow to be pleated. I should have chosen a man-made fabric which would have been easier to work with.

There are many different techniques for pleating, which are always both very difficult to achieve and beautiful to look at.

http://trendland.net/uncovering-the-2008-graduation-talent-of-royal-academy-of-fine-art-antwerpen/#more-9558

Celine Spring/Summer 2012 Collection.

Here we can see a pleated skirt, combined by two different fabrics. The left side looks a lot like leather or latex, or it might be just waxed to give the shiny effect. on the other side we can see a very silky fabric with a good drape. There is a drastic combination between the two fabrics which makes it really interesting.

David Koma Spring Summer 2011