Little Black Dress... Toile Stage

Each pattern piece was then cut out carefully following the lines and then ready to try making in fabric, starting with a calico toile. Cutting a length of calico long enough for my design and then folding it selvedge to selvedge to ensure the grain line is correct was important before placing the pattern pieces on, if the grain line is off the fabric will hang incorrectly. I placed the pattern pieces onto the fabric ensuring they followed the grain line by measuring from the edge to the grain line on the pattern piece, I also made sure the Centre Front was placed on the fold as this will form 1 singular piece once cut in fabric.

 After cutting out each pattern piece in calico, I was ready to sew. I started with the front of the dress by attaching the centre front panel to the side front panels, ensuring they matched up at the notches made sure that the pieces were correctly fitting. Then I attached the side backs to the side front panels and then finally the centre back panels to the side back panels, all the time taking a 1cm seam allowance. The seams were press open and then the last stage was to close the back by inserting a zip and closing the seam.  

Once the toile was completed it was time to have a fitting. The fitting enabled me to see how the dress looks once on, for this fitting I used a dress form/mannequin. From the first fitting I could see that the top of the dress was quite big, all around, and this would therefore need to be adjusted to achieve a better fit. However the lower part of the dress, from the hip downwards seems to fit quite nicely.

As the toile looked far too big I altered it by taking it in at the sides and a little bit on each panel. I pinned the fabric to see how much the dress needed to be taken in. I then drew with pencil where the pinned fabric ended; this would be how much I needed to take off the pattern.  I would then be able to make the same changes to the pattern by taken in the same measurements that I had with the toile; as the pencil marks would be there as a guide once I took the pins out to get the toile off the mannequin.

By the measurements of the 1^st toile the pattern needed to be taken in on each panel; I did this by transferring the lines marked with pencil that I drew whilst the pins where holding the fabric in place to form a better fit.  Once the new measurements from the alterations were transferred onto the pattern; I cut out a new set of pattern pieces out with the new measurements. I then checked that the pieces still fitted together correctly after the alterations before cutting out in calico again to sew a 2^nd toile. 

After repeating the same process of sewing the Centre Front panel to the side fronts; then the side fronts to the side backs, then to the centre backs; to sew the new toile it was time for another fitting. For this toile I decided not to insert a zip but instead fastened the back with pins to create a back seam; this enabled me to save time and materials (i.e. a zip) but still achieve a true fit of how the dress would look once sewn in fabric.  As seen in the images the 2^nd toile achieved a much better fit, the bust is still slightly large but this didn’t concern me too much as the mannequins measurements are not very realistic or true to real peoples figures (most people have a fuller bust than the mannequin, or at least in my opinion).

As I was happy with the fit of the 2^nd toile; it was time to create a facing for the dress, the facing will slightly change the shape of the dress once attached so it was important to try it at the toile stage. To create the facing I placed the centre front and side front pattern pieces together, like they would be once sewn, I then placed pattern paper over and traced off the shape of the top of the ‘dress front’  4cm deep,  I then repeated this process for the back of the dress too. The back and front facing pieces then needed a seam allowance of 1cm added all around (with the exception of the centre front which would be cut on the fold).

I then cut the facing out in calico and attached it to the toile, sewing the front and back facing pieces together first. The facing can be quite difficult to attach because of all the curves you have to sew whilst doing so, and getting the centre front to point properly is also challenging. Once attached a notch is put in at the centre front before turning out, edge stitching along and then pressing. 

Once the facing was successfully made and attached to the toile; I pressed and turned out the whole toile and placed it on the mannequin once more to check how it looked. I was surprised to see how different the shape looked with the facing on; it created a much sleeker look, the smooth curves looked really good and were right for my design. I was pleased with this toile and was happy to move on to creating the dress in the final fabrics.

Although I was happy with the fit of my toile and ready to move on into fabric; a tutor insisted on another fitting; this time with a person. In order to do so I had to close up the back of my 2^nd toile by sewing a seam from where the zip would end, if there was one inserted, down to the hem and pressing the seam open. I then tried the toile on a model and the tutor insisted in taken the dress in even more (I was a bit apprehensive to do so as I thought the model was particularly small and feared the dress would not fit many other people).  The toile was taken in slightly; with alteration of taken 1cm to 0cm from centre front to the bust point and 0.5cm to 0cm at the centre back to the waist; the hem would be sewn in at the originally designed depth of 4cm.  The alterations were made to the toile and pattern pieces and I was told I was now ready to make my final dress.

Little Black Dress... Pattern Cutting

After undertaking a series of research including fashion, theme, sampling, etc; I produced a range of designs  from which I then selected a garment design to manufacture.

After finalising and selecting a design to manufacture a Specification sheet was created in order to work from. This sheet is vital for the making process and must be at hand at all times; the sheet shows front and back views of the design drawn as technical flats – showing details, seams, and stitching, etc.

Once the Specification sheet is completed and ready to work from; the pattern cutting can begin. The first step in the pattern cutting process is to trace around the basic block; in this case a dress block. After cutting a length of pattern paper, I drew a line straight across the width of it with a long ruler; this line enabled me to place the dress block onto the paper lined up correctly making the process more accurate. Placing the waist line of the dress blocks along my drawn line; with side seams together, I traced around them ensuring I marked on all the important markings, for example; waist lines, darts, Centre Front, grain line, etc. To make this easier you should always weight the block down with something to prevent it from moving whilst tracing.

 Once the block is traced off properly you need to make sure you label them correctly by stating what the garment is, i.e. Dress, the piece, i.e. Front or Back, the size, and if necessary your name (if anything goes missing then it can easily be returned to its creator).  Also remember to mark on this that it is the 1^st Draft; you may need to come back to this at some point.

Once I had the basic dress block traced off, I was able to alter it to fit my design. I started by changing the neckline; using a dress form (or mannequin) and a toile made from the block – I measure how far down I wanted my neckline to be and then transferred this onto the pattern paper, I then curved the line from the centre front point over to the base of the ‘arm hole’; this would create my neckline to be like the one in my specification sheet. The same process is then repeated to alter the design of the back of the dress.

To change the basic block into a pattern for my design; I had to create seams and panels, to do this I simply took out the darts and extended the lines all the way through the dress, this would then create four separate panels once traced off and created into pattern pieces.

Once all the changes had been made to the basic block too make into my own design, just like the one on the specification sheet; I was ready to trace off my pattern pieces. Placing another sheet of pattern paper over the 1^st draft and weighing it down with something (sometimes it is better to pin the papers together for extra care), then I simply traced off each separate panel and added 1cm seam allowance around the panels (with the exception of the Centre Front) and a 4cm hem allowance to create my pattern pieces for my dress.

When tracing off each pattern piece for my dress it was essential that I remembered to mark all the important details such as the Centre Front, Waist line, grain lines, and notches – notches are the only way to make sure your pattern pieces will fit together once sewn in 3D, they are really important for matching the pieces together properly. It is also really important to correctly label each pattern piece; in my case I had 4 pieces – Centre Front Dress Panel, Side Front Dress Panels, Centre Back Panels, and Side Back Panels.  Each piece had to be labelled with their ‘piece name’, size and my name. You also need to label instructions for cutting in fabric, for example; if you need to cut on the fold or the number of pieces you need – e.g. Cut x2, would indicate you need 2 of each piece. Labelling the pattern pieces will make the making process much easier.

The next stage: Making a Toile. 

Little Black Dress...

Being given the Brief to a Little Black Dress project was for me the best project yet! Anybody that knows me will know of my love for black clothing - and in particular my love for LBDs. So being able to study the history and developments of The Little Black Dress was going to be really interesting; and then continuing this knowledge onto a design project and then ultimately a skills for making module was even better!

So starting with a bit of historical research; I looked at the growth and development of both Haute Couture and Pret-a-Porter (or Ready to Wear) which have both shaped the way the fashion industry is today. I also researched the history of the Little Black Dress itself; which of course came from the wonderful iconic designer that is Coco Chanel. Since its first designs and showcase from Coco Chanel; the Little Black Dress has gone through many developments and changes, the silhouettes have changed, the details, the style, the acceptance of it being a staple in every women’s wardrobe...

Here is just a small sample of some of the most memorable Little Black Dresses throughout history:

1949 - Dior

Two years after Dior introduced his New Look, skirts began to narrow; hinting at the lean sheaths to come.

 1951 - Dior

This sleek sheath, again by Dior, was a shape that dominated the 50's.



  

 1959 - Chanel

Mademoiselle Chanel, the celebrated couturier herself, puts the finishing touches on a late-’50s design.

1961 - Givenchy

Audrey Hepburn in what might be filmdom’s most famous LBD, designed by Hubert de Givenchy for Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

 1994 - Princess Diana

Princess Diana raised eyebrows with this stunning LBD—her so-called revenge dress—but not for the first time. The low-cut black gown she’d worn in her public debut as Prince Charles’ fiancée verged on the scandalous for its serious décolletage.

There are so many iconic Little Black Dresses from the past that I simply couldn't post them all; so that was just a small select few and just to end this post nicely...

Here are a couple more images of Mademoiselle Coco Chanel =)

Chanel

with Timeless combination of LBD & Pearls.

Coco Chanel working on a Little Black Dress

Children in Need 2012: Designer Pudsey Bears...

 

Every year for as long as I can remember I have tuned in to watch the annual Children in Need appeal and as a child grew fond of that cute cuddly yellow bear with his distinctive eye patch... I'm talking about Pudsey of course!

 

And with my ever growing fondness of fashion; the news that there was a range of designer Pudsey bears created totally amazed me.
 

The collection including bears designed by the likes of Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry, etc. was curated by Love Magazine editor Katie Grand and features many favourite high end designers each creating a 24-inch Designer Pudsey Bear which will all be up for auction on Thursday 15th November at Christie's; with all proceeds going to the much celebrated children’s charity.

 

The bears have all been showcased exclusively in Selfridges, London and Manchester from October 24th and will continue to be on show until 14th November before being auctioned.

 

"I was honoured to curate this fantastic collection, and have had such fun working with the designers on all of their amazing designs,"

"BBC Children In Need is an incredibly worthwhile cause, and one which myself and all of the designers involved in the collection are privileged to support." - Katie Grand.
 

My personal favorites are Burberry complete with its iconic trench coat, Mulberry with its cute little bag and branded foot, Tom Ford dressed in miniature version of his collection, Missoni with its bright distinctive zig-zag patterns, Paul Smith with his little suit and tie, I really could go on and on...

 

Burberry



Mulberry

Tom Ford

Missoni



Paul Smith

 

  

 

 

And some of the rest...



 

  

Norton & Sons

Diane Von Furstenburg

Anya Hindmarch

GQ

Balenciaga

Alexander McQueen

Gucci



Jonathon Saunders

Henry Holland

Smythson

Vivienne Westwood

Vougue

 

 

 

 

Take a look at the full collection here:

 

http://thelovemagazine.co.uk/feature/2012/childreninneed/

 

http://www.designerpudsey.co.uk/

 

 

Also have a look at the BBC Children in Need site:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008dk4b

 

 

 

Or even better help raise money or support the cause in any way you wish!

 

 

And REMEMBER to tune into BBC1 on Friday 16th November to watch the appeal show!

 

 

Thanx =)

 

 



 

Fashion Show...

So I've been a little busy getting back to college for my 2nd year of my degree that I've neglected my blog a little... Sorry! =\
 

But I'm back with plenty more to say so hopefully I'll keep you regularly updated with whatever I feel like really. But for now I'm going to back track a little to bring you up to date; starting with a Fashion Show I recently worked backstage for.

Tiger Tiger

NEWCASTLE

 

 

The show was held at Tiger Tiger Newcastle in The White Room which is accessed through a tunnel on the second floor. The room is stylish and chic with its clean all white deco featuring leather booths and a raised podium - where the DJ plays, and on this occasion from which the catwalk came from. There was free champagne on arrival for those attending the fashion show and a variety of leaflets from the participating brands were also handed out.

 The White Room

 

Rewind a couple of hours to when I first arrived at Tiger Tiger to help out with the show; after reporting to the organiser to register my presence I was assigned the job of... waiting! Literally; I was told we were all waiting on the remaining brands to turn up for fittings and final preparations for the show. After a while I was given something to do; fit a jacket to a model, with the help of another volunteer we managed to create 'darts' to the back of the jacket which made the jacket fit a lot better and therefore would look better on the catwalk. After this initial fitting things started to pick up and I was given various tasks such as assigning different designs of garments to the different models -  making sure that both the clothing and the models looked the best they possibly could. This proved quite difficult at times; particularly with the male models, their arms were either too big or too long to fit most of the jackets. One model had to push up the sleeves of his jacket simply because his arms were far too long for the sleeves! (Although it did actually look quite good styled in this way.)

There was one brand which needed ALOT of fitting and adjustments; splits had to be made up the back and sides of dresses just to enable the models to actually walk in them. The designer was nowhere to be seen and had put a model in charge of her garments; which resulted in her simply saying do what you need to do! Personally if my designs were to be shown in a show I would want to be there to make sure everything went well (If not me personally then at least someone to represent my brand). Anyway we all did our best to get the garments to look decent on the models; all I'm going to say is it took a lot of pins and improvisation.

The other brands however were much better and other than slight adjustments to make garments fit better; the main thing to do was just ensure everyone knew what the running order was  - what brands would be shown when and in what order the garments needed to go out onto the catwalk. The changing of garments and dressing the models was also a little difficult within the small space backstage. (Well I say backstage; it was actually the emergency exit stairwell, but you make do with what you're given!) The space was not only taken up with clothing rails and garments, there was hair and make -up artists too; meaning we had to make sure everyone knew where everything was and make sure that it was kept tidy.

There were a few things that concerned me with the fashion show; the first being the fact we never actually got the chance to have a run through - the actual show was the first time the models went out dressed in the brands' clothing. This was a result of certain brands not turning up and completely throwing the entire organisation off course (it would be nice to let someone know if you will not be attending anymore). The second would be the fact that some models -one in particular - decided to be rude and act like a diva (learn to have good manners, you'll go much further in life with them). And lastly; and to be quite honest as unprofessional as it is I found this one quite funny and entertaining... The models were getting drunk! No lies. As the show went on the models drank more and more backstage and in the end they were very...let's say 'merry', and not that I could see them but I'm sure their catwalk walk would have changed quite a bit during the night.

A little tip for any models who are going to be walking in a fashion show...Bring comfortable heels, some deodorant spray and wear nude underwear! (You'd be amazed how many turn up without any of this and then cause panic when all you can see is their leopard print undies through a lovely sheer garment!) 

All in all the show went quite well. The brands that showcased their designs were all happy with how the show turned out and we all had quite a good time; even all of us packed backstage in the emergency exit stairwell, which we were informed, smelt like a hangover by the end of the show. The joys that working in fashion brings!




Some of the leaflets for the brands in the show...

AP Apparel Polo

Dizen Couture

 

 

 

 

Check out some of the brands at: 

 

http://www.facebook.com/APApparelpolo

 

http://www.dizen.co.uk/

 

 

 

Tiger Tiger Newcastle:

http://www.tigertiger.co.uk/Findyournearest/Newcastle.aspx?gclid=CKr5kaLLq7MCFbDItAodZQYA3g

 



 

Primark Christmas Collection...

Summer is nearly over...

 So for most of us the next thing to look forward too is...      CHRISTMAS!                                    

And one of our High Street favourites; PRIMARK has already released images of their Christmas 2012 Collection.
Think layering, embellishments, and PLENTY of sparkle! Just the perfect thing for the Festive party season!


Some of my favourites are the sequined suit, the black sequined blazer and the black sequined skirt.

What better time to sparkle than at Chrismas!

 

 Keep an eye out for the collection in stores...