I need sewing advice, can anyone help?

I started making my own designs using patterns that were similar in design to what I wanted to make and altering them. This could be helpful to you when you are first starting out and help with understanding pattern design. The basic pattern helped me keep the fit of my design in place. For instance the placement of the armsceye, center front, center back and the placement of the waist would be the measurements I would keep as permanent measurements. If I wanted to alter the neckline, keep the shoulder seams and the center front lines exactly as the pattern was drawn then you can alter the neckline to make it rounded, squared, scalloped etc. Using the permanent measurements, you can do just about anything you want. If you lengthen the permanent waist line on the front, make sure you lengthen the permanent waist line in the back etc. If you alter the length of the front, alter the length of the back...but keep in mind that the armsceye and the waistline should match up as well as the hemline. If you want to drape fabric for a skirt, make sure the center front of the draped fabric matches the center front of the original skirt pattern, etc. I learned this process by attending classes and watching the teacher redraw the pattern. Writing it out is very difficult--pictures and demonstrations make it much easier--however, I hope you understand what I'm trying to say and it will help get started. I know many women from other countries that never use a pattern and draw their own patterns out as they sew. It never ceases to amaze me how they do that—and it all works. On the other hand, they don't understand why I use patterns because patterns are so difficult! :o)

Hi hon!! I use basic patterns for designing stuff. I have shirt back, shirt fronts, several different sleeves, pants, skirts, and go from there. After you get back into the sewing of the basic patterns, you will be able to visualize what you want the next garment to look like. My latest is a skirt pattern in a photo of my great grandmother!! It is an A-line skirt, and looks like it is buttoned down the front panel on both sides. I am thinking that it might have been one of her riding skirts, in otherwise a divided skirt with front and back panels that buttoned to cover the divide or pants part. I was unlucky that all her patterns were burned in the late 60s! Good luck with your designing career!

It would be far better to get someone to body block you than to buy an adjustable mannequin. Then it will fit you properly. I had a friend help me do that through the SCA. If you like your vintage to be pre-1700, that's a good place to find help!

what you are wanting to learn is called draping or pattern draping. there is a brief article here http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00113.asp to get you started. if you do a search on pattern draping you will get allot of useful information as well as some books to start with. good luck.

Buy a few patterns of vintage-type clothing so you can get the feel of working with the design elements. You can find these by looking in the Costume Section of the pattern books at your local fabric shop.

Believe or not Natasha, you would be also better served if you have a good repetoire of sewing stitches, done by hand. It is essential. Somewhere, sometime along the way you'll need to know hand-stitching when designing. A quick was to learn functional stitches is to check out: www. ezstitchsampler.com I use muslin to make shells on my adjustable mannequin,, that's worked out very well.

Sounds like what you want to do is what is called either "draping" or "modeling". Draping is classically done by starting with a piece of fabric and then pinning it on the form and then removing the bits that aren't part of the garment. Sort of like sculpture... you start with a block of marble and then remove anything that isn't part of the statue. <g> Here are some photos from a draping demo: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/muslin_never_looked_so_good.html Personally, I love draping -- it has nice, easy to understand rules -- get the grainlines right and then remove the stuff that doesn't belong. Patternmaking has a lot more rules. <g> However, it's easier to make a pattern for pants than to drape them, imo. If you're interested in draping and patternmaking, the books I would tend to send you to are a pair by Connie Crawford that were intended for beginning fashion design students. They're not the easiest to find because they are textbooks, but worth hunting for -- very step by step. The bias circular skirt in the draping book hangs beautifully even in muslin-- that was taught to her by one of the last members of Vionnet's atelier still teaching. Her patternmaking book is likewise intended for beginners and is very step by step. I suggest that one because it incorporates formal balances into a pattern and it will vastly improve the quality of your patternmaking. It's the only book that does teach you to balance your patterns for grainline, etc., which means your shirts won't ride up in front and pitch back over your shoulders. The other thing to consider is that it's really difficult to drape on an adjustable dress form -- you really need the princess lines, waist line, etc that you don't get on most adjustable forms, and you also need to be able to pin into the form. So you're better off with a homemade "duct tape double" form or a professional form if you're going to drape. See fall 2006 issues of Sew News for an article on making a "duct tape double" that is pinnable -- I think it was September and October. Or: http://www.fashionpatterns.com/NEW_DVD_Series.html