well-suited blog - fashion design, illustration, pattern making.

Pattern Puzzle - Transparent Tuck Dress

Monday, April 30, 2018

Congrats to Mioara and Gemma solving the Pattern Puzzle in just one comment! I think I am going to have to up my game to give you all a bit more of a challenge. This creative design is just the kind of pattern we make in my Draped Dresses workshop at Studio Faro. Below is recent design development I have decided to use for the Pattern Puzzle this week. The inspiration comes from Comme de Garcon frock I saw in the late nineties. The image has always stayed with me. I so love their work. This post was originally published 17 June 2013 and is one of my earliest Pattern Puzzle posts. In this post I have updated the graphics and improved the pattern making instructions for this release.

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My Drape Pattern Making Method

Tuesday, February 06, 2018

The origins of my passion for creative pattern making start way back in 1980 when I first went to fashion college. It was at this time that I was introduced to an amazing pattern making book that just lit up my brain. Natalie Bray's technical diagrams leapt off the page and made immediate sense to me. I could hardly contain my excitement at the potential of pattern making. To this end I believe I was quite the pesky student in our pattern making classes. The student with 20 questions every session, that drove the pattern making teacher crazy. You'll find Natalie's books on all the usual book selling sites and the prices vary dramatically, so do your research. Keep Reading...

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Edith Head Exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

A sweet opportunity... After a fabulous weekend in Melbourne, teaching at the Stitches and Craft Show, we drove the long way home and stopped off in Bendigo to catch this amazing exhibition. I'm not very good at giving myself time off for rest and recreation but I've long been aware of the great work they do at the Bendigo Art Gallery. And although the show has ended I've selected a handful of my favourite images from the show to share with you here. In particular the main exhibition image below: I'd love a pair of sunglasses just like Edith's. They're so stylish! Keep Reading...

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Print and Plaid Trend - Design Development

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Waistcoats

This has to be one of the best things to do! Endless ideas, not all of them good, but a good chance I'll like at least one of them enough to make it. The Print & Plaid Trend is one of my long time favourites. I suppose that means it's less a fashion trend and more a personal preference. You can learn Fashion Design Development and all the rest at the studio or in your classroom.

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Understanding Trend Forecast - Perforated Fabric

Saturday, March 19, 2016

If you have a keen interest in Fashion Design and would like to understand Trend Forecast, this post makes the connection between different sources of information used to verify fashion trends for each new season. I have trend boards featured on my tumblr blog, some with interesting design developments. And here at the studio I teach a workshop, Fashion Design Portfolio, that covers seasonal trends and design development for the fashion industry. This is my Trend Board for the Perforated Fabric Trend:

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Fittings First - An Integrated Approach to Pattern Making

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

I have made an info-graphic to show you all what I've been up to with the workshop line-up here at the studio. Now I hear you say 'What's that to me? I live on the other side of the world! :( So to elaborate; the teaching materials I intend for the website (e-learning) are derived from the workbooks I make for each of the workshops I run here at the studio. The content and integration of that content becomes even more important when considering its use as online teaching materials. As a first step I've added my garment blocks to the website as PDF downloads.

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Pattern Puzzle - Erte Inspired Design

Monday, December 22, 2014

This weeks #PatternPuzzle was about targeting another of my favourite Erte designs and bringing this inspiration up-to-date. As it turns out this is a truly challenging style. I know I made at least two mistakes in putting these pattern making instructions together. So please forgive any other errors you may find. And because of it's complexity, I imagine I would have to produce at least 2-3 toiles/muslins to really get the design and fit to work well before attempting in final cloth.
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Pattern Puzzle - The Erté Jacket

Monday, October 06, 2014

My first introduction to Erté was the year after leaving fashion college when my Dad gave me a copy of this book for christmas. Such a pattern making novice at the time, I had no idea how I would ever achieve such challenging designs.

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Pattern Puzzle - Two Layer Jersey Dress

Monday, September 29, 2014

Be Inspired!

Identify the elements in a design that you particularly like. Using your drawing skills to re-work these elements in a design more suited to your needs or your market. This is the beginning of design development in any new season, when you look to the top end of the market for inspiration.

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Pattern Puzzle - The Morticia Skirt

Monday, August 18, 2014

Saturday's #PatternPuzzle had a large number of pattern pieces, all used to make five different skirt patterns, that all make the same style of skirt - The Morticia Skirt. Many of the drafting methods used in these patterns are self-drafted with full instructions (no block required). Keep Reading...