Pattern Making Instructions

30 Apr

Posted at 12:27h in Fitted Dress Block, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles by
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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.

21 Nov

Posted at 14:07h in Fashion Illustration, Garment Blocks, Pattern Making, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Self-draft, Vintage Patterns by
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In this post I hope to link up some of the illustration and patternmaking resources I have on the website so you can plan your pattern making creativity over the summer break.  These suggestions are a combination of free access blog posts, PDF worksheets with pattern making instructions and Digital Garment Blocks to begin all your pattern making projects.

13 Jun

Posted at 15:57h in Fitted Dress Block, Pattern Making, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Vintage Patterns by
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This is a short but dedicated post for all those lovers of Vintage Style.  The focus is on using my fitted dress block to design and cut your own vintage dress sewing patterns.  To work your way through the fitting process you can go to SHOP on the menu bar and checkout My Blocks PDF (downloads).  The Fitted Dress block has to be one of my favourites and the best place to start for fabulous dress designs.

04 Apr

Posted at 16:41h in Garment Blocks, Pattern Making, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Self-draft, Stretch Patterns, Womens Skirt Block by
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Following on from the Skirt Block and Design Options post I've separated skirt designs that use a stretch skirt block to start your pattern development.  You can use my skirt block to make a stretch skirt block to use with all these pattern puzzle posts.  Some of them have been sampled and those sample posts are also included here.

27 Feb

Posted at 16:49h in Garment Blocks, Pattern Making, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Womens Skirt Block by
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Moving beyond your first skirt patterns to drape skirt patterns:  To work with these more complex skirt patterns you would need to have confidence in your skirt block.  By that I mean you know if fits because you've used it to make number of skirt patterns.   A small fitting or shape error in your basic skirt block will have some impact on outcome of these skirts.  Try my graded set of skirt blocks for any of these delicious drape skirt patterns.  Or you can try this pattern for yourself.  You'll find my Drape Gather Skirt Sizes 6-22 on the website as a PDF download.

22 Feb

Posted at 13:14h in Fitted Dress Block, Fitting Patterns, Garment Blocks, Pattern Making Instructions by
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My women's fitted block is a tailored, rather formal fit with the side seam sitting towards the back of the body.  The front block is 4cm wider then the back block.  This is a more tailored fitting and entirely appropriate for many garment types.  It's especially fabulous when used to make a a corset block or tailored jacket block.  The PDF download from the website is the original block and ideal for your toile fittings before cutting any dress patterns.  However many designs will work better if you equalise your dress block, in particular drape dress designs.

08 Feb

Posted at 13:28h in Fitted Dress Block, Garment Blocks, Pattern Making Instructions by
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My women's fitted block is drafted past the waist, down to the hip level.  It's currently available as a pdf download here.  Although most drafting systems for a women's bodice blocks stop at the waist, it's essential for modern or commercial pattern making to have a bodice block that is fitted to the hip line and ready for both shirt and dress pattern making.  The addition of length past the hip line to the knee level renders this basic fitted block into a dress block.  Drop your centre front and centre back line and side seams straight down to your knee level and square across for the hemline.  Check the hip curve of your dress block, at the hipline, to make sure it has a clean curve after you have added the extra length to the knee level.

17 Jan

Posted at 17:20h in Garment Blocks, Pattern Making, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles by
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This is another in the post series where I curate my many blog posts so you can use them to self-train at your own pace.  This post is focussed on my basic skirt block and I've listed all the pattern puzzle posts that use this block.  Because there are so many posts, I've decided to separate the designs that need a stretch skirt block and I'll be featuring them in a separate post.  And my more demanding drape skirt patterns will be posted separately.

09 Jan

Posted at 17:38h in Garment Blocks, Pattern Making, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Stretch Patterns, Womens Knit Block by
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Use my Knit Block to make all these Pattern Puzzles:

This post has been curated to bring the focus to my garment blocks now available on the website. They are the same blocks I use in my pattern puzzles and the same basic blocks that are the foundation of commercial pattern making. The first block for the spotlight is my Knit Block.

27 Nov

Posted at 12:11h in Garment Construction, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Stretch Patterns by
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Inspired by fans, I've finally had a go at the Kimono Twist Dress from the Pattern Puzzles series.  My first pattern was cut from a knit kimono block that I made from my Basic Knit Block that's now available here.  I used a mid-weight two-way stretch jersey in a near-block aubergine.  And although I've identified some issues for improvement, this first sample's not too shabby.
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