Designing from a Commercial Pattern
This article is from Forum Posts.
Sue B sent me this link for a design.
http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1183-products-11091.php?page_id=1261
(Highlight the link above. Copy and paste into your browser.)
I think it could be a fun "Think Design Project", even if the style is not for you.
So, your first assignment is to go to the link. Look at all the views of the garment on the model.
Also, look at the fashion line drawing.
What do you note about the two?
After looking at the dress on the model, the Tech Sketch of the design, and the pattern pices, they don't match.
The sketch shows a level front waist, while the pattern appears to go up at the waist. The dress looks like it drops below the natural waist in front.
The message is, when looking at a pattern, you need to look at at the actual pattern pieces to see the design.
What neckline in Boutique would you use. Some suggestions were scoop, V jewel and V boat. Changes would be needed in Pattern Editor to duplicate the actual neckline, but this shows we see different options when looking at a style.
The 4th assignment was to think about what it was in the design that you were attracted to. Some answers were:
Karen M: I like the neckline treatment, the midriff panel, and the slim fit. It would be flattering on a lot of figures.
Stan M: The design of that dress is very clean, uncluttered, and would look great on many women young or of a certain age.
Shelley P: I loved the whole upper half. Boat necklines are nice, but the vee crossover feature makes it very appealing to me, especially in combo with the princess and side seaming. I like that the shoulder princess seaming also continues on the back..yay..built in back shoulder dart.
Phyllis C: I really like the lines of the midriff and how it swoops down in back, but the stylist should have left off the belt.
Cate: I note the shoulder is slightly cutaway - which looks fine on the model since she has wide straight shoulders. On a woman with narrow shoulders and wide hips, this design would draw attention to the hips.
The last assignment was to think about making this design your own.
Some suggestions were:
Susan: Color blocking is all the rage but not by chopping up pattern pieces. The current color blocking is done by using different pattern pieces in different colors. This pattern with princess seams and yokes allows plenty of opportunity to add a small dash of color (or even white) while keeping the majority of the dress darker for that fulller figure.
Brenda S: I actually thought of turning this into an Indian style salvar-kameez. (tunic and pants). I envisaged a narrow border following the neckline which would be a darker contrast to the body of the dress and I'd probably repeat that in the yokes....maybe even with some glitter for an evening look. Oh yes, I would add cap sleeves as Karen did and once again repeat the trim along the hem.
Karen: I was thinking about denim with jeans gold stitching.
I hope this article has helped you think "outside the pattern". When doing a style, things about what attracts you to the design, and what you can do to make the design flatter your body.