During my first year here at University I decided to take some extra classes about draping on the stand, it intrigues me and I want to make full use of any opportunities that come my way  through extra courses taught by tutors at the UAL that I have either the stamina to attend, as well as doing my course work and can afford.   This was a bit near the knuckle with regards to both finances and exhaustion levels, but oh so worth it.  When your taught by the experts, they work you hard and I used to come out of this class knowing I’d done it, but loving every single second of it, even if I was crying for mercy one notable afternoon.    This again is just a snap shot, it will give you a very quick idea of nine days work, of some, not all of the tops and skirts we attempted,  I’ve lost the dress on the computer, if I find it I’ll slot it in another post.            

We start with learning the basics after an extremely detailed talk about draping and how it works in the industry, fabrics, house models and industrial sewers etc etc..  which was great stuff.

We drape a simple top,

then transfer the block to paper and true it, after that one would make a pattern from the paper block and then test the block by making a full garment, the first Toile one might say.

We can see the back of this simple top.

This is another top and here we are learning how to gather pleats, and then how to transfer that information to paper and repeat the process as above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Draping a skirt, and how to add volume into the folds.

And that skirt can then become a beautiful ball gown made of the most delicious of fabrics.

And every ball gown needs a bodice.  So we start the long process of learning how to drape a bodice onto the stand.

Getting a shape I like.

And making sure the bodice is as tight as it can be.  This is what defy’s gravity when a person is walking in a ball gown.

Then we true the work, we make a block, from that we make a pattern, we then toile the work and then pinch away any excess to make the bodice as skin tight as possible and then after altering the pattern and toile, we insert boning into the bodice.

And you can see at this point how tight it is and what structure it has.

From that we can start draping onto the bodice.   And this, eventually becomes

This.  We are only working on half of it, its just to give one a sense of how things are done, we are not looking for a finished garment here, thoughts are needed at this stage as to how the person is going to get in and out of the garment, zips, hook and eyes, laced.  Its all in the eye of the designer.

And again this would be transfered to make a paper block, then a pattern and then it would be toiled from the pattern to test it.  And that stage will happen as many times as necessary before being tried on the house fit model and making final decisions with regard to your collection.   There are certain aspects one would never trim until being tried on a house model, the top of the bust for instance, that will definitely move in a different way to a mannequin and to trim it now could prove a disaster.

And there are ways to even up your folds, which can be done mathematically and put into the pattern.

We had a little fun with a cowl neck.  Cowl necks can be very attractive.

And make a simple statement with a beautiful fabric.

And even though I can see the errors, this photograph reminds me to keep the front flat across the tummy, not many women want folds of excess fabric that low down.

And then my real work stopped play and I had to abandon my play, but there are steps in place so that I can finish the final day of the course, thanks to my wonderful tutor.