I was struggling to figure out what I wanted to write about this week and my husband suggested to me in the car to write about a singular process of making something, specifically a new dress. He said even he, who has lived with me for over 15 years doesn’t really understand the process of how it works exactly. I forget that perhaps it’s interesting to know the ins and outs of a process. I like to hear about it for professions I don’t understand and how people do their jobs so here goes. Or maybe it’s not interesting at all and please feel free to leave now I won’t be offended!
This dress started as a commission for a dream black dress for a lovely client of mine with some specific constraints. I started as I usually do with some loose sketches going back and forth with her. Usually we decide on two similar yet slightly different versions and I start to drape those. This time it was a sleeve difference sometimes it can be length or neckline, even proportion but that sometimes changes the piece too much. In any case draping takes some time and I will write a whole other post about draping because that’s a big topic. But basically starting from a piece of muslin and pinning and draping it to the shape you prefer with some rules to follow along the way. My office is off the kitchen and living room of my house and sometimes I like to leave it hanging on the mannequin for a couple days as I work on it to make sure I like it as I walk by. Once it looks right I true the pattern, which means basically to draft the seams, curves and darts and adding in some ease so it’s not too tight. I make sure to make the second side (initially generally you drape the right side of the garment) and then draft out the exact copy of the left side so it’s symmetrical ( if it’s a symmetrical piece).
Then, you make a full dress muslin front and back tracing the seams with a tracing wheel and paper. It’s almost like making a carbon copy- you can either sew it together or pin it together. If you pin it make sure to put your ruler inside to ensure you don’t pin the fabric together. This process is always a race, because I can’t wait for the the fun part which is first to put it on the mannequin to see how it looks and then leads to me trying it on, or putting it on a proper model ideally but I am luckily still my mannequin sample size so I shall have to do.
Three options for this dress
I always know when I try something on if it works, maybe that goes back to my fit modeling days in New York which I wrote about in a previous post. Sometimes I’ll just keep tweaking things and trying them on again and again until it feels right. I love to move around in the muslin and feel where it pulls or doesn’t fit. It never lies your muslin if you’ve been precise with it. Precision is a big part of making patterns. Being sloppy with a 1/4” here and there and then you’re just way off. I think I actually learned this kind of fastidiousness making dresses since it wasn’t really my nature when I was younger. I did love math and sometimes I feel a correlation between the two when I’m balancing measurements. The slightest shift can make a huge change. I will say though making patterns is also in some ways very much a feeling or intuitive I can see in a pattern when a curve is too sharp or exaggerated or off after so many years and I can see in the pattern right away if something won’t look or fit correctly.
From here (and this fitting also sometimes takes a couple days trying on several times) you have to transfer this to pattern paper. It’s just like making a cutting map for your sewers where you add in seam allowance, creating the lines where the sewers sew. Also, you have to true the pattern by measuring seams for accuracy like for example making sure the length of your shoulder seems match or creating notches which are sewing guidelines to match so that the sewing stays on track. Then you cut it out, number and name the pieces, record them on a cutters must which is your guide to your pattern, draw a sketch, notate any details or notable things. ( For example how you want to finish a seam or where the zipper ends, how to do the hemline.
Now I want to stop for one moment and say that until maybe 5-10 years ago I just thought everyone or all designers were making their patterns and I was interested to find out from various production people I have worked with, how far from the truth that is. In reality I guess many designers don’t touch the patterns much and leave that to a patternmaker: often a wise elder lady or gentleman so skilled and trained. Patterns cost a lot of money that’s reality, and maybe that is why I became my own patternmaker realistically when I was starting out mostly due to no other choice! Sometimes now I do have my production develop some patterns for me due to timing or something I have questions about or need help developing. I have had so many production people in New York over the years tell me they’re shocked I make my patterns at all and that I understand what’s going on inside them, which is not to say I am any expert but I have a good fundamental understanding. From this I get a gentle nod of respect from my sewers which makes me feel good. They also know I’m going to send it back if it’s sloppily done. Production is tough, and you have to be unrelenting and firm sometimes, I really grew up in midtown managing my production, it was quite an education.
Anyway off to New York the fabric and pattern goes and it comes back a couple weeks later for fittings. In this instance I made one fun version for my shop in a brown Prada like print I found and one for my client in a custom black fabric. Often times we have to go back and forth and tweak the pattern where it doesn’t work taking it in or out lengthening, sometimes even adding in elements design wise if it needs more. I am going to leave this here for today. Thanks for reading, and if anyone has topics they would like to read about send me a message directly or comment below I always like to read your suggestions! Have a great week.
Xx Katherine