Miss Celie's Pants

Before I go over today’s lesson, I don’t think I need to remind you that I’m a rank amateur. I just think it’s fun to share what I’m learning. I’ll try to do this at least once a week. It helps me remember what I learned and might demystify it for others. Plus, if I’m doing it wrong, then the whole blogosphere can let me know.

So, dart manipulation is something I’ve heard about dozens of time online, but never had a clue really about how to actually do it. Or why I would do it. Today, we learned how to do it with the slash and spread method.

There are six places you can place a dart. I can’t find my handout, so I’ve got this page scanned from my Japanese Pattern Drafting book (I rue the day I posted it, lol. I should have waited until I got all three volumes. I paid like $20 for mine and now they are going for over $100.) Here’s a PDF scan001

On the first page at the top, you can see the six locations identified for darts. Which all have names.

We start with the one dart bodice sloper and trace it onto pattern paper.

So, I want to move the lower dart to up to the neck (F)

First, I mark my bust point by putting the pattern paper on my sloper (it’s the purple asterisk)

Draw a line from the BP to the Center Neck.

Also, draw a line from the BP to to tip of the original dart.

Slice through both lines removing the section.

Rotate the original dart closed, but, don’t overlap at the waistline. Tape it down.

Congratulations my friend. You’ve moved a waist dart to the Center Front Neck.

We did this today for all the darts (click to enlarge and read what the dart is called)

After that, we worked on adding seam allowances to make this an actual pattern. 1/2 inch for straight lines and 1/4 inch for curves (on a full scale we would add 1 inch for straight lines and 1/2 inch for curves).

Next Tuesday we’ll be doing the pivot and slide method. At some point over the weekend I’ll make a point regarding seam allowances and the bust point. But, I’m sleeeepy

So, I’ve struggled a bit with how to write this post and what to say. I think outside of the design aspect, this will be a good learning experience for me.

On the first day, we just went over the syllabus and supplies. Then, we spent some time cutting out our  8 slopers (two bodice front, bodice back, skirt front, skirt back, sleeve, and torso front and back). They were given to us on eight sheets of paper. We had to cut them out, glue them on manila board and cut that out again.

Ours are half scale, but we don’t know half of what. The instructor thinks it’s a 12 because it’s big on the size 8 half size dress forms. I was done in under 30 mins and headed out. Homework before Thursday is to trace out 5 darted bodice slopers (the one on the far left) on this numbered pattern paper. We’ll be working on the slash and spread method on Thursday.

So, the comical part is this: Of the 16 students, only 2 or 3 of us know how to sew. I mean *really* sew. There was a lot of talk in the room (at least five) who didn’t own a sewing machine. Yet, almost everyone wants to be a designer. I always thought that was kind of a joke on Project Runway. But, I guess there really are people who enter the design world who don’t know how to sew.

Also, most of us were on time, but at least on person came in 30 mins late and three came in over an hour late. It’s soooo different going to school as a 30 something adult.  The class is mostly early 20s with about three of us over 30.

Oh! I almost forgot. There are like two rooms of pristine, gorgeous, new industrial Jukis. But, they can only be used with an instructor around, ‘in case you have trouble getting it threaded’.  So, clearly, my goal is to become a teacher’s pet so I can get to those machines when I want!