The Patterns I am going to blog about are a representation of some of the Pattern making, sewing and cutting that I find interesting, stimulating and thought provoking. The garments that I am blogging about start from traditional tailoring perspective and graduate in degree of complexity to the more modern translations of today.
Pants:
Lavender Linen Pants with Spoiler Pockets: This is a basic block construction in many respects, basic crutch, leg width, spoiler pocket construction, fly treatment and waistband construction. However where possible I have used the finest stitching techniques.
· Spoiler pocket mouth has been stabilised with fusing strip cut on grain
· Stitch and fuse finish used on fly facing and outside edge of waistband. The waistband could have been sandwiched as a finish, but I feel this creates fullness, this way there is no ugly overclocking and no thickness on the waist seam.
· Spoiler Pocket mouth, back yoke seam and outside edge of straight cut one-piece waistband have all been hand sewn with dot stitching. This is to support and prevent stretching on the bias seams of the spoiler pocket and back yoke. While the dot stitching on the straight cut one-piece waistband serves to supress the outside edge of the waist, brining it in nicely so as not to stand away from the body. The hand stitching also serves as a homage to hand tailoring details of old.
· Hem turn back is stitched with blind stitching by hand.
Irish Linen Pants with a stretch cotton waistband: This block started with the inspiration that I was seeing in Jeans with engineered seams. I love the idea of wrapping the leg seams in the direction of the movement the pants make and take. Exploring this I found I could get the seams practically straight, transferring the side seam shaping and darts out into the style line and into dimension. These pants have the following:
· Complete locking out of side seam.
· Dispose of side seam darts creating enough volume and width to pull pants over hip circumference.
· Stretch cotton fold over waistband minimises gauging over the waist, and fold over waist band creates fitted waist finish.
· Inside leg engineered to wrap forward into front leg space.
· Hem width to cover shoe completely, creating a look of a pillar straight out of the ground.
· Hem, blind stitched by hand.
· Daisy stich embroidery on hem of legs using topstitching thread creates highlight to embroidery feature.
· Back stitch asymmetric embroidery using double thread contrast stitching on back patch pockets and up hem of pants legs.
· Machine set on topstitching detail for longest stitch length and 2 threads through the thicker needle, single thread through bobbin.
· Pattern submission is in a working pattern state: to display the process of cutting a calico trial and fitting the pants, altering the side seam and inside leg until the desired twist and wrap of seams had been achieved.
Having studied and learnt to sew in a time where the majority of fabrics were woven, and blocks were constructed as non-stretch, on the Straight of Grain or occasionally on the Bias the influx of elastin technology in the knits has been thrilling and exciting for me to explore. Having also learnt in a time where strict rules and conservative tailoring finishes applied it has been both a challenge and liberation to incorporate some of the non-traditional finishes into today’s sewing, or should I say un-finished looks. It has also been a process of training factories and machinists to handle with sensitivity the combining of woven and stretch knits in one garment.
While on the subject of sewing machines, it is with some sense of rebellion that I use my beloved 5 thread safety stitch. For instance, it would have been taboo to sew the side seam of the tailored spoiler pocket pants using the safety stitch; anything other than open seams would have been unacceptable for the finest quality. With rebellion in my mind I sew the side seams, knowing that it is practical, saves a sewing operation cost and why not!
Black New Wool and Silk Velvet Capri Pants: This is a block I developed off an overseas sample. It took my understanding of traditional pants tailoring and happily threw it out the window. I have always had a special affinity for pants patterns, perhaps because I enjoy wearing pants myself. I love the fascination of how the crutch goes into dimension, and how counter-intuitively when making crutch alterations - adding on the pattern takes away on the garment.
There are many features on these pants that have given me infinite inspiration, reshaped my thinking of what is possible. These insights translate across the board and are not restricted to just making pants, but sewing techniques, fabric combinations, hem finishes and creating fit through biases. This bias understanding is one of my favourite scientific principles to play with. Newton’s third law = for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. Knowing this opens up the realm of dart manipulation. Oh, I could go on, suffice to say breaking the rule of two sides of a dart are always equidistant, knowing the law means that when one side of a dart is foreshortened one can anticipate the reaction and in doing so sew the dart out using the equal but opposite to create shape.
Of particular interest on these pants are:
· Engineered Side seams: side seams start on the front crest of the hips (possibly one of the most feminine areas, save for the nape of a woman’s back) travel down and around to the back of the calf.
· Calf detail highlights the roundness of the calf by 2 pleat and cutaway shaping.
· Contrasting fabric used in juxtaposition on the waistband and back of knee detail.
· Back style line cut on thigh with gathers emphasises the hamstring bulge.
· Bow tie detail on back waist insertion alludes to evening wear tuxedo finishes
Jackets: All Jackets blogged about have been cut with patterns blocked (Floral and Jacquard) and stripes matched (Pin stripe Blazer and Irish linen coat).
Floral Linen Jacket lined with deep pink satin: This block originated in wanting to re-think the traditional fit of a trench coat. Its function is as an over coat, hence the more generous shoulders and lateral movement, and that’s where it ends.
I had been asked to copy more and more overseas samples over the years and had been curious at the emergence of the Spanish designers, for me instantly recognisable in the width of the sleeve pipe. This is where I started to experiment with how narrow a sleeve pattern can go, without losing lateral movement and conversely how high an armhole can be without constricting bicep movement on the sleeve width.
From an ethical perspective, I have approached coping samples with this code in mind:
· I will not copy any local designers work. Point blank refuse.
· Overseas samples with a registered trademark on the label must by trademark law be altered 25%. Sadly, by just fabricating with our limited choice of fabrics in this country it is enough.
· Where possible advice on sewing changes to suit South African production.
Jacquard Double collar Jacket with lining: Having survived the shoulder extensions and shoulder pads of the 80ties, it has been fascinating for me to create unstructured jackets by considering shoulder slope and sleeve angulation. While resisting the use of spring form and shoulder pads to get a beautiful shoulder and gentle round of a sleeve crown by sewing techniques alone. Knowing where and how to dispose of the fullness in the sleeve crown and at the same time creating subtle lateral movement across the bicep.
Pin Stripe Blazer: This pattern was copied from a Spanish Design sample; I was completely intrigued with the use of darts to create shape, specifically in the sleeve. The sewing treatment of the fine set overclocking, open seams set to the right side of the garment and the use of flat fell seams on side body panels all were new and exciting. While the brash use of contrast topstitching and over locked un-finished finish of the lapels was almost shocking to my refined sense of tailoring. Just when I felt I could be stretched no more the hem has a binding contrast inset for seemingly no reason, there are double cuffs in contrast and just because we can none of the buttons match. Forget all you have learnt lose your mind and come to your senses. Ask yourself “aren’t you bored with traditional construction?”, “come on let’s taste freedom”.
Dresses:
Vintage Nighties: Both dresses were based on vintage nighties and were part of the constant research on bust dart manipulation that I love. I have always had a penchant for the 30ties through to the 50ties; Art Deco was a wondrous time of Architecture, Rene Lalique glass and a refined elongated sense of proportion all of which simply appeals to me. Both dresses display the incredible cleverness of bias cutting, to get the fit and function of sleepwear while never compromising the beauty and femininity of the time. To top the look off with lace insets and hem finishes making the garment ultra-soft and vulnerable. With today’s society demanding comfort from their clothes these nighties will easily pass as easy to wear summer dresses.
Blouses:
Sunrise sleeveless Top: This garment was also influenced by an earlier era. At the time I had begun exploring the possibility of putting deep symbology into the design of a garment. Understanding that authentic personal power comes from equal amounts of power and love brought me to think that the way to do this emotionally is to work with the principal of opening your heart and radiating the love out, in a sense becoming vulnerable by balancing how one expresses power from the solar plexus, while connecting to the heart. This translated into a diverging style line, with 7 pin tuck pleats over the bust line. 7 for me represent spirituality and wholeness.
3 Pleat Chakras Blouse: This was based on a sample that was originally bias cut, for my purposes working in Acetate the garment is cut on the Straight of Grain. Working from the principal that mental intention creates reality, the diamond at the heart chakra, with a trinity of pleats radiating out, would in effect create a mindfulness of the quality of love I would like to hold. I enjoy working in the manmade natural fibre Acetate, it is quite unstable so is bound to shrink and over time does not recover from the harshness of repeated ironing. The crush look forgives Acetate all of its fragility, and instead of expecting the fabric to perform from the challenges it holds, this finishing technique of broomstick washing and drying works to the Acetates favour.
Full circle Collar Top: Being fascinated with fabric and its perceived limitations brings me to working in stretch cotton. Historically stretch cotton was not used for draping but traditionally sportier wear. With the liberation of finishing techniques and the relaxation of some of the stuffy rules around garment construction there is this new translation of how we see fabrics. With this in mind, my imagination was captured while watching the movie Sex in the City. “Carrie” in one scene was wearing a vesty top with this collar treatment. I took the basic vest block pattern and started cutting a full circle of volume to emulate what I had seen, beyond incredulous I was amazed to see how quickly a full circle was eaten up, and how mingy it looked. In the end it took 2 full circles of volume to translate into a generous graduated ruffle collar, with the collar seam join at the shoulder, being shifted forward.
In Final Submission there are two garments I would like to add, both are Clive Rundle originals, and both have significance for various reasons.
Clive Rundel's Harper’s Bazaar, Irish linen coat fully lined: This pattern was made for the Harper’s Bazaar magazine some time ago 1992/1993. Once in a while a great pattern comes along that is a money spinner. Clive has made it numerous times in many different permutations. It was cut year in and year out regardless of season. It has been shot for high end magazines and people’s publications. It has been translated into a ¾ sleeve pure cotton guipure lace dress, to a little summer dress cut in printed faille. Clive has always been extremely generous with his use of adding volume to garments and true to form the Harper’s Bazaar has wonderful movement, however because of the amount of volume added the garment experiences a collapse in the grain. This is where the volume passes thru true bias and as such collapses as the weave is wont to do. Traditionally with any full circle skirts or dresses the garments when being manufactured were always left to hang for a week before hemming to ensure that any collapse in the hemline could be trimmed and straitened. I submit the Irish linen coat that was left in its collapsed hem state that I am lucky enough to have in my wardrobe still today. I feel a sense of romanticism still whenever I wear it, and one cannot help but walk with a swish in one’s step and a quirky secret smile in the corner of one’s mouth.
Finally, the Grand Finale: Clive Rundle Knot Twist Evening Dress in Antique Satin.
Let’s talk about the fabric first; Clive has an amazing instinct when it comes to fabric. I remember he found this piece at a Milliner; it was dishevelled and had been discarded for many years. Clive having had many years of dying experience washed it and prepared it for dying. The colour was hand mixed to a beautiful result. The pattern was cut in true Hollywood starlet style, no expense spared, full hem facings with stitch and fuse finish, full neckline and armhole facings with lining. The philosophy was always that the inside of the garment be as beautiful as the outside. I truly am so grateful that I was able to work in an environment that valued superb fabrics and glorious quality.
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