Pattern Making Class Final Project

I learned my lesson during Winter Term in the pattern draping class.  I made my “Ode to Dior” design too complex and I was in tears trying to finish it on time.  This semester, my flat pattern making professor said we could knock off a design, if we wanted to do so.  She said her primary concern is whether we can actually create a garment from scratch (absolute scratch) rather than whether we can design something original.  My heart fluttered and I refrained from leaping out of my chair to hug her on the spot.

My prof is also a vintage fashion fan and she gave me the nod to recreate the look of a vintage pattern.  In fact, she loaned me her prized 1947 Butterick pattern catalog for me to look through for ideas!  Again, I refrained from hugging her on the spot.

For our final project proposal, we had to submit 10 “flat drawings” (they look like the line drawings on the back of the pattern envelope) to her along with fabric swatches.  She also said we could include photos/photocopies of the “inspiration garment,” if we wanted. As I was looking through her vintage Butterick catalog and my pattern stash, I tried to keep in mind that I’d only really have a couple of weeks to devote to the project.  We are about to start our next class project and then the final three weeks of class are set aside for our final projects (we still have SEVEN weeks of school left!  It goes on forever!).

I have owned the Simplicity 3874 “Jackie O” inspired dress for several years.  Despite my desire to create View 1  (the green one, on the left, in the photo), I also knew that it would take a lot of resizing to make it fit.  It is a basic princess-seamed sheath with in-seam pockets in the skirt and gathering on the side-front panel.  I included it with my proposal.

I showed the sketch and the “inspiration” (photocopy of the envelope) to her and told her it was the one I really wanted to do.  She said it was completely doable and didn’t even need to look at the other sketches.  Again, I refrained from hugging her.   She wasn’t too keen on my fabric selection, though, because it was a bit too drapey (my swatch was a poly almost-silky woven).   She suggested something more substantial.  I suggested a linen weave.  She agreed and suggested a navy linen would look great with white detailing.

And so it is that I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief  after class tonight and bought my navy linen while I was at JoAnn’s buying some muslin today.

Why I harp on the importance of a basic block:

• I will be able to simply trace off my basic bodice back.  No changes.
• I will need to create the princess seamed front bodice
• I will be able to trace off my basic sleeve.  Only change is to shorten it.
• I will be able to trace off my basic skirt back.  Only change will be to slash and spread at the waist to create the gathers (although I may just be able to change the darts to gathers)
• I will be able to trace off my basic skirt front.  I will need to slash the skirt front to make a center front and two side front panels.  The side front will need to be slashed and spread at the waistline for the gathers.
• Need to make a pocket pattern.
• Need to make a belt pattern.

And that, my friends, is my final project, in a nutshell.