Week 10 - Final Garments

Material : Powernet 100% polyester (red/blue/cream)

Cost per Meter : £4.50

Amount Used: 50cm of each colour

Sourced From : A to Z Fabrics (Shepherds Bush)

Material : Green Camouflage Sports Mesh 

Cost per Meter : £6

Amount Used : 1m

Sourced From : A to Z Fabrics (Shepherds Bush)

This week was our final catwalk and we got freedom to create anything we wanted to do.

I took inspiration for the shirt from a pair of trousers in my wardrobe which were made in this powernet and i wanted to try using it so i created this Spice Girls inspired shirt with one button fastening at the collar.Working with this fabric was a nightmare because it stretched all over the place and when i did a small sample it looked horrible, so i decided to add more structure under the cream panels and in the collar by just using a classic white shirting. Whilst giving structure it also eliminated the factor that it was totally sheer!! Having just the red and blue sections sheer gives an element of risk.

Pictured here it is unfinished inside so i would need to cover stitch all the raw edges and hen i asked a lecture about the arms/hem it was advised to gimp it.

I also need to eliminate the side seam as it dosent look nice!

The pattern for the shirt was created freehand based on the principles of Korean pattern cutting with no blocks.

Created again for menswear these shorts have a dropped crotch, 4 3D patch pockets, front pockets and coin pockets. All these elements are very masculine but because of the fabric style i thought it would be an appropriate use of the fabric. Black cotton drill is used as an accent.

Because of the fabric it dosent fray therefore it is not needed to be finished but in future i would do a bias finishing inside as when wearing it can be quite scratchy as the fabric is a bit stiff but when washed and the starch removed it will not be as bad.

I love the colours used for the shirt as it is vibrant and has a real shock factor which re-invents this classic piece but when i saw the camouflage material i immediately thought of creating a very 90's styled cargo shorts as this decade of clothing is back!camouflage cargo shorts is a really hot trend at the moment on the streets of London!!!

Week 9 - Trousers

Material : Pinstripe

Cost per Meter : £5pm

Amount Used : 1.5m

Sourced From : Shepherds Bush

This week we had a pinstripe material but not a typical wool mix blend but rather a jersey substitute with a stretch capability going along the Weft thread which gave it a capability to create more form fitting garments.

I decided to create a more unusual shape and take risks with the "NORMAL" way of doing things, SO:

.I changed the inward curved seam along the center back line to create a vexed curve the opposite way. It looked like a quarter of a circle

.I changed the construction of the button fly so that the top was cut shorted therefore revealing the underside which allowed for a contrasting colour/fabric (in this case a gold +blue taffeta mix which really defines the shape 

.I constructed the pattern for menswear with a really wide leg (like the oxford bags) but i didnt like them that way so i thought with the pinstripe if i twisted it round at the bottom to create a tighter fit the stripes would become distorted and curve round the body. 

.With a gold band then a black satin bias to finish the hem and i love this detail as it gives an element of sportswear to a very uncomfortable and constricting cut of trousers, very much a contradiction!!

.For the waistband i cut it the opposite way to he rest of the trousers so it didnt stretch out of place.

.I found working with fabric really easy as it didnt fray or stretch out of place but the one thing that is awful is that it collect so much dirt/fluff/thread as it is very static so has to be brushed/cleaned often.

Week 8 - Dress 3

Material : 100% Polyester with a Polyurethane coating

Cost Per Meter : £5

Amount Used : 2.5m

Sourced From : Mermaid Fabrics , Hackney

This week it was my turn to buy the fabric again and we discussed in our group that we were to have something sporty. I showed a sample of Neoprene and everyone liked it. Due to the high cost of £25pm for Neoprene i found a suitable alternative at 1/5 of the price.

I really loved the fabric as it had a great weight to it so draped well, it didn't fray so hems could be left raw and it still look professional and also you could use both the shiny side (which i used) or the wrong side which was a matt finish.

After a quick lesson from my boss at work about Korean Pattern Cutting and how that every pattern piece is drafted from basic shapes such as squares and circles i decided to embrace this new technique.

From playing around with the lines and measurements on my pattern i decided to create a pattern with no side seam ( which in everyday life you don't normally see) and just shape the center back seam. this led to having a slight point in the seam at the chest/waist/hip point. I thought this would look ugly when finished bus as the picture below shows the points and excess fabric creates these great crease lines.

Another feature that i really love about this jacket is that the point in the back seam at the hip folds on its self to create the effect that its cut like a proper men's jacket with a flap. This illusion really gives it a masculine edge. 

In terms of fashion i think this is really stylish and chic and i could see people buying it in shops, whether it be Topshop, or Browns (made in a better fabric!!)

But there was one factor that i only found out after i had completed the jacket and that was that i should have used a Teflon coated sewing machine needle as it would have made sewing easier and the stitching even where i top stitched. But now i know this i can make it better next time

I noticed on a jacket i had (KTZ Linen Jacket - Posted earlier) that the inside seams were bound with bias binding. I thought this was an opportunity to add an accent colour and in my sewing box i found this lemon yellow cotton bias that was bought from Woolworths before i was born.

As i noticed with outer garments, they all have pockets, so to get more confident i repeated the same style of pocket from Skirt 1 (jetted/welt pocket) and using a contrasting white pocket bag just breaks up the block black colour. I think the Jet/Welt pocket detail will become a key feature in future garments for me as i really love the way they look and blend in.

Pattern Piece (NO SIDE SEAM!!!)

Week 7 - Skirt 3

Material : Grey Jersey

Cost Per Meter : £4.50

Amount Used : 2m

Sourced From : Toni Textiles - Shepherds Bush

When i first got this material i immediately thought of old school jumpers and school uniforms which is not the look that i'd normally design with in mind. But i thought with this material it will drape well so i cut a full circle skirt and i took my waist measurement and divided it by 4 to get the shape. I totally forgot about the rules of circles and the use of Pi, so my waist ended up being 3 times the size of the actual measurement. 

 Improvising with the mess that i made, i was initially going to add pleats to the hem line to bring the fullness in but i thought that as it was grey and masculine, i would go with the theme of a kilt. So i added in pleats to the back section to bring it back to the right size. Because of the fabric i was unsure as to how to hem, so i just left it raw and because it doesn't fray it looked nice and neat.

I added a simple black waistband with contrasting baby blue sating bias binding belt looks just for an additional design detail that just gives a more masculine effect.

These images show the skirt in action as because there is so much excess fabric and circle cut there is so much fluididty and movement which would be great for a dance outfit or the bright lights of Strictly Come Dancing. 

In terms of working with this fabric, i found it really easy but the only thing i struggled with was that the more you worked with it the more it stretched which could result in extra fullness that you dont want.

I think this is such a basic cut garment but i could see this in the likes of Topshop for the summer as it is a staple item in any wardrobe either for work or day wear and if made in a glamorous fabric a great skirt to party and dance in.

Week 6 - Trousers 2

Material : 100% Polyester Lace

Cost Per Meter : £5pm

Amount Used : 1m

Sourced From : Brick Lane Textiles

The thought of creating lace trousers really got me thinking as they would be see-through, But there is a trend for see through trousers as the likes of D&G have created lazer cut leather mesh shorts for men for S/S 12. As lace is a very light, delicate and "girly" fabric i wanted to use it for menswear and because i only had 1m of lace i had to compromise with the hem line. The final outcome i think works really well and i could see them selling in the likes of "Prowler" or "DV8 Soho" (gay lifestyle stores).

Instead of creating a pattern from scratch, i cut up an old pair of boxers from my wardrobe and took the pattern from them as i love the fit. Below shows the steps i took to create the pattern.

I found working with this material was, OK, but to make it presentable and finished the seams had to fastened neatly. So i opted to finish the boxers off using french seams which when trying them on created a smooth feel on the inside compared to the rough raw edge that i could have left it with.

To regain some dignity i double layered the front pouch section with a layer of black PVC underneath and i love the colour combination of the black and ink blue, dark but beautiful.

Instead of cutting a straight line through the pattern of the lace at the hem i really liked the selvage side of the lace where there was a scalloped detail which i think gave it a unique design feature. 

Original Old Boxers

Cut Waistband Off

Cut Along Seam Lines

Trace Round And Neaten Lines To
Create Final Pattern

Design Details - A Day In Central London