Fashion construction - Hand in

I finally handed in my first module for this year today! Before this fashion construction module I had attended two pattern cutting sessions in Yr 0 (my foundation year), but I didn't have a lot of confidence in my abilities in pattern cutting and construction. However, fashion construction is a skill that I am really keen to master, and so I made every effort to attend 100% of the studio sessions, so as not to fall behind.

One really important thing that I have learnt, is that whilst I am learning new skills, it helps to document each step I make in the studio with note taking and photos, which I then type up at home. Although this slows me down initially, it provides me with a reminder of how I did a particular step, as construction can be complicated and can turn out wrong if done in the wrong order. Not only can I refer back to my own notes and instructions at a later date, but the process of note taking and then re-typing helps me to commit the stages to memory, therefore benefitting my independent learning.

Having a young child I find it difficult to manage my study time at home, so my attendance during the studio sessions is really important to me. If I missed one, I know I would quickly fall behind and struggle to catch up. Also because I attended all of the studio sessions, I was able to explore and record all the techniques and processes taught on this module which I will be able to refer to throughout my course.

I really enjoy the neatness of pattern cutting and construction. I prefer to be slower, accurate and methodical, and get it right first time. When I rush things I quite often make mistakes which take more time to go back and fix. I think my finished shift dress toile reflects the time and effort I took over it.

One of my favourite parts of this module was researching historical designers and some of the beautiful garments that they designed and created. I am particularly enthused in how design elements such as interesting pockets, collars, cuffs and fastenings can make a garment look really special. I have been a bit of a Pinterest addict for a while know, but now I have boards for these specific construction details which I will continue to add to after this module is finished. Combining and adapting these design elements will provide a wealth of inspiration for my own designs throughout this course. I think that owing to the research I did on these design elements, I was able to design a shift dress that was relatively simple to make, but included some interesting construction details.

 pleated and piped collar

pleated piped peplum with pockets into waist seam 

*EDIT*  25/1/13:  I received a grade of 70% overall for this module which is classed as a 1st!

Fashion construction - module review

I'm halfway into my fashion construction support module and really enjoying it. I am starting to feel a lot more confident with basic pattern cutting, and I am really getting to grips with using the industrial sewing machines and overlockers. I now know how to create my own patterns with the use of basic cardboard blocks and by modelling on the stand (dress-makers mannequin).

modelling on the stand

I have particularly enjoyed researching historical couturiers and have found their designs, especially the tailoring, really inspiring. What I want to be working towards now is to be able to put all these design ideas, that keeping popping into my head, into practise. I will try to do this by drawing a collection of shift dresses, working on my technical drawing, and choosing a final design that I will draft a pattern for and construct.

Madame Gres

Dior

Balmain

My tutor is pleased with my progress so far, saying that I have a "Conscientious file evidencing a good level of skills in cutting and making" and "Excellent attendance". There is a small amount of annotation that I need to add to my technical file, but otherwise I am up to date!

Fashion construction support module

When we were given the options for our support module I was undecided on whether to stick with the construction and textiles options or to maybe take a photography or photoshop option, but after reading about them in more detail I decided to stick with the construction and textiles in the hope it will help me to become more proficient in both of these areas.

During Semester one I will be studying the fashion construction support module, and after today I'm really happy with my decision. I think that this module will help me to build up a really good technical file of construction elements which I will be able to refer back to throughout the next three years of my course. I am also hoping that it will help me gain confidence in pattern cutting and technical drawing, which I have not had much experience of so far.

This morning Val ran through what we would be doing on this support module, and then we made a start on our first samples for our files. I found the different seams reasonably easy to sew from the instructions provided and I was pleased with the results. I think the most valuable thing I learnt today was the names of the different seams and on which type of fabric or garment they are used in and why. I can already see how my technical vocabulary will improve by attending this module.