Constructing the peice

Continuing on from my last post here is an update with some images from my construction Process. It took approximately 3 weeks to make both the top and Skirt with a few small problems and challenges along the way but overall the process went well and i managed to keep on target and within the time i had allocated for Making.

To help me during the initial pattern cutting and learning to pattern cut process i used a few pattern cutting books, in particular  'Pattern Cutting' by Denninc Chunman Lo this book is brilliant and really helped you to understand and make the pattern and all the important elements to consider whilst pattern cutting, i used it in particular to create my basic Skirt, bodice and dress blocks and then manipulate and altered the pieces to make them shorter and the shapes desired and then to create the design detailing to add onto each. this process was quite technical and i had to keep reading over the instruction to fully understand what to do but the book was very informative and really helped me. the finished blocks and patterns were just as i wanted and fitted the mannequin just right.

the whole process i feel has really challenged my skills as the fabrics i had chosen and the intricacy of my pattern meant i had to take extra care to ensure i didn't snag or pull the fabrics and there were many stages of the construction process which i had to create my self in order to make the pieces fit together in the desired way as my pattern was a one off and there were no instruction of the best way to put the pieces together.

Overall i have really enjoyed the process of seeing my garments take shape and didn't have any major problems, except when putting the zip into the top i found it was quite fiddly to do a hidden zip into the chiffon as it moved and then discovered once it was sewn in that it was too short and made the top not fit onto the mannequin. this meant i needed to purchase a longer Zip and UN pick the old zip out and put the new one in. i tested the length of the new zip first and found, fortunately that that was long enough to allow the top to comfortably fit on thew mannequin making the top wearable. all i had to do then was sew it in.

in the Next post i will put pictures of the Final garments up and do a small evaluation of it.