I have tried pattern drafting in the past. Every time I tried, I failed because I did not understand the concept of ease or measurement. While I am currently better at the latter, I am still failing at pattern drafting. Maybe this is because I did not take a pattern drafting course? Maybe this is because I am not smart enough to figure it out with the resources out there? Maybe the resources out there fail at giving a rational for each step?
I do not know why I am failing so much. All I know is that I HAVE HAD IT, OFFICIALLY! (Detox, Season 5 RuPaul's Drag Race). I really want to get back to sewing, so I decided to use Rub-Offs.
In his book Fashion Inside Out, Daniel Vosovic talks about how a rub-off is a fashion industry trick. Basically a rub-off is a pattern copied off of an exiting garment. Designers do this to speed up the design process. For example if a designer wants to make a pair of well-fit pants, the designer can just go buy a pair of well-fitting pants and copy the pattern.
Hold-up: RED FLAG. That's plagiarism!
Well, designers add their own elements to the pattern. It's faster because you do not need to draft a base from scratch. Also, you can not really sue for a copied pattern (sort of... there are a lot of complications). This aspect is a complicating and frustrating for the fashion industry. Two companies which went through the court to deal with this problem are Walmart (Walmart v Samara) and Louis Vuitton (red sole).
My rational for "copying" is that I am not making a rub-off to sell; I am making a rub-off to learn about patterns (where ease is added and why) and to speed the process up (I will add my own elements to the pattern). Is this rational justified? I'm not sure, but I'm reassured by the fact that at least I'm not selling my garments. So at least no one can claim that I'm taking someone's money.
Another way I like to think of the rub-off process is by comparing it to what engineers do. Many engineers take existing technology, dismantle it, and put it back together to learn more about the product. This helps the engineers come up with better products. Is it fair? I'm not too sure. Comment below about what you think!
THE BEFORE:
My cousin gave me this kurta (figure 1) as a gift. Kurtas ("panjabi" in Bengali) are not fitted garments; they are constructed to be over-sized. This construction technique might exist to add more embroidery. However, I think kurtas are made over-sized to accommodate for "larger people". Unfortunately for me, someone with a smaller frame, this means most kurtas make me feel like a walking teepee. The kurta my cousin gave was the first kurta that actually fit me well. The extra ease was not bulky. The sleeves were in the correct place (unlike most kurtas which are extended out). And, most importantly, the back fit like a dream! There there were no extra pleats in the back yet I could move freely without worrying about busting the garment. This kurta was the best base I could find: it was simple and fit in the right places (sleeves and back). It was my ticket to a perfect sloper.
MAKING THE PATTERN:
Another way I like to think of the rub-off process is by comparing it to what engineers do. Many engineers take existing technology, dismantle it, and put it back together to learn more about the product. This helps the engineers come up with better products. Is it fair? I'm not too sure. Comment below about what you think!
THE BEFORE:
My cousin gave me this kurta (figure 1) as a gift. Kurtas ("panjabi" in Bengali) are not fitted garments; they are constructed to be over-sized. This construction technique might exist to add more embroidery. However, I think kurtas are made over-sized to accommodate for "larger people". Unfortunately for me, someone with a smaller frame, this means most kurtas make me feel like a walking teepee. The kurta my cousin gave was the first kurta that actually fit me well. The extra ease was not bulky. The sleeves were in the correct place (unlike most kurtas which are extended out). And, most importantly, the back fit like a dream! There there were no extra pleats in the back yet I could move freely without worrying about busting the garment. This kurta was the best base I could find: it was simple and fit in the right places (sleeves and back). It was my ticket to a perfect sloper.
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| Figure 1: The kurta my cousin gave me. |
Making a rub-off is all about exposing seams. Two important tricks when exposing seams are marking the center front and center back lines and making sure the garment is flat. The neckline and arm hole (armscye) is a bit harder to trace. Some people directly and trace. Others put paper between a styrofoam block and the garment and then punch holes with a needle along the seam. I chose a different method: I made slits to the seam and folded in. I thought this was more accurate than tracing and less time consuming than the styrofoam block. Any method works because the traced pattern will not be perfect.
Tracing a the sleeve is also a bit complicated. First I folded the sleeve in half to expose the seam next to the armpit and made that fold permanent with some pins. Then I took some paper and made a straight line. I lined up that line and the top of the sleeeve. I traced the front (using the slit method described for the arm hole). Then i flipped the sleeve over, keeping the same fold, lined the straight line with the top, and then traced the bottom.
I hope this makes sense. Maybe a video would be better at explaining what I did...
THE TEST:
As I mentioned before, the traced pattern will not be perfect. The reason for this imperfection is because both sides of a garment are not equal because of mini sewing errors. Because of this, it is important to test your pattern. I did this with some scrap fabric, and I am pretty pleased with the pattern. The sleeves are in the right place and the back fits beautifully (as you can see when I stretch them all the way).
WHAT I LEARNED:
The most important thing I learned from this process is that the pattern is the same under the arm hole.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN:
I'm took this pattern and made some of my own garments. I changed up the design, and clothes that actually fit me. Those garments will be featured in future posts.
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| Figure 2: Keeping the garment and pattern flat with a pyramid paper weight. |
Tracing a the sleeve is also a bit complicated. First I folded the sleeve in half to expose the seam next to the armpit and made that fold permanent with some pins. Then I took some paper and made a straight line. I lined up that line and the top of the sleeeve. I traced the front (using the slit method described for the arm hole). Then i flipped the sleeve over, keeping the same fold, lined the straight line with the top, and then traced the bottom.
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| Figure 3: Working on the sleeve. |
I hope this makes sense. Maybe a video would be better at explaining what I did...
THE TEST:
As I mentioned before, the traced pattern will not be perfect. The reason for this imperfection is because both sides of a garment are not equal because of mini sewing errors. Because of this, it is important to test your pattern. I did this with some scrap fabric, and I am pretty pleased with the pattern. The sleeves are in the right place and the back fits beautifully (as you can see when I stretch them all the way).
 |
| Figure 4: Trial of traced pattern |
WHAT I LEARNED:
The most important thing I learned from this process is that the pattern is the same under the arm hole.
 |
| Figure 5: The front pattern piece on top of the back pattern piece. Under the arm hole, everything is the same. |
I'm took this pattern and made some of my own garments. I changed up the design, and clothes that actually fit me. Those garments will be featured in future posts.
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