Just a quick note to say I did not finish the 1880s toile sadly as I ran out of time. I still had the sleeve to draft, the collar to do and the rest of the blouse. I am also slightly behind on blogging it but I shall compleat this over the next couple of days.
I am very upset and slightly confused about not finishing everything as I have worked really hard throughout the project and have been in uni pretty much every day from 9.30-7.30 plus working at home. I really need to speed up.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Making the 1830s Collar
As you can see I left this pretty late into the project as when I was first cutting the 1830s bodice I hadn't done much cutting before and felt I wanted to leave the collar (which looked very complex) till later when I was more comfortable and confident with working on the stand. I also wannted to uderstande Janet Arnold's patterns more before I tried to scale this piece up. However when it came to actually cutting and putting it together it just seemed to work and fit. I had a little help from Dexter as to figure out which bit went to which bit and where but when I just started to cut and move the fabric around it all fitted together.
I stuffed the sleeve with tissue paper almost to its maximum size because if I made it into a real garment I would ensure the sleeve stayed out this big by adding more support to it therefore I needed to cut the collar to the size the sleeve should be at its biggest so if I did transefer it to top fabric the collar would be the correct size.
Dexter suggested I draw it out to the scale that was in Janet Arnold but as I did this I gained a better understanding of which bit fitted where so was able to extend and change pieces as to fit my bodice. Using the back and front panel patterns was also useful when tring to get the shape of the neckline.
I had problems with where the gathers met the rest of the fabric as it kept rooshing and creating pleates where I didn't want any so to fix it I would put a couple of gathers in the top of the shoulder seam but this didn't work very well and also didn't match the pattern I was working from so in the end the best thing was to get rid of as much excess seam allowence around the area by binding on edge and hand sewing the gathers to it. One thing I missed was the fact the gathered edge should have had a bit of seam allowence to turn over so it was a neat edge before I hand sew it to the the binding. Actually, the gathers and binding are surposed to be pipped together however I did not read this until I had sewn it as was in a hurry to get it done before the deadline, yet again its more about the cut rather than anything else and I feel the collar looks good.
The shape of the bottom of the collar looked really good before I bagged it out but with a bit of pressing it should look neat and tidy again. I feel the collar really compleates the bodice and makes it very classic of the 1830s which is why I chose this toile.
Where the collar kept catching -
Shape of front of the collar -
Shape of back of the collar -
I stuffed the sleeve with tissue paper almost to its maximum size because if I made it into a real garment I would ensure the sleeve stayed out this big by adding more support to it therefore I needed to cut the collar to the size the sleeve should be at its biggest so if I did transefer it to top fabric the collar would be the correct size.
Dexter suggested I draw it out to the scale that was in Janet Arnold but as I did this I gained a better understanding of which bit fitted where so was able to extend and change pieces as to fit my bodice. Using the back and front panel patterns was also useful when tring to get the shape of the neckline.
I had problems with where the gathers met the rest of the fabric as it kept rooshing and creating pleates where I didn't want any so to fix it I would put a couple of gathers in the top of the shoulder seam but this didn't work very well and also didn't match the pattern I was working from so in the end the best thing was to get rid of as much excess seam allowence around the area by binding on edge and hand sewing the gathers to it. One thing I missed was the fact the gathered edge should have had a bit of seam allowence to turn over so it was a neat edge before I hand sew it to the the binding. Actually, the gathers and binding are surposed to be pipped together however I did not read this until I had sewn it as was in a hurry to get it done before the deadline, yet again its more about the cut rather than anything else and I feel the collar looks good.
The shape of the bottom of the collar looked really good before I bagged it out but with a bit of pressing it should look neat and tidy again. I feel the collar really compleates the bodice and makes it very classic of the 1830s which is why I chose this toile.
Where the collar kept catching -
Shape of front of the collar -
Shape of back of the collar -
Sunday, 15 May 2011
What the work plan turned out to be.
Week 1
Mon 7th March -Fri 11th March
Reserched into clothing from 1899-1910
Created time plan.
9th - MODIP session (10am-12.30pm)
10th - Winchester trip (11am-3pm)
Week 2
Mon 14th March - Fri 18th March
Continued reserch into 19th Century dresss.
Did learning agreement.
Finale decision on what to make.
Week 3
Mon 21st March - Fri 25th March
Started Janet Arnold 1830-6 dinner dress (half bodice).
Started Norah Waugh 1850s summer dress (half whole dress cut on the stand).
24th - deadline for learning agreement.
Week 4
Mon 28th March - Fri 1st April
Work experience with Naomi Isaacs (London).
POP essay.
28th - Candide performance.
Week 5
Mon 4th April - Fri 8th April
Work experience with Naomi Isaacs (London).
POP essay.
Easter Break
Sat 9th April - Tues 26th April
POP essay.
Week 6
Tues 26th April - Fri 29th April
JA 1850s dress.
Week 7
Mon 2nd May - Fri 6th May
JA 1850s dress.
JA 1888 day dress (whole dress cut on the stand).
Week 8
Mon 9th May - Fri 13th May
JA 1888 day dress (finish cutting on stand finishing's)
JA 1830s dinner dress collar.
9th - POP hand-in
Week 9
Mon 16th May - Wed 18th May -
Norah Waugh 1878 afternoon dress (whole bodice cut on stand).
Mon 7th March -Fri 11th March
Reserched into clothing from 1899-1910
Created time plan.
9th - MODIP session (10am-12.30pm)
10th - Winchester trip (11am-3pm)
Week 2
Mon 14th March - Fri 18th March
Continued reserch into 19th Century dresss.
Did learning agreement.
Finale decision on what to make.
Week 3
Mon 21st March - Fri 25th March
Started Janet Arnold 1830-6 dinner dress (half bodice).
Started Norah Waugh 1850s summer dress (half whole dress cut on the stand).
24th - deadline for learning agreement.
Week 4
Mon 28th March - Fri 1st April
Work experience with Naomi Isaacs (London).
POP essay.
28th - Candide performance.
Week 5
Mon 4th April - Fri 8th April
Work experience with Naomi Isaacs (London).
POP essay.
Easter Break
Sat 9th April - Tues 26th April
POP essay.
Week 6
Tues 26th April - Fri 29th April
JA 1850s dress.
Week 7
Mon 2nd May - Fri 6th May
JA 1850s dress.
JA 1888 day dress (whole dress cut on the stand).
Week 8
Mon 9th May - Fri 13th May
JA 1888 day dress (finish cutting on stand finishing's)
JA 1830s dinner dress collar.
9th - POP hand-in
Week 9
Mon 16th May - Wed 18th May -
Norah Waugh 1878 afternoon dress (whole bodice cut on stand).
Friday, 13 May 2011
Making the 1870s Bodice
Thankfully I no longer had to do the whole of this dress before the deadline. I had a tutorial with Adele and we came to the conclusion it was important for me to attempt the princess line however I do not have to do all the drapeing, sleeve, etc. because I am really really running out of time (see tutorial blog). So I chose to work from Norah Waugh again for this one as then I have 2 toiles from each book. This one was an Afternoon Dress from 1878.
This was a nice toile to end on as I really had to manipulate the fabric and create very sharp darts to gain the right silhouette. It was very enjoyable to smooth the fabric out over the curves of the the manniquin so the garment hugged the body tightly. The only problem with this was the fact that the petticoat underneath was too small for the manniquin and therefore pulled itself in a little under the torso of the manniquin however there was no other option and it gave the exsact shape disired at the back so I just had to remember to allowe a little give at the front of the dress.
I did make a couple of small mistakes on this toile due to lack of sleep now the project is drawing to a close. These included missing a whole pannel from the back when first cutting which wasted more time, not sewing stright enough on all the seams therefore not haveing quite the clear cut tailored effect all over however I do not have time to re sew everything but I know for next time to be more careful and the pattern on paper is correct, and cutting in too far up on the back seam when the eyelets needed to go lower however this is all now blogged so if I ever make the garment again I will be able to look back and see what to change.
The mistake at the bottom of the back opening -
The shoulder seams also proved a little difficult as I did not mark them clear enough so I was not sure how far across to sew however this was easily fixed on the stand so they were in the correct place and sat nicely.
The bodice in the process of being cut on the stand (front and then back) -
This was a nice toile to end on as I really had to manipulate the fabric and create very sharp darts to gain the right silhouette. It was very enjoyable to smooth the fabric out over the curves of the the manniquin so the garment hugged the body tightly. The only problem with this was the fact that the petticoat underneath was too small for the manniquin and therefore pulled itself in a little under the torso of the manniquin however there was no other option and it gave the exsact shape disired at the back so I just had to remember to allowe a little give at the front of the dress.
I did make a couple of small mistakes on this toile due to lack of sleep now the project is drawing to a close. These included missing a whole pannel from the back when first cutting which wasted more time, not sewing stright enough on all the seams therefore not haveing quite the clear cut tailored effect all over however I do not have time to re sew everything but I know for next time to be more careful and the pattern on paper is correct, and cutting in too far up on the back seam when the eyelets needed to go lower however this is all now blogged so if I ever make the garment again I will be able to look back and see what to change.
The mistake at the bottom of the back opening -
The shoulder seams also proved a little difficult as I did not mark them clear enough so I was not sure how far across to sew however this was easily fixed on the stand so they were in the correct place and sat nicely.
The bodice in the process of being cut on the stand (front and then back) -
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Tutorial with Adele
I had to go see Adele about reducing my work load as I was really stressing out about the large amount of work I had left to do. I wanted to see her earlier in the week when we still had the friday deadline however she wasn't around so saw her on thursday and we discused what I had left to do and what I had done. I didn't see how I could get the whole 1870s dress done before friday however the extention to wednesday made things different. When Adele and I discused it I felt I still needed to cut the work load down but we didn't want to cut a compleat dress out of the agreement, I was still very intrested in learning how to cut the princess line dress so we concluded that I would just do the bodice part. I didn't want to make excuses but I have been working incredibly hard, especially after easter, yet still not getting my work done. The short term after easter and the work experience really mucked up my timing and I have been finding it very hard to stick to my time plan so just havent been able to get the work done. I do feel I will be able to get my work done now I have slightly less to do as well as starting to enjoy the work again as I won't be so stressed.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Making the 1880s Bodice
This was the big one that I put aside most of my time to do as there were quite a few parts to it and also because it was surposed to be finished to a neater standerd than the other toiles. I also did a section of this dress in striped fabric as to get used to working with it.
The bodice started simply with a back piece, front piece and 2 side pieces however the pleates at the back made lining up the center back much harder as you needed extra fabric past the center back to create the pleate. I used Janet Arnold's drawn pattern a lot for this bodice (and the skirt) to get the right shapes, fit and ratios as I wanted it to be neater and better than the toiles I have made during this project.
I cut it perfectly and ensured it really fitted well before I re-cut it in two layers of calico leaving generious seam allowences however when I put it together then put it back on the stand it really didn't fit which was incredibly frusrating. Ithought it may be because the corset had slipped round a little and was off center however this made no difference. In the end I ended up re-cutting the two fronts again with much more seam allowence which fitted really well for a seam up the front then I relized it was a front opening bodice and I needed to create a fastening down it. I chose eyelets and lacing as I could then pull the bodice in to fit better but this meant the front pannel really creased up so I had to place an extra dart on each side at the front that would be hidden by the blouse anyway but I felt I should have backing behind the blouse (also when I was at work experience I was told to carry the bodice on and round to the center front seam as it made life easier later on).
I was very releeved when I laced the front up and found it fitted. I placed the longest bones I could find in haberdashery down the front where most support was required and this really made the bodice straighten up and fit better..................
I would put buttons down the front and I would have marked this out if I had not run out of time...........
The bodice started simply with a back piece, front piece and 2 side pieces however the pleates at the back made lining up the center back much harder as you needed extra fabric past the center back to create the pleate. I used Janet Arnold's drawn pattern a lot for this bodice (and the skirt) to get the right shapes, fit and ratios as I wanted it to be neater and better than the toiles I have made during this project.
I cut it perfectly and ensured it really fitted well before I re-cut it in two layers of calico leaving generious seam allowences however when I put it together then put it back on the stand it really didn't fit which was incredibly frusrating. Ithought it may be because the corset had slipped round a little and was off center however this made no difference. In the end I ended up re-cutting the two fronts again with much more seam allowence which fitted really well for a seam up the front then I relized it was a front opening bodice and I needed to create a fastening down it. I chose eyelets and lacing as I could then pull the bodice in to fit better but this meant the front pannel really creased up so I had to place an extra dart on each side at the front that would be hidden by the blouse anyway but I felt I should have backing behind the blouse (also when I was at work experience I was told to carry the bodice on and round to the center front seam as it made life easier later on).
I was very releeved when I laced the front up and found it fitted. I placed the longest bones I could find in haberdashery down the front where most support was required and this really made the bodice straighten up and fit better..................
I would put buttons down the front and I would have marked this out if I had not run out of time...........
Monday, 9 May 2011
Making the 1880s Skirt
I loved figuring out all the pleates on the underskirt as well as creating the waistband. Nether of which I had any problems with except how to attach them together as I had cartridge pleates at the back but box pleates the rest of the was round the skirt. In the end I hand stitched it all the way round to the bottom of the waistband. I have kept the stitching in some of the pleates still to hold them in place as well as pressing them and keeping them pinned for as long as possible, on a real dress I would probebly do very small swing catches between each pleate but I feel that I should get on with other parts of the project and come back to that later if I have time.
I know this was meant to be a finished garment however I didn't feel it would beinifit me at all by slip stiching the hem/doing the hem properly as I would spend a lot of time doing it and I did a lot of that sort of thing/finishes when I was on work experience so I just stitched a quick, rough hem which works enuogh for you to see how the dress would look and move however I didn't quite leave myself enough fabric at the hem so it is slightly short but not enough to really effect the look of the garment on the stand nor the cut of it.
Underlike the underskirt the skirt draping drove me crazy, everything that could go wronge with it went wronge with it. Firstly I would have liked to have used the pre-washed and pre-shrunk calico for the draping as it hangs and drapes better however the costume store ran out and it was going to be too expensive to buy the amount I needed so I used just plain, regular weight calico which worked prefectly well for getting an idea of what it will look like in thw end. Graham suggested I tried working with stripes in the drapeing which was very useful in the end however I had to draw the stripes onto calico myself and so they were not dead straight which meant later when I was tring to match them up it was much more difficult than if I had brought striped fabric. However after Candide I really couldn't afford to spend too much money on this project so calico had to do.
So I worked on the front draping first then...........................
I know this was meant to be a finished garment however I didn't feel it would beinifit me at all by slip stiching the hem/doing the hem properly as I would spend a lot of time doing it and I did a lot of that sort of thing/finishes when I was on work experience so I just stitched a quick, rough hem which works enuogh for you to see how the dress would look and move however I didn't quite leave myself enough fabric at the hem so it is slightly short but not enough to really effect the look of the garment on the stand nor the cut of it.
Underlike the underskirt the skirt draping drove me crazy, everything that could go wronge with it went wronge with it. Firstly I would have liked to have used the pre-washed and pre-shrunk calico for the draping as it hangs and drapes better however the costume store ran out and it was going to be too expensive to buy the amount I needed so I used just plain, regular weight calico which worked prefectly well for getting an idea of what it will look like in thw end. Graham suggested I tried working with stripes in the drapeing which was very useful in the end however I had to draw the stripes onto calico myself and so they were not dead straight which meant later when I was tring to match them up it was much more difficult than if I had brought striped fabric. However after Candide I really couldn't afford to spend too much money on this project so calico had to do.
So I worked on the front draping first then...........................
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Making the 1850s Sleeve
I have decided I don't really like making sleeves and I don't think I am very good at it. This sleeve looked much easier that the gigot sleeve on the 1830s yet it just didn't seem to work. I had to cut and re-cut this sleeve about 5 times which wasted a lot of time that I don't have time to waste! I drew this sleeve out free hand using Norah Waugh's pattern as a reference and although the shape and size seemed to be right the gathers and seam never seemed to sit in the corect place. When I spoke to Dexter about it he seemed to think it would work better as a two piece sleeve however the pattern says its a one piece. In the end I got a shape I was happy with and the gathers seemed to sit just at the elbow when I put my arm in it. Putting it into the armhol then changed all that as its very difficult to put in a sleeve on a manniquin that doesn't have arms and with a reference that doesn't have to sleeve seam showing on it or marked. This is when my historical reserch became useful again because ether I could put it in so the sleeve seam matched the side seam or I could put it in so the sleeve seam didn't show at the cuff. Through looking at my reserch I found the sleeve this shape often started just off the side seam and came round and under the arm to finish on the under0arm of the cuff. I think I have placed the sleeve in the correct place. I may pad it out for photographs to make it sit better as if an arm was in it.
Back of sleeve with the gathers at the elbow -
Back of sleeve with the gathers at the elbow -
Making the 1850s Bodice
The pattern I used for the 1850's dress was that of a Summer Dress from Norah Waugh's pattern cutting book. I had not used her pattern cutting books and I instantly didn't find them as clear or precise as Janet Arnold's however it proved good for me to try a different pattern book as its a differnet perspective and a different way of working. The ability to work from two different books will benefit me in the future as if there is a pattern more similar to a design in one book rather than the other I will be able to use ether.
I had to cut this bodice with the under-skirt and crenoline on as well as the corset because it extends down over the skirt so the shape would change with the wide skirt structure underneath. I started but cutting the front pannel which when looking at the pattern looks as if it is slightly attached to the side pannel right up at the shoulder seam however in the end I concluded that it wasn't and that it would be easier anyway to cut them as two seperate pieces. Like before the bodice was relitivly simple to cut and tailor to the manniquin and I was able to sew bits of it together quite quickly. One thing I would say though is that it would fit much better if it were a whole bodice and not just a half and I wish I had done this as one of my dresses that was whole (however I did save money by just doing a half as this dress required a lot of fabric compared to others).
The hard part of the bodice was the gathers on the front. This had to be done after sewing the sleeve into the armhol of the bodice. Norah Waugh does not make it very clear as to which seam or where to place the edge of the pannel, whether it goes in the long seam between the front and side pannels of the under bodice or whether it is just sewn down wherever it looks right. The second is what I chose to do. I cut a piece of muslin (this this as gathers easily and is very light) into a rectangle shape that was over twice as long as the shoulder seam and over the lenght of the bodice. I then sewed 4 lines of gather stiches the pulled in the gathers. From there it was all a bit of trial and error and fabric manipulation on the stand to get it to the correct shape and in the right place. I found the ancoring it to the center front seam and then gathering, pulling and pinning it into the correct position was the best way to create the disired effect. All the pinning ruined the muslin so I decided to re-cut the piece and re-mount it only the front bodice before hand-in. Where to place the other seam was also a bit of trial and error as on the picture it looks as if it goes off the shoulder and attaches to the sleeve so I tried this by supporting the sleeve with one hand and moving the muslin over to it with the other. I then followed this line down the front of the bodice so it then came into line with the front/side pannel seam. This gave a very nice shape so that all that was left to do was to adjust the gathers so they coverd the edge of the muslin where I would hand-stich it down. This made it neater and also evened the gathers out a bit.
The shape of the muslin gathers -
I had issues with the amount of excess fabric at the bottom of the muslin pannel, as seen below -
I tried to trim it down as much as I could and move some of it into the center front seam however there was still a big excess and too much to just hem so I decided to bind the edge. This would make it easier and stonger, also, when I wanted to attach the skirt to the bodice. To keep backing fabric flat and not to tight before binding it, as it was curling up and creasing behind, I had to spend a lot of time pinning and re-pinning until it worked and moving seams and excess fabric. This was very time consuming and put me behind scedual again.
What was happening to the fabric behind the muslin -
The muslin had got pretty worn and dirty where it had been pinned and pulled over and over again at the gether lines so I coverd the line with some lace because on the Norah Waugh diagram it looks as if there is something covering the lines anyway. I also put some lace around the collar to neaten up the neckline of the bodice.
I wasn't quite sure how to sew the cartidge pleated skirt attached onto the bodice at first however with a little bit of trial and error as well as internet reserch I found the way. This was my favorite part of making this dress as I love hand sewing and find it really relaxing. It was nice to do work yet not be stressed for a little bit and was a welcome break from worring about the really short term (3weeks) we had after easter to make this and two other toiles. This bodice is when I really started to stress out about getting everything finished. The work experience and reserch had cut into my time so much what I had origenall given myself 1 and a bit weeks to do I had to do in about 4 days at the most netherless it got done (before the deadline at least) and I am relitivly happ with the final shape of the bodice.
The finished bodice -
I had to cut this bodice with the under-skirt and crenoline on as well as the corset because it extends down over the skirt so the shape would change with the wide skirt structure underneath. I started but cutting the front pannel which when looking at the pattern looks as if it is slightly attached to the side pannel right up at the shoulder seam however in the end I concluded that it wasn't and that it would be easier anyway to cut them as two seperate pieces. Like before the bodice was relitivly simple to cut and tailor to the manniquin and I was able to sew bits of it together quite quickly. One thing I would say though is that it would fit much better if it were a whole bodice and not just a half and I wish I had done this as one of my dresses that was whole (however I did save money by just doing a half as this dress required a lot of fabric compared to others).
The hard part of the bodice was the gathers on the front. This had to be done after sewing the sleeve into the armhol of the bodice. Norah Waugh does not make it very clear as to which seam or where to place the edge of the pannel, whether it goes in the long seam between the front and side pannels of the under bodice or whether it is just sewn down wherever it looks right. The second is what I chose to do. I cut a piece of muslin (this this as gathers easily and is very light) into a rectangle shape that was over twice as long as the shoulder seam and over the lenght of the bodice. I then sewed 4 lines of gather stiches the pulled in the gathers. From there it was all a bit of trial and error and fabric manipulation on the stand to get it to the correct shape and in the right place. I found the ancoring it to the center front seam and then gathering, pulling and pinning it into the correct position was the best way to create the disired effect. All the pinning ruined the muslin so I decided to re-cut the piece and re-mount it only the front bodice before hand-in. Where to place the other seam was also a bit of trial and error as on the picture it looks as if it goes off the shoulder and attaches to the sleeve so I tried this by supporting the sleeve with one hand and moving the muslin over to it with the other. I then followed this line down the front of the bodice so it then came into line with the front/side pannel seam. This gave a very nice shape so that all that was left to do was to adjust the gathers so they coverd the edge of the muslin where I would hand-stich it down. This made it neater and also evened the gathers out a bit.
The shape of the muslin gathers -
I had issues with the amount of excess fabric at the bottom of the muslin pannel, as seen below -
I tried to trim it down as much as I could and move some of it into the center front seam however there was still a big excess and too much to just hem so I decided to bind the edge. This would make it easier and stonger, also, when I wanted to attach the skirt to the bodice. To keep backing fabric flat and not to tight before binding it, as it was curling up and creasing behind, I had to spend a lot of time pinning and re-pinning until it worked and moving seams and excess fabric. This was very time consuming and put me behind scedual again.
What was happening to the fabric behind the muslin -
The muslin had got pretty worn and dirty where it had been pinned and pulled over and over again at the gether lines so I coverd the line with some lace because on the Norah Waugh diagram it looks as if there is something covering the lines anyway. I also put some lace around the collar to neaten up the neckline of the bodice.
I wasn't quite sure how to sew the cartidge pleated skirt attached onto the bodice at first however with a little bit of trial and error as well as internet reserch I found the way. This was my favorite part of making this dress as I love hand sewing and find it really relaxing. It was nice to do work yet not be stressed for a little bit and was a welcome break from worring about the really short term (3weeks) we had after easter to make this and two other toiles. This bodice is when I really started to stress out about getting everything finished. The work experience and reserch had cut into my time so much what I had origenall given myself 1 and a bit weeks to do I had to do in about 4 days at the most netherless it got done (before the deadline at least) and I am relitivly happ with the final shape of the bodice.
The finished bodice -
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
How did the learning agreement go?
Overall I found the learning agreement quite easy to write as I had a pretty clear view in my head what I was wanting to do however I did stuggle to decide how much work I could expect myself to do. I feel I have chosen a good amount that will challenege me but I won't get too stressed about. I liked the freedom given to us in this project and having the responsibility ourselves to chose a course of study thats right for us. I feel very happy about my decision to do female 19th Century cutting on the stand as it is a century I have not really looked into much and also I'll be learning a skill that I know I will need and will use for the rest of my life. I hope to enjoy this project as well because I have chosen to do it and it is what I am intrested in. I am a little sad that I am not going to have a compleatly finished period costume however I feel this will be far more valuble to be and will help with the projects I hope to do next year. I felt the tutorials with Dexter and Graham about my work load went well and I feel comfortable with my work plan and work load. The main thing I am aprhensive about is the blog as I am not very good with computer work however I already seem to be getting into it and I hope to keep it up every few days or at least every week. I am looking forward to getting stuck into this project.
Final Evaluation
This project has been very interesting and I feel I have learnt a great deal however I still feel there is much more for me to learn as well as skills that I really need to improve on. It believe this project has been a valuable experience that I will look back on and refer to in the future. I believe I have accomplished what I stated in my learning agreement by creating four toiles from Janet Arnold and Norah Waugh books, creating and keeping a blog, and finally by writing a written evaluation reflecting on how it went.
I found the challenge of doing something I didn’t know so well a lot bigger than I first anticipated, nonetheless I do feel that my cutting skills have improved and that sped up as the project progressed. I now understand how to manipulate the fabric around the stand as well as how to drape fabric. I hadn’t worked with Norah Waugh books before and although I don’t find them as clear as Janet Arnold patterns I defiantly feel I have the skill to work from both books again and I could probably attempt to tackle any pattern given to me as I have more faith in myself and a better understanding of the area than before. I have built up a sound knowledge of 19th Century female dress and was able to make a small folder of research images that will, I’m sure, prove to be invaluable in the future.
I have learnt to have patience when cutting on the stand and to manipulate the fabric slowly as I often got a better line when I did this. I also learnt not to cut away too much fabric before you are sure the seams are in the correct place. I discovered how important it is to cut using fabric that acts similar to what you will use as top fabric, this will give the best results in the end. However I was not always able to do this during this project. I also now realise how important it is to pad up your stand well because I had to remove everything on my mannequin that was perfect before Easter and then re-pad it when I got back again in April. This meant that all the sizes and shapes changed, not dramatically but enough to have to change parts of the bodices.
At the beginning I thought I would find the 1880s Janet Arnold dress the easiest as I have made a similar one in the past however this proved to be the hardest and longest to do. This dress, as well as work experience, led to me falling very behind. Time management was my biggest downfall on this project and I defiantly feel I need improve at it. I think I gave myself too much work at the start and then everything took much longer than I anticipated. One of the hardest things for me on this project was cutting sleeves. I felt I wasted a lot of time on such small parts of a costume when, if I could get my head around them, I would save a lot of time. This is maybe an area I should work on next year. Although I never stated in the learning agreement that the toiles had to be neat I wanted to make them to a standard acceptable for a fitting which I feel I did, nevertheless I wish I made them neater, kept them pressed and clean and also finished them better. However they are only toiles and I believe they achieve their function effectively. I really didn’t like the idea of blogging at first however when I got into it, it became much clearer and much easier and if I had had time at the end of the project I would have liked to format it better and spell check everything.
I have really enjoyed working with the other girls who are just as interested in period costume as I am. We created a really nice working environment around us which I hope to carry with me into level 6. I am now much more prepared for next year and have a much clearer idea of what next year will have to offer. I feel I have become a far more independent worker and I have a lot more confidence in myself and my making skills. Generally this project has challenged me and although it has been stressful at points I am glad I chose it.
I found the challenge of doing something I didn’t know so well a lot bigger than I first anticipated, nonetheless I do feel that my cutting skills have improved and that sped up as the project progressed. I now understand how to manipulate the fabric around the stand as well as how to drape fabric. I hadn’t worked with Norah Waugh books before and although I don’t find them as clear as Janet Arnold patterns I defiantly feel I have the skill to work from both books again and I could probably attempt to tackle any pattern given to me as I have more faith in myself and a better understanding of the area than before. I have built up a sound knowledge of 19th Century female dress and was able to make a small folder of research images that will, I’m sure, prove to be invaluable in the future.
I have learnt to have patience when cutting on the stand and to manipulate the fabric slowly as I often got a better line when I did this. I also learnt not to cut away too much fabric before you are sure the seams are in the correct place. I discovered how important it is to cut using fabric that acts similar to what you will use as top fabric, this will give the best results in the end. However I was not always able to do this during this project. I also now realise how important it is to pad up your stand well because I had to remove everything on my mannequin that was perfect before Easter and then re-pad it when I got back again in April. This meant that all the sizes and shapes changed, not dramatically but enough to have to change parts of the bodices.
At the beginning I thought I would find the 1880s Janet Arnold dress the easiest as I have made a similar one in the past however this proved to be the hardest and longest to do. This dress, as well as work experience, led to me falling very behind. Time management was my biggest downfall on this project and I defiantly feel I need improve at it. I think I gave myself too much work at the start and then everything took much longer than I anticipated. One of the hardest things for me on this project was cutting sleeves. I felt I wasted a lot of time on such small parts of a costume when, if I could get my head around them, I would save a lot of time. This is maybe an area I should work on next year. Although I never stated in the learning agreement that the toiles had to be neat I wanted to make them to a standard acceptable for a fitting which I feel I did, nevertheless I wish I made them neater, kept them pressed and clean and also finished them better. However they are only toiles and I believe they achieve their function effectively. I really didn’t like the idea of blogging at first however when I got into it, it became much clearer and much easier and if I had had time at the end of the project I would have liked to format it better and spell check everything.
I have really enjoyed working with the other girls who are just as interested in period costume as I am. We created a really nice working environment around us which I hope to carry with me into level 6. I am now much more prepared for next year and have a much clearer idea of what next year will have to offer. I feel I have become a far more independent worker and I have a lot more confidence in myself and my making skills. Generally this project has challenged me and although it has been stressful at points I am glad I chose it.
Final 1870s Piece
I am generally pleased with this piece. I think it could be neater but I was in a hurry to finish it and did it at a point in the project when I was very tired so often lost consentration. However I feel I achieved the concept of it and I understand how a princess line dress works and is cut which is the main point of cutting it. I would have liked to do the whole dress but compleatly ran out of time however it is something I am considering as a project for next year so I will carry on reserching into that. The pattern I was coping could be such a beautiful dress so I would like to take it further. The shilouhette works well except for the undergarments that are too small however this could not be helped as that was the only correct bustle avalible at the time I needed it. I really liked cutting this shape as you have to really control where the fabric goes and I found that intresting.
Final 1850s Piece
Probebly my favoriet toile to cut as there was a mixure of fabrics and tecniques and I was very happy with the result in the end. I love the shape of the costume and all the gathers give it texture and fullness. It was not the easiest to cut nor the hardest yet I was challeged enough to keep me intrested and thinking throunghout making the toile but I also knew I would be able to figure things out for myself and work through them.
I feel the shape and the look of the dress fit well with the design/drawing I was working to in Norah Waugh's book yet it has been adapted enough to suit the larger figure. I feel the center front seam could be neater as with the edges of the muslin pannel however for a toile I think it works effectivly. As I have mentioned before I would change parts of the skirt however these are small changes that can be done easily (however not quickly or I would have done them). Generally I am happy with this toile and it shows the improvment in my cutting skills already, as well as the use of other cheap fabrics, other than calico, suitable for certain jobs in toile making.
Final photos of my Norah Waugh's half 1850's Summer Dress cut on the stand :-
I feel the shape and the look of the dress fit well with the design/drawing I was working to in Norah Waugh's book yet it has been adapted enough to suit the larger figure. I feel the center front seam could be neater as with the edges of the muslin pannel however for a toile I think it works effectivly. As I have mentioned before I would change parts of the skirt however these are small changes that can be done easily (however not quickly or I would have done them). Generally I am happy with this toile and it shows the improvment in my cutting skills already, as well as the use of other cheap fabrics, other than calico, suitable for certain jobs in toile making.
Final photos of my Norah Waugh's half 1850's Summer Dress cut on the stand :-
Final 1830s Piece
Overall I think this is a very well cut bodice and looks very similar to the pattern and drawing I was using as a reference. I feel I used historical reserch effectivly to gain a deeper insight into the cut of this garment and where seams are placed. I feel the bodice fits the body well and would work well with a skirt attached to it. I would have liked to do the pipeing however at the time of making this toile I had not compleatly got to grips with the project and was thinking of just the cut of the bodice rather than decoration and finishes (which, to be fair, is all that is stated in my learning agreement).
The sleeve is my main issue with this toile as it just doesn't look quite right. If I had time I would have liked to re-cut it out of lightweight calico and added some more netting as well as slightly ajust the position on it in the armhole so it didnt twist so much however I feel the shape reflects that of the era well and looks relivil like the Janet Arnold picture I was copying.
I put the collar off for a long time as it looked very complex and I didn't feel I was ready to face it however when I came to it at the end of the project I found it relivly easy to follow and cut (with a little bit of help from Dexter!) and I feel it looks good when the bodice is on the stand. I would have liked to add the lace around the whole neckline and bottom on collar but I feel it gives a nice example of the the collar could look like if made properly in top fabric.
Overall I enjoyed cutting this bodice and it got me back into cutting on the stand. I also felt the complex sleeves and collar challenged me enough to make this bodice a worth while piece to cut.
The sleeve is my main issue with this toile as it just doesn't look quite right. If I had time I would have liked to re-cut it out of lightweight calico and added some more netting as well as slightly ajust the position on it in the armhole so it didnt twist so much however I feel the shape reflects that of the era well and looks relivil like the Janet Arnold picture I was copying.
I put the collar off for a long time as it looked very complex and I didn't feel I was ready to face it however when I came to it at the end of the project I found it relivly easy to follow and cut (with a little bit of help from Dexter!) and I feel it looks good when the bodice is on the stand. I would have liked to add the lace around the whole neckline and bottom on collar but I feel it gives a nice example of the the collar could look like if made properly in top fabric.
Overall I enjoyed cutting this bodice and it got me back into cutting on the stand. I also felt the complex sleeves and collar challenged me enough to make this bodice a worth while piece to cut.
Learning Agreement
NAME: Rachael Piper
COURSE: BA (Hons) Costume with Performance Design
UNIT TITLE: Self Directed Project
REF. NO./LEVEL: CSS518
WEIGHTING: 2.0
DURATION: 9 Weeks
HOURS OF STUDY: 300 Hours
Unit Leader: Adele Keeley
Description:
In this unit I shall be concentrating on improving my specialist knowledge in female pattern drafting through the exploration of various dress shapes and styles from the 19th Century. I will need to undertake sound historical research of the whole period which I will then use to select a variety of dresses that I will cut and make into toile’s. Through this unit I should gain a clear and varied knowledge of the entire century as well as improve on my independent pattern drafting and cutting on the stand skills by mostly concentrating on the changes in bodices and skirts throughout the century. I will not have time to finish all of the garments but will make them to a neat standard suitable for a first fitting. Although I will not actually be undertaking any fittings as the aim of this project is not fitting garments but cutting them on the stand. I will pad out the stand as to get used to working this way and I will have to research and select the correct under structures for each piece before cutting. I will be working as autonomously as possibly from Janet Arnolds ‘Patterns of fashion’ and Norah Waugh’s ‘The Cut of Women’s Clothes 1660-1930’ however I will participate in tutorials if I need help. I have chosen to use both books as I feel it is important to understand how to use various books to draft patterns so that in future if a design is given to me and one book has a pattern more similar to the design than another then I will be able to use that one rather than trying to amend a less similar pattern in the other. This will also provide me with an increased amount of historical research to refer to when cutting.
I have chosen this area as I have enjoyed pattern drafting in the past but feel it is an important part of costume construction to improve on as there are more opportunities for makers who can draft their own patterns and cut on the stand. I feel this project will help with my future aspirations as I wish to go into female period dress making and therefore will need a sound knowledge of how historical clothes are drafted and put together. I have chosen the 19th Century as it is a time period I have not studied before and a diverse one that will give me a good opportunity to try cutting a large variety of shapes and silhouettes.
I have given myself about 6 weeks for this project as I am participating in work experience for 3 weeks so I believe I have given myself enough work to challenge me and make me work hard but not too much that I will not be able to complete it all. At the end I shall be handing in four toile’s all sewn together with photographs of each on the stand. One of the pieces will be finished however the others can be rough and maybe in half form.
Aims:
A1 To provide opportunities for self-initiated, autonomous learning
and develop the ability to plan time and work independently
A2 To provide opportunity to study the contextual development of costume and performance design
A3 To further develop the creative, intellectual and practical applications of research and contextualisation within a self initiated environment
A4 To propose, develop and evaluate professional aspirations through professional development planning
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this unit you will be able to:
LO1 Identify and define the context for the development of your own work towards professional aspirations
LO2 Demonstrate an understanding of the development of Costume with performance design
`
LO3 Have developed the creative, intellectual and practical applications of research and contextualisation
LO4 Consolidate and demonstrate professional aspirations and planning through your Progress File
Assessment Requirements:
I shall hand in:
• 1830-6 Half a toile bodice copied from Janet Arnold’s ‘Patterns of Fashion 1660-1860’.
• 1850s Half dress toile copied from Norah Waugh’s ‘The Cut of Women’s Clothes 1600-1930’.
• 1878 Full bodice toile copied from Norah Waugh’s ‘The Cut of Women’s Clothes 1660-1930’.
• 1888 Full dressed (finished with some use of striped fabric) toile copied from Janet Arnold’s ‘Patterns of Fashion 1860-1930’.
• A folder with photographs of each piece on the stand and their paper patterns.
This shall be under pinned by personal development planning (in your blog journal) and a final written evaluation (750 words) evidenced in your Progress File 100%
Each assessment requirement must be passed at a minimum grade of 40% to successfully complete the unit.
Assessment Criteria (specific criteria related to the learning outcomes and linked to the statement of generic assessment criteria matrix):
1. Evidence of knowledge of contextual and theoretical issues – The level to which you have considered the context of your project and evidenced that to your body of work (LO1, LO2)
2. Evidence of understanding through synthesis and development – The application and extend to which research has informed decision-making and project development together with the appropriate management of time (LO2, LO3, LO4)
3. Evidence of evaluation and reflection – The extent to which you have reflected on the progress of your project and used it to inform personal development planning (LO4)
4. Evidence of realisation through the communication of ideas - The presentation of your work and the level to which specialist knowledge has been applied, communicated and evidenced (LO3, LO4)
Reference Material
This will vary according to the needs of the individual project. You will define Reference Material through personal investigation and consultation with staff and list it in your Learning Agreement.
- Arnold, J. (1984). Patterns of Fashion 1660-1860. Drama Book Publishers, New York.
- Arnold, J. (1984). Patterns of Fashion 1860-1930. Drama Book Publishers, New York.
- Bradfield, N. (1968). Costume in Detail 1730-1930. Eric Dobby Publishing, UK.
- Cunnington, W. (1937). English Women’s Clothing in the Nineteenth Century. Faber and Faber, London.
- Waugh, N. (1968). The Cut of Women’s Clothes 1600-1930. Faber and Faber, London.
COURSE: BA (Hons) Costume with Performance Design
UNIT TITLE: Self Directed Project
REF. NO./LEVEL: CSS518
WEIGHTING: 2.0
DURATION: 9 Weeks
HOURS OF STUDY: 300 Hours
Unit Leader: Adele Keeley
Description:
In this unit I shall be concentrating on improving my specialist knowledge in female pattern drafting through the exploration of various dress shapes and styles from the 19th Century. I will need to undertake sound historical research of the whole period which I will then use to select a variety of dresses that I will cut and make into toile’s. Through this unit I should gain a clear and varied knowledge of the entire century as well as improve on my independent pattern drafting and cutting on the stand skills by mostly concentrating on the changes in bodices and skirts throughout the century. I will not have time to finish all of the garments but will make them to a neat standard suitable for a first fitting. Although I will not actually be undertaking any fittings as the aim of this project is not fitting garments but cutting them on the stand. I will pad out the stand as to get used to working this way and I will have to research and select the correct under structures for each piece before cutting. I will be working as autonomously as possibly from Janet Arnolds ‘Patterns of fashion’ and Norah Waugh’s ‘The Cut of Women’s Clothes 1660-1930’ however I will participate in tutorials if I need help. I have chosen to use both books as I feel it is important to understand how to use various books to draft patterns so that in future if a design is given to me and one book has a pattern more similar to the design than another then I will be able to use that one rather than trying to amend a less similar pattern in the other. This will also provide me with an increased amount of historical research to refer to when cutting.
I have chosen this area as I have enjoyed pattern drafting in the past but feel it is an important part of costume construction to improve on as there are more opportunities for makers who can draft their own patterns and cut on the stand. I feel this project will help with my future aspirations as I wish to go into female period dress making and therefore will need a sound knowledge of how historical clothes are drafted and put together. I have chosen the 19th Century as it is a time period I have not studied before and a diverse one that will give me a good opportunity to try cutting a large variety of shapes and silhouettes.
I have given myself about 6 weeks for this project as I am participating in work experience for 3 weeks so I believe I have given myself enough work to challenge me and make me work hard but not too much that I will not be able to complete it all. At the end I shall be handing in four toile’s all sewn together with photographs of each on the stand. One of the pieces will be finished however the others can be rough and maybe in half form.
Aims:
A1 To provide opportunities for self-initiated, autonomous learning
and develop the ability to plan time and work independently
A2 To provide opportunity to study the contextual development of costume and performance design
A3 To further develop the creative, intellectual and practical applications of research and contextualisation within a self initiated environment
A4 To propose, develop and evaluate professional aspirations through professional development planning
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this unit you will be able to:
LO1 Identify and define the context for the development of your own work towards professional aspirations
LO2 Demonstrate an understanding of the development of Costume with performance design
`
LO3 Have developed the creative, intellectual and practical applications of research and contextualisation
LO4 Consolidate and demonstrate professional aspirations and planning through your Progress File
Assessment Requirements:
I shall hand in:
• 1830-6 Half a toile bodice copied from Janet Arnold’s ‘Patterns of Fashion 1660-1860’.
• 1850s Half dress toile copied from Norah Waugh’s ‘The Cut of Women’s Clothes 1600-1930’.
• 1878 Full bodice toile copied from Norah Waugh’s ‘The Cut of Women’s Clothes 1660-1930’.
• 1888 Full dressed (finished with some use of striped fabric) toile copied from Janet Arnold’s ‘Patterns of Fashion 1860-1930’.
• A folder with photographs of each piece on the stand and their paper patterns.
This shall be under pinned by personal development planning (in your blog journal) and a final written evaluation (750 words) evidenced in your Progress File 100%
Each assessment requirement must be passed at a minimum grade of 40% to successfully complete the unit.
Assessment Criteria (specific criteria related to the learning outcomes and linked to the statement of generic assessment criteria matrix):
1. Evidence of knowledge of contextual and theoretical issues – The level to which you have considered the context of your project and evidenced that to your body of work (LO1, LO2)
2. Evidence of understanding through synthesis and development – The application and extend to which research has informed decision-making and project development together with the appropriate management of time (LO2, LO3, LO4)
3. Evidence of evaluation and reflection – The extent to which you have reflected on the progress of your project and used it to inform personal development planning (LO4)
4. Evidence of realisation through the communication of ideas - The presentation of your work and the level to which specialist knowledge has been applied, communicated and evidenced (LO3, LO4)
Reference Material
This will vary according to the needs of the individual project. You will define Reference Material through personal investigation and consultation with staff and list it in your Learning Agreement.
- Arnold, J. (1984). Patterns of Fashion 1660-1860. Drama Book Publishers, New York.
- Arnold, J. (1984). Patterns of Fashion 1860-1930. Drama Book Publishers, New York.
- Bradfield, N. (1968). Costume in Detail 1730-1930. Eric Dobby Publishing, UK.
- Cunnington, W. (1937). English Women’s Clothing in the Nineteenth Century. Faber and Faber, London.
- Waugh, N. (1968). The Cut of Women’s Clothes 1600-1930. Faber and Faber, London.
How did the Work Plan Go?
I found it much, much harder than I origenally thought it would be to stick to the work plan. This was mainly because things took longer than I thought. Through this project I have relized I am quite a slow worker and I feel this is something to improve on next year. I have spent all my time working yet feel I am still stressed at the end of the project which means I need to speed up. I have found it very useful to be in uni everyday and working there rather than at home. However this has been hard at weekends as the stand I am working on has been in uni so I have had to plan my work so that I have sewing to do at weekends rather than cutting. The inability to cut on the stand at home has meant I was more behind on my work than I thought I would. Also another reason I was behind on my work plan is because I often got to a point where I wouldnt know how to carry on on a dress so would thereofre have to wait for a tutorial with Dexter or Graham, or I would spend a lot of time on one little thing that needed to be worked out. Another reason I was behind was due to the 3 weeks work experience I did (1 week with Hairspray tour and 2 with Naomi Isaacs in london) and this cut into my time a lot as I could not work in the evenings as it was not possible to take any of my sewing things with me to ether work placement. However both placements were very intresting and I felt I learnt a lot.
Being behind meant I had to see Adele about cutting my initual work load down which helped a lot. Although I have struggled with time keeping on this project I do feel my time mangement is getting better so that next year I will be able to stick to plans more.
Being behind meant I had to see Adele about cutting my initual work load down which helped a lot. Although I have struggled with time keeping on this project I do feel my time mangement is getting better so that next year I will be able to stick to plans more.
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