Dress designing and dressmaking are as far apart as architectural designing and laying bricks, or reading blue prints, and yet – if the artist is going to design a dress or a building – in order to design not only a beautiful creation which can be executed and put to practical use – it will also be necessary to have knowledge of the dressmaking, or bricklaying, or the practical application of it. Keep the style you have designed in mind.
HOW MUCH MATERIAL WILL YOU NEED?
The dress has been designed, the dressmaking pattern drafted and cut – every necessary part, facings, bias bindings, pockets, trimmings, etc., have all been cut and marked.
Special planning is required for stripes, plaids, prints, and material with nap. Generally fabrics with small designs will require 1/8th yard extra.
Medium designs, stripes, and small plaids -1/4 yard extra.
Napped materials, large plaids and large spaced prints will require 1/2 yard or more extra depending on the design and style.
PREPARING MATERIALS FOR CUTTING
Firm materials can be straightened by clipping selvage and tearing.
Delicate materials require delicate handling. Some materials are impossible to tear – with these you will have to draw a thread across the material and cut along this guide. Determine which side of the material you want to use as the right side: Washable materials usually come with the right side folded out. Some materials may be used either side – use your own judgment as to which side is more attractive in finish, pattern, weave, etc. Straighten grain of material by stretching on the bias from selvage to selvage. Press out all creases and wrinkles.
Pin selvages together to make certain the center fold will be directly on the straight of the material. Always fold your right side in. Extra pinning is required for plaids, checks, stripes, and smooth slippery materials to prevent material from crawling and the design from creeping out of alignment.
When you lay out your material for cutting use a large table. CUTTING
Have all pattern pieces properly marked for straight of goods and for joining points. Place all pattern pieces on your material making certain that the straight of goods marking matches the grain of the material.
Use sharp, long scissors. Keep material and pattern flat on table. Don’t pick up the material. Before removing pattern from material, make sure that you have transferred all the markings to the material.
Fundamentals You Need To Know
One of the essential elements when you design a dress is to have the basic equipment.
In order to do proper work the designing and sewing room has to be properly equipped. Measuring tools – tape measure, yardstick, tailor’s square, right angle triangle, T square, French curves.
Cutting tools- Shears, scissors, and pinking shears.
Marking tools – Skirt marker, tracing wheel and dressmaker’s carbon paper, Tailor’s chalk, and chalk board. Sewing machine – electric preferred.
Seam ripper, pins, needles, and thimble. Get dressmaker or silk pins – they will not mark delicate fabrics.
Dress Form. Cutting table or folding cutting board.
Emery bag; Tweezers; Pressing equipment; Iron – This is one of your most important tools when you design a dress. If you press each seam as you sew before sewing on an adjoining piece – the effect will be more professional. Press cloth. Ironing Board. Sleeve Board. Tailor’s Ham. Press mitt. Seam roll. Needle board for pressing pile fabrics. Mercerized cotton for cottons, linens and blends. Silk for silks and wools. Zippers and Nylon Tape Closures.
Belting, bias binding or seam tape, ribbon seam binding.
Trimmings, braid, ribbon, rickrack, beading, pearls, sequins.
HOW TO MAKE A CHALK BOARD:
The chalk board should be about 20 x 24 inches in size. 2 pieces of 22 x 26 inch soft white flannel
powdered chalk
rayon or cotton coarse net
Sprinkle powdered chalk evenly all over flannel. Lay the net over the chalked flannel, tuck flannel and net under the board without tipping over the board.
Cut off excess material.
Now you have the equipment to begin learning how to sew a dress you can begin the fascinating process of creation.