Original pieces for me almost always begin with a drawing. A friend of mine was complaining about how swimsuits she liked didn't fit her, and the rest she didn't like, and I thought about it the next time I was drawing in my sketchbook. A majority of my projects start off as a nagging curiosity that I draw to solve in my mind. From there I become curious about what the pattern might look like.
It is always a challenge switching between 2nd and 3rd dimensions in designing a pattern. For me, it is advisable to make smaller scale prototypes out of paper or similar-grade scrap fabric to see how things might go together. Although I do not have much use for pre-made patterns, because my interest is in making a one-of-a-kind piece tailored to a single person's figure, they can be helpful in solving some of the problems that come up in the design process. It is better for me to get an article of clothing from the person I am sewing for, that they already like the fit of, which I can reference as I go, along with the classic measurements (bust, waist, hips, etc.).
Once I have decided on, and drawn the pattern shapes, I cut them out of paper, and cut them out of the fabric I am going to use. Two kinds of fabric in a piece can be tricky, especially when they have different gives, strengths, knits, etc. In the midriff of this swimsuit for instance, I used a very sheer almost fishnet fabric, which had to be doubled-up in places to have the strength to hold an elastic running down the length of the torso, sandwiched between a relatively taut top and bottom, so I had to make some adjustments for the two to work together. From there, I did a lot of pinning and looking.
With just the very basic structural stitching done to hold the suit together, it was time for an initial try-on. Ideally, it would be great if the garment fit at this stage, but there are always little adjustments to be made. In this case, my design needed an extra strap across the back so that the swimsuit hugged into my friends torso region, otherwise the sides went straight up and down from hips to bust. Outside of that, and some strap length adjustments, it seemed that I had estimated pretty well. We were both excited about how it had turned out.
After putting in the single strap across the back, and reinforcing seams, we met again to stage a celebratory photo shoot on the roof of a building nearby. My friend has tested it in the ocean, and pools, and though it seems
that the mesh has been discolored somewhat and has slackened, the
garment has held. I have since made a repair on the swimsuit, reinforcing one of the fastener hooks which broke, and tightening up the mesh panel so that it lay flatter on the torso (more benefits of having the designer/maker in the same city as you). Well there it is, and here are a few more images of the suit from our rooftop photo-shoot.
Once I have decided on, and drawn the pattern shapes, I cut them out of paper, and cut them out of the fabric I am going to use. Two kinds of fabric in a piece can be tricky, especially when they have different gives, strengths, knits, etc. In the midriff of this swimsuit for instance, I used a very sheer almost fishnet fabric, which had to be doubled-up in places to have the strength to hold an elastic running down the length of the torso, sandwiched between a relatively taut top and bottom, so I had to make some adjustments for the two to work together. From there, I did a lot of pinning and looking.
With just the very basic structural stitching done to hold the suit together, it was time for an initial try-on. Ideally, it would be great if the garment fit at this stage, but there are always little adjustments to be made. In this case, my design needed an extra strap across the back so that the swimsuit hugged into my friends torso region, otherwise the sides went straight up and down from hips to bust. Outside of that, and some strap length adjustments, it seemed that I had estimated pretty well. We were both excited about how it had turned out.
After putting in the single strap across the back, and reinforcing seams, we met again to stage a celebratory photo shoot on the roof of a building nearby. My friend has tested it in the ocean, and pools, and though it seems
that the mesh has been discolored somewhat and has slackened, the
garment has held. I have since made a repair on the swimsuit, reinforcing one of the fastener hooks which broke, and tightening up the mesh panel so that it lay flatter on the torso (more benefits of having the designer/maker in the same city as you). Well there it is, and here are a few more images of the suit from our rooftop photo-shoot.
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