So it turns out that learning to make clothes that fit me is not the easiest thing to do. After a lot of frustration with commercial patterns, I tried taking in-person classes locally in patternmaking. While it was super helpful, the particular instructor I chose doesn't really work from blocks/slopers like I'd hoped. Instead, she drafts to measurements using the patternmaking method she was trained in (which of course involves some 'standard' measurements) and then adds design before fitting. I've got an excellent trouser pattern now, plus I got help in fitting a half dozen other patterns/designs, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. I want to learn how to use a sloper or block to both make my own patterns and to adapt commercial patterns more easily to me.
The steps of the process are: inspiration (research and brainstorming), sketching (on a croquis), patternmaking (after construction of the custom block), testing, basted fitting, finishing, and wearing.
She suggests starting with some questions to clarify what kind of garment one wants to design. This class is specific to skirts, so that's already a limitation. Here are my initial thoughts.
Place: General not-at-home wear. Work, going to town, visiting friends, groceries, etc (in these panini times...). So not too casual, but doesn't need to be particularly fancy either.
Time: I'm thinking starting with a fall/winter appropriate skirt, everyday wear.
Activity: Most of my work is teaching microscope labs (so need to be able to move around the tables). I'd also like to be able to wear the skirt for socializing/visiting friends/going to restaurants/etc (hah!). So standing, walking, sitting, general moving around. It can't be too voluminous or too restricting.
Appearance: Here I'm a little confused by the question since isn't that the whole point of this process, to figure out how it will look? I don't really know yet...
Integration: I expect I'll mostly wear it with plain t-shirts and sweaters. It may or may not need to work with my handknit sweaters vs the storebought thin sweaters. I'm hoping to take the bodice class down the road, so I might be making buttoned shirts and other tops later to wear with it. I decided a while ago that my colors are greys (white to black) and navy/denim as neutrals, and blue (up to turquoise but not too green), purple (staying on the blue side), pinks as colors. I don't have a lot of shoe options, the most comfortable are sneakers, the black Ziera mary jane-ish flats, or my Danskos that are showing a lot of wear now.
Skill level: I can handle general sewing, and a certain amount of precision. I'm willing to tackle most things.
Challenge: I'd like to improve my construction efficiency and finishing techniques. It sounds like some of these will be covered in the class, I'm looking forward to it.
Availability: Some of the fabrics I've already got that might work include a dark blue-grey silk-blend denim, a purple and black wool-blend plaid, a rayon navy with pink windowpane plaid, a couple of kimono, a purple with ginkgo leaf print duvet cover that I'd been thinking of using for a circle wrap skirt. And of course I've got the ability to go shopping.
Here is my Pinterest board for starting the inspiration process. Some of it is images I've collected over the last handful of years and pinned when I thought of it. Some of it is new, after searching for phrases like midi skirt, tea length skirt, long skirt, denim skirt, walking skirt.
I notice that there's a lot of contrast pleats and panels (I *adore* Queen Elizabeth's white-with-gold simple gown). I've also included a fair number of asymmetric details, whether in seaming or things like waist ties, or in pattern/design or color blocking.
I like A-lines and flared bottoms. I'm super insecure about my lower legs due to varicose veins, so I prefer at least mid-calf length skirts in general (why is it that all the winter skirt photos with tights are knee length at most? I ended up not really pinning any of that look even though I think it's cute, because I don't want something that short...) most likely, I'd wear any skirt shorter than like, ankle length with tights.
There's several skirts with a yoke. I dunno how a yoke would look on me, but I generally like how they look on other people.
I've also included a couple of refashioned kimono items and the hakama-over-kimono look as well.
Despite the fact that I don't like yellow that much, I am inexplicably drawn to the Provençal tiered skirts as well. But that's more of a summer look, I think.
There's a surprising amount of plaid on the board, but I think that's partly because I've got a plaid wool blend I want to turn into a skirt one of these days. But also, something about wool plaid skirts says "winter" to me.
I've got a silk-blend denim that might work well as a skirt as well as some plain cotton denim, so I searched for denim skirts.
I generally really like the aesthetic of xiaolizi on Etsy so of course I've got a few of their designs pinned too.
Of course, I've got some insecurities as to how many of these might look on my rather less-than-slender body, but I guess that's what the next couple of steps are for.
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