✂-Designer's Tip of The Day-Know Your Terms

I'm so excited that people have been interested in Designing and Sewing their own clothing! I've had quite a few questions lately in regards to understanding the Terminology of Pattern Making and Design, so in resuming the "Tip of the Day", I combed every pattern, draping and sewing book to find a few vocabulary words that I hope you find useful:

Croquis- A flat, 2-D sketch of a fashion model or models used to illustrate a garment or a collection of garments.

Dart Intake- The intake is the extra space, or quantity of fabric, the ensures that when a dart is sewn, the end result isn't to tight.

Design- The creative art of combining and arranging elements including line, color and texture according to principles of form and function, balance and proportion, harmony and contrast in order to achieve aesthetically pleasing and function results. (I say,  just be creative!)

Drafting Method- This is one method of pattern making and involves the transfer of a pattern directly onto the pattern paper using straight lines and curves, (use a French curve as shown above).

Drape-Draping is a fine art and a unique way of pattern making.  It involves placing the material against the figure measurements you will be working with and "draping" until you get the desired effect.  Once you achieve a shape you are happy with, you mark and pin the areas where you want the darts to be and then start creating the shape from this, (personally my favorite way to design and make patterns).

Flat Pattern Method- This is one way of pattern making and starts with the creation of the block; a basic interpretation of the garment design which is simply made with the wearer's measurements.  It is then refined by making a series of mock-ups.  Gradually the items takes shape.  This is one of the most traditional pattern making methods.

Grain- Direction of threads in woven fabric.  Lengthwise, long warp threads should meet shorter weft threads at right angles (90 degrees).

Truing- If someone says that they are truing their pattern it basically means that they are going through a double-checking process and making sure that all seams, on the left and the right, are measuring up and are of equal length and depth.

All these terms and more are listed on our webstie: www.designandlounge.com