I’ve finally gotten around to playing with one of the styles depicted in Pattern Magic
I wish I could say I did a bang up job on my first attempt but no such luck. I’m revising it now but thought I would post in the mean time. You can definitely file this style under “harder than it looks”. Below is the image of the final pattern of version 1. The dots represent match points and the solid lines are cut lines.
I realize the above is too cryptic to be helpful, at least it was for me and I made it. So what I did to make it easier for myself was to create a tucking guide for all those drills. Below is an illustration of it. I’ve used arrows to indicate paired match points. The red lines are the cut lines because you can’t make those folds without cutting into the goods. Circles indicate the pivot points for the folds.
And last but not least, the first sew up of version one is shown below. Obviously it needs some work.
The only advice I have at this point is to suggest that even a crappy result for a challenging style like this is worth it if only because the joining of the match points and getting the cut lines right is an excellent tutorial for understanding how the folds line up. For what it’s worth, the cut lines were good as were the match points. I’m dissatisfied with the depth of folds (I was a bit too conservative) and of course, it is too snug for the figure -although it melds well with the form’s shape.
Questions? Comments? I can upload this file in the forum if I know what file formats people want. With StyleCAD, I can export to AAMA, Gerber, PAD, AutoCAD, Illustrator, Optitex, Lectra, Asahi and Yuka. Again, the book is Pattern Magic
I have the book in English. I attempted to do any of the patterns in muslin (shame on me.) I would love to have this in Optitex format. Thanks
I ment to say that I HADN’T tried any of the patterns. The pattern Kathleen is referring to starts on page 84 in the English version.
I’ve done a few and would highly recommend mocking them up in paper or muslin at 1/2 or 1/4 scale to figure out the proportions. The 3rd book is awesome too! all knits :)
That bodice is too much fun! One of my classmates drafted a skirt with the squares shown on the dress on the cover of one of the Pattern Magic books. We all had fun imagining squeaker toys in the cubes. This looks like a braided bread loaf.
I’ve seen the first pattern magic book a couple of times in different book stores I visit. It’s always the same…I pick it up, look at the intricate patterns long enough to get thoroughly intimidated. Then I put it back down, only to chide myself later for being too chicken to buy it and try some of the patterns.
Love this style–it’s the reason I had to buy the book. Yours inspires me to get cracking on my own version.
Jody, I encourage you to buy the book and cut up some cheap cloth trying things out. You will soon be having so much fun, any lingering thought of intimidation will be gone.
Cool! I’m not “Pattern Magic” material quite yet, but I’ve looked at the book in the store several times. This one looks wearable.
Do the lower two points point to the breast? It almost looks like these are below the breast apex and the next two are above. Wondering if this would work for a fuller breasted person.
This is one of my favorite styles in the book, so it’s fun to see you try your hand at it. I have yet to try any of the designs myself. Someday…
I don’t believe the tucks (pleats?) extend out to the garment edge. So my approach would be to take a blank bodice and transfer the darts to the bottom and center front. Then I would work the tucks out, more of less from the darts. There’s probably more in the tuck than what would be darted, but that’s where I would start.
The other part of it is that the line of the tuck is an imaginary line on the fabric–not the tuck itself–so you have to establish that imaginary line first and then fold the tuck up to that. Otherwise you loose the line.
I have the book but haven’t look at it, yet, for this. I’ll have to check it out.
And it looks like you have to start at the top–smallest tuck and work your way down the bodice, since the fold into each other. Makes me think of the patterns of aloe or agave cactus.
Jody: if you let intimidation get in your way…oh…I’ll save the lecture. I spent enough time being intimidated for the both of us. Just go for it. What will it cost you? $16 for the book, a yard of muslin and a few hours of time? There’s worse ways to kill time.
Susan wrote:
The lower two tucks each hit a bust apex -or are supposed to as you can see in part two. I don’t know how well it would work on someone busty, my form isn’t particularly endowed.
Brina wrote:
The garment edge is the pivot point for each tuck with the exception of the two lower ones which pivot from the bust darts.
I did work from the top down. The top tuck is the trickiest one so it will pay to get that one right. I think I will rework mine to add another 1/8 of fold.
Thank you I have a copy of this book but don’t get around to try any of the style as yet,
But after your result I am making time to start try some of the styles.
I guess I should be clearer, I don’t believe the pivot point of the tuck is the garment edge. That’s why I say, more specifically here, that the top four tucks evolved from darts that were moved to the center front between the bust points. But I don’t have time or work space to prove or work this out at the moment…
I think I understood you (I think). You are saying that the edges (armhole, neckline) are not pivot points for the tucks. This is what I thought you meant the first time.
I can’t speak to the book’s intent as it is in Japanese but the block I broke up for this looks (to me) a pretty close to exact copy of the image in the book (I’ll email you a screen cap which you can use for comparison). Not speaking for the author but myself, I did use the garment edge at armhole and neckline as pivot points for the tucks. So regardless of the author’s intent, this is another way that works.
Now as to whether the author shifted dart fullness from the bust points into the upper chest, I would not say since I don’t speak or read Japanese (anyone have the english translation?) but it does not seem to be the case but in any event, I’m not sure it matters because if fullness from the bust dart is moved into the upper chest, the cut edge (at shoulder and armhole) would necessarily become the pivot point of the tuck spread, otherwise it is not possible to shift the fullness there. However it is that you do it, the edge is the pivot of the spread. I do not understand how fullness can be shifted, moved or introduced there if the garment edge at the neck and armhole remains static and does not pivot.
Shifting fullness from the waist dart into the upper chest is an extra step but it is intriguing suggestion. I do not see why it is not possible and in fact, doing so could reduce the amount of fabric that is needed. I’ll have to try it.
The English translation starts by drawing the tuck lines on the block and then cutting the bottom two to the bust point. All darts are closed.
Then the rest of the cuts are made, extending toward shoulder and armhole, and the lines are opened out for the amount you want to tuck.
The red lines in picture 4 indicate cut lines. The author notes that 1.5 – 2 cm is required for the fold due to fabric fraying considerations.
The note in the bottom corner advises to “make overcast stitches here and there only on the seam allowances.”
I had a chance to look at the book, finally–I had lent it to my niece. As you say, Kathleen, the pivot points extend to the edge. But, importantly, the reason they don’t look like they do is that the line from the tuck end to the edge is slightly curved. That way the tuck does not radiate out to the edge.
What’s interesting is that the lines are drawn on the bodice, as Lisa Blank says, while the bodice is on the form. Personally I don’t know how you’d get a nice design otherwise. You need to be able to see where to put the lines in 3-D.
This is a challenging draft, and Kathleen has done a good job with it.
testing. system isn’t publishing my comments!
I hope you can hear the humor in my voice but this is funny in an ironic sense. Harkening to our past discussions of draping vs drafting and my frequent assertions that some people can work in 2D drafts and know exactly what it will look in 3D, I used to think that everyone could easily and naturally envision 2D into 3D. I didn’t understand that they could not. I see now that because you can’t plot the lines in a 2D medium and imagine or know what it will look like in 3D, you think no one else can. Like I said, the opposite of what I thought but still, the same set of beliefs tied to our own experience.
The facility with which one can transfer 2D to 3D is a matter of spatial intelligence. Men tend to predominate in this type of intelligence but some women are good at it too (professional pattern makers regardless of sex usually are). For whatever reason, those with high spatial intelligence tend to have more learning disabilities. Or rather, the education system and learning materials are not optimized to enhance learning with spacial/visual learners so they don’t score as well on tests etc. Story of my life.
Which is a round about way of saying I didn’t draw the lines on the form. I drew them directly on the paper draft.
I am currently carrying out my final year dissertation project at Heriot Watt university on Tomoko Nakamichi’s creative pattern cutting methods. The purpose of the investigation is to discover whether Tomoko Nakamichi’s creative approach to pattern cutting should be used more to create geometric, sculptural fashion pieces within the UK.
My questionnaire requires people to have tried and tested out the
methods within the books. I would be very grateful if any of you who have tested out the book could help me by filling in this short 6 QUESTION survey. Thanks see the link below:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C85KTND
Yours sincerely,
Patricia Strachan