In this week’s session, I demonstrated how to drape the front bodice and skirt of a Burberry-inspired dress featuring intricate pleats and a fitted silhouette. We focused on achieving the correct balance of the tartan pattern, creating the distinctive pleats, and ensuring a flattering fit on the dress form. The session covered both the technical aspects of draping and tips for working with patterned fabrics.
Demonstration Steps:
- Prepared and pinned muslin to the dress form for the bodice
- Balanced the center front line and shaped the neckline
- Created darts and shaped the bodice around the bust
- Draped the skirt, aligning the pattern at the center front
- Formed and pinned the distinctive pleats on the skirt
- Marked all important lines, darts, and pleats on the muslin
- Explained the “X” and “O” marking system for pleats
Questions & Answers:
- Q: Does the fabric thickness matter for this dress?
- A: Yes, fabric thickness is important. I recommend lightweight to medium-weight fabrics like wool suiting, viscose, or lightweight gabardine. Thicker fabrics will make the pleats chunkier.
- Q: Can this dress be made unlined?
- A: It’s better lined, but you can make it unlined if you finish the seams carefully and hand-tack the pleats. You’ll need to use Hong Kong seams or another clean finish method.
- Q: Would dupioni silk work for this dress?
- A: Yes, dupioni silk would work very well. It has the right crispness for the pleats while still being lightweight enough.
Next week, we’ll continue by draping the back of the bodice and skirt, as well as drafting the sleeve. I’m excited to see this project come together!
