In this week’s live session, after taking a few weeks off for personal reasons, I was thrilled to be back with you all.
Today, we dove back into our DDM (Direct Design Method) projects by focusing on turning the complex-looking pink twist-front draped gown into a workable pattern.
The session was a deep dive into the technical side of marking, truing, and understanding the pattern pieces of a creatively draped garment before finalizing it on paper.
Demonstration Steps:
Revisiting the Drape & Initial Marking: I began by putting the draped pink dress back on the dress form to re-examine the design. I emphasized the importance of refining the drape and markings before removing the fabric. I decided to make the gathered/twisted area at the front slightly less bulky by trimming a bit of excess fabric.
Color-Coded Marking: To avoid confusion once the fabric was laid flat, I used different colored markers to indicate key areas:
Skirt vs. Bodice: The skirt sections were outlined in green, and the bodice sections in pink.
Match Points/Notches: Critical match points like the center front and side reference points were marked with unique colors (e.g., orange for center front, green for side) to ensure they could be easily aligned later.
Refining the Drape on the Form:
I took a moment to experiment with the back drape, showing how gathering the fabric at the center back waist before it attaches to the zipper area can create a cleaner finish and prevent the zipper from rippling. I marked this new gather point.
I also demonstrated how to handle the fabric at the center front V-neck by folding the raw edge under before gathering, creating a self-facing for a clean, finished look without needing a separate facing or binding.
Taking the Drape to the Table & Pattern Making:
I carefully unpinned the draped fabric from the dress form and laid it flat on the pattern-making table.
I explained how the seemingly abstract shape relates back to the draped garment, identifying the center front, center back, waistlines, and sleeve areas.
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Truing and Finalizing the Pattern Shape:
Using a pencil and rulers, I trued the marked lines, straightening the center back and side reference lines and smoothing out the curves of the neckline and armholes.
I added specific notes directly onto the muslin pattern, such as “Gather to 1 inch,” “Fold into seam,” and “Add 90cm” to the lengthened sleeve section, ensuring all the draping information was captured.
Tip for Fit Adjustment (Hip Room):
I explained a key pattern-making tip for this style: if you need more room in the hips and back, you can add width to the side/back of the pattern piece. I demonstrated how to smoothly blend this added width from the hipline down to the hem, which adds flare primarily to the back and sides without distorting the front drape. This is crucial for non-stretch fabrics or for accommodating different body shapes.
Questions & Answers:
Q: What is the book you are using?
A: I use “Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear” by Winifred Aldrich for my flat pattern drafting. It’s a great technical resource.
Q: The odd-shaped t-shirt from the Masterclass, can we do more with that?
A: Yes, the abstract, geometric cutting is a key part of the DDM. We’ll definitely be exploring more designs with that technique. I’m so glad you enjoyed that project; the way it drapes in the back is beautiful.
Q: The Victoria Beckham-style twist dress, can we do that?
A: Yes, that’s an excellent candidate for a DDM project. It involves a specific twist draping technique. We can do a demo on that and the Leah dress (printed one-shoulder) in a future session.
Q: I bought a mannequin; would you pad her up to my size?
A: You’re quite slim, so you probably don’t need to! But for others, a good way to check is to put a well-fitting, slightly snug garment of your own on the mannequin. If it fits reasonably well and isn’t “drowning” her, you’re in a good position to drape. For significant differences, padding can be done, but it’s a bit of a sculptural art to get it right, especially on a posed mannequin.
Today’s session was a fantastic look into the bridge between creative draping and technical pattern making. It showed how we can capture a complex, fluid design and translate it into a reusable pattern, complete with all the necessary markings and fit adjustments to make it our own.
