My new article, Curves & Angles: Designing with Art Fabrics, is in the current issue of the Vogue Pattern Magazine (June/July '16). I am intrigued and constantly exploring new, creative ways to approach garment sewing.
June/July 2016
Changing the sequence of construction can be key to having a new experience and that premise infuses my current design work. 1 pattern, 2 ways, is the focus of this article. In it, I explore how to create more dimension in the garment silhouette using Katherine Tilton's Butterick Pattern #6138.
Miles fabrics are playful & exuberant with lots of bold strokes and details- perfect for different parts of the garment.
The back of the tunic
CURVES-Starting into a project that with a challenge in mind keeps me attentive to the process. I like the workout... reaching for the feeling of being tapping into a deeper reservoir and not just sliding along the surface. This project gave me that experience.
The necklines on both garments were designed to reflect favorite areas in the painted fabrics.
I enjoyed combining this painted linen with more solid white linen and 2 commercial fabrics with dots.
ANGLES- For this version, everything from selecting fabrics to changing the pattern pieces started with this first piece of hand-painted cotton/linen fabric.
What compliments a great piece of art fabric?
Each of the shaped pattern pieces were copied then angles added at the original curved edges-For more details, see the Vogue article.
Accent, basting thread is used to make reference lines like center front, shoulder lines etc.
The original curves and darts in the pattern pieces were changed to angles.
The printed shapes on the side became part of the pocket design.
Painting and drawn fabric by Miles Frode, Dress by Diane
Design is an action verb...there is always something new around the corner to explore!
Enjoy the process, Diane