turorial with graham; reflective post!

I feel my tutor's tutorial very useful, as I was unsure how to go about my adaptations. What is interesting from completing this project is I am gradually throughout conducting the whole process from research to design to initial toile construction, apaptation to fitting, top fabric construction to adaptation and refitting; finding out the areas I am confident in my skills and the areas i still doubt and need more assiatnce with. This is extremely useful as will allow me to work on these skills perhaps hopefully over my summer in perparation for level 6 of the course; a much more independent working year! Equally by establishing what I am less confident in I can create question and try to research and find the answers to be able to gain more confidence that I know how to go about the issue.

So far in the project I have felt reasonably comfortable with how to go about the above elements of this project in a correct, professional manner. Although, the fittings I have felt more comfortable with a second opinion certifying my actions and decisions, I have felt a real sense of achievement and confidence in my technical abiulity in this area and professional judgements about how to take in the garments and where is appropriate! However, one area I did not feel so confident in, was how to go about translating the adaptations I had been so confident with to make new pattern pieces to ensure the fit of my top fabric toile, when constructed. I really felt Graham's explanation of taking one side appart once it has been fully marked and cutting the pieces to the correct size (cutting off the Seam Allowances) and using the fabric pieces as pattern pieces to place ontot he top fabric and then adding the seam allowances (as you would with paper patterns) was a clear, accurate and easy way to translate the changes! This Graham (tutor) explained can be used for many garments, and ensures a good amount of accuracy especially for tailors! This is a technique I will definately remember and use for my adaptations in the future!
I realise however, there are other methods of doing this still!


For the skirt, this could be recreated once the jacket bottom had been adapted to the correct fit. We would then simply measure the jacket bottom to create the top of the skirt and measure the jacket length from the back piece (which did still have the skirt attached) from the dropped waist to match the front skirt length. The cf line of the skirt is a design line and therefore was our decision how curved we wished to make this.


Graham's sleeve tutorial was equally very useful and presented me with another way of completing a sleeve pattern and gaianing a more accurate fitting due to all the measurements fully considered and correctly implemented! Although the process was not that different to how I completed my sleeve originally; although measuring the over arm sleeve head line and the under edge sleeve head line to correctly fit and knowing the ease to add in; is very useful to know for my future construction practice.

Graham in this session explained to us what he would have completed and finished for the final fitting and what fabric to do it from etc.
He suggested we still completed out redrafted sleeves from calico; to ensure the correct fit before cutting them out and wasting top fabric.

He advised we either tacked these into our jackets (created out of top fabric and finished correctly including the implentation of the hair canvases, shoulder canvas and breast felt) or used a very long stitch on the sewing machine. We were instructed, even during our fittings, to not cut down the seam allowances until we were completing our adaptations and he had seen how our fittings went and the adaptations that were needed. (often tailors do not cut the seams down until just before the lining is put in anyway!)

He advised any decoration that was not around the seam lines or style lines such as the CF and cuffs, and collar, was completed for the fitting! If this could not be done due to the decoration being around these areas; complete a sample to show our band member; allowing them to gain a visualisation of how it would look when completed. This was advised by him to be done, as the distance limited them seeing the progress of the construction as regularly as it would be seen perhaps in industry if a designer was making for a client. Equally bring along to the fitting any buttons or rhinestones etc to show and place thwem where they would be going. By showing the clients these decorational features; this allows them to speak out and discuss changes or factors they did not like, before it had been fully completed and could not be changed. This equally allowed for further positive development of our jackets and a prime opportunity for communication with our band members!

Finally he reminded us to plan out our time after the fitting; regarding what we anticipated to have to still complete in the following 2 weeks so as we did not overlook any elements!

Overall; Graham's tutorial made me feel much more confident about how to complete the weeks schedule regarding the changes and making up my jacket from top fabric. It overly made me feel more confident about the second fitting too; as Graham pointed out that due to the way we were completing the adaptations; there should be few the second time; perhaps only with the sleeves!
This gave me confidence that after the 2nd fitting, I would not feel there was too much to complete in time for deadline 2 weeks after we got back from the fitting!