I really like the way these photos are placed together!!

TOILE DAIRY

So my toile is finally complete, but as my design is all based on measurements its still a work in progress! (starting to wish I could just draw around a dress block make a few alterations and be done!!).

Before I completed it I faced a few problems one being the garment attaching to the frame. Yesterday I covered the copper pipe with wading so it was cushioned and it also made it frame sit more up right which was a bonus. The next step was to create a seam using the 10 seam allowance at the top so that I could tread the piping through like a curtain pole... which I did but I just didn't like the look it gave my garment its wasn't the look I was after! I needed it to look chunky and bold. So back to the drawing board it was.

Plan B was to cover both sides in more wading so it was a flat panel and then face it using a facing to cover the whole width. This worked and allowed the frame to sit right on the shoulders but will still need some help with elastic under the arms.

My finished toile (excuse the paper pattern pieces, I used them to kind of get the effect). This weekend I am going fabric shopping to get my final fabric, I already have some grey and my transparent plastic which means Im on the look out for a heavy weight crepe in cream so my fingers are crossed I find one!!! and some plain white shirting...

oxo

Martin Margiela for Sonia Rykiel  

TOILE DAIRY

Since my last toile update I have made a few changes here and there and the main reason was I decided the structure (the copper piping) was to long! This meant I needed to adapt the length and shape of the structure and also re-look at my patterns as they are all now to BIG. So off I began bending the ends of the pipe which did not work, so I took what I had and ruffly started again being very careful I did it correct so I achieved the same shape. Once I had got the 'perfect' shape for the 2nd time I realised I needed it to also sit right with a structured support on the front and my only other solution was to pay a trip down plumbing, and am I thankful I did!!!
 
I now have a lovely little copper frame using four 90 degree tunnels on each end that are separated by a 6cm copper piece and it works! My task now is to cover the frame so its soft and enables it to stay secure on the models shoulders and be comfortable so my task is not yet complete...

oxo

Inspiration for my shirt dress phoot shoot

oxo

TOILE DAIRY

This is where I got up to on my toile dairy last week, its slowly coming together but there is lots of trailing out going on at the moment.. fingers crossed it falls into place!

oxo

TOILE DAIRY 

Today was the day when all the fun began! A few weeks ago I developed my final design further and had chose the right fabrics to use, so the first step was to sample all the difficult parts and my design not being so straight forward and simple (that would be boring) I thought I might as well circle it all ha ha but not I decided the structure and the shape needed further work, the yoke for the back of my shirt as I had never created one before, a hip pocket and a button stand. 

Further on down the line I started creating my pattern for the back part of my dress. I had to decide the length and measure the size of my cooper pole as there is no dress block to draw around. 

Sampling difficult places

Yoke with box pleat

When patterning for this box pleat I have decided I am going to place it closer together but I like the chunky-ness of the pleat at the back. Also I will add top stitching to the final toile.

Heavy weight button stand

Firstly I measures the width of fabric then divided it by 2, twice and followed it down the answers creating notches at the time making sure its all straight

In the middle of the folded fabric I placed a piece of fabric making sure two folders were on either side and I did a 0.5  top stitch 

When looking back at my design I have realised that I will not need a line of stitch at the bottom or top as I am leaving it with raw and frayed edges.

Hip pocket

I am happy with the turn out of this pocket but I think I might for it to smaller and see which I prefer. I think the way its raw around the edge as I feel it gives it a stronger effect rather than a neat and tidy look.

Copper shoulder structure

This concept took lots of thought process and finally came up with an idea that I think is going to work, so after a trip to B&Q I had everything i needed to create a copper dint in a straight pole. This is so that it rests on the models shoulders and doesn't strangle them around the neck. I am also going to try and create a feature so that some copper piping comes down the front and supports the models chest and creates the full effect of my design.

To bend the copper I used a metal spring and placed it inside of the pole in order for it to curve smoothly! I then placed it around the mannequins neck and applied pressure so that it bent slightly creating a soft and level curve, this was an easy process but I did need a little help as Im not that strong haha. 

Detail on felt

Firstly of all I was just planning on using biro on felt but realised that it slowly wares off which isn't what I want to happy also it making the felt go fluffy. So I problem solved this by testing different pens such as markers, biros and fine liners then decided to test of loose stitching on the machine and realised it was the answer to my problems! then came the colour of thread to use with I went for a middle of the chart brown but the stitching made the fabric curl which was another problem I faced which meant I headed straight towards the heavy weight interfacing and yes it saved the day and worked perfectly.

Pattern cutting

Back

Pattern for yoke and box pleat

Box pleat

Tomorrow I will be continuing with the pattern cutting as well!

oxo