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Period pattern half drapes: 1910s
Jan. 28th, 2013 09:02 amCostume Director Judy Adamson's period pattern class this semester focuses on 20th century women's wear, and their first project consisted of gowns and ensembles from the 1910s. Throughout the semester, they will progress forward by decades, sometimes creating both an evening and a daywear look per decade.
When I post photos of these projects, every so often the question comes up as to why the students often make the projects on the half. I usually explain it in the comments, but i figured i ought to write it out for a change in the actual post. There are several reasons for the half-drape phenomenon.
First, they have only two weeks for each project, and in that time must create the pattern from scratch, using their knowledge of draping, drafting, and period research. Then they must make it in fabrics as close as they can find to the original, taking into consideration concerns for the stage, such as what sort of understructure might be required, and how an actress might negotiate getting in and out of the garment.
They work at full-scale, and the students must decide for themselves what an acceptable budget for the costume is. Because the garments are made on the half much of the time, students only have to buy half the fabric required, and that's a big deal for most graduate students living on a fixed income. And, sometimes this allows them to choose better quality fabrics to work with, because they don't have to buy as much as a full dress. With a half-drape, you do half the sewing and half the hand-finishing, and when you're making one every two weeks on top of your other coursework, teaching assistantship, and professional show assignments, saving the time/money can be a great boon.
Of course, they are always free to make their projects on the whole as full garments, and most of them elect to do so at least once or twice a semester. Sometimes this is because they have chosen an asymmetrical resource image/design, and sometimes it's because they want to do a particular piece as a complete garment for entry in a national competition or exhibition. They definitely will do their bias-cut gowns of the 1930s on the whole, because a bias dress needs to exist as a complete thing in order for the grain to function properly.
So, that's the logic behind only requiring the half for these projects. You'll see in this collection though, one student with an asymmetrical Worth design as her resource image elected to do it as a full costume.
( Read more... )
When I post photos of these projects, every so often the question comes up as to why the students often make the projects on the half. I usually explain it in the comments, but i figured i ought to write it out for a change in the actual post. There are several reasons for the half-drape phenomenon.
First, they have only two weeks for each project, and in that time must create the pattern from scratch, using their knowledge of draping, drafting, and period research. Then they must make it in fabrics as close as they can find to the original, taking into consideration concerns for the stage, such as what sort of understructure might be required, and how an actress might negotiate getting in and out of the garment.
They work at full-scale, and the students must decide for themselves what an acceptable budget for the costume is. Because the garments are made on the half much of the time, students only have to buy half the fabric required, and that's a big deal for most graduate students living on a fixed income. And, sometimes this allows them to choose better quality fabrics to work with, because they don't have to buy as much as a full dress. With a half-drape, you do half the sewing and half the hand-finishing, and when you're making one every two weeks on top of your other coursework, teaching assistantship, and professional show assignments, saving the time/money can be a great boon.
Of course, they are always free to make their projects on the whole as full garments, and most of them elect to do so at least once or twice a semester. Sometimes this is because they have chosen an asymmetrical resource image/design, and sometimes it's because they want to do a particular piece as a complete garment for entry in a national competition or exhibition. They definitely will do their bias-cut gowns of the 1930s on the whole, because a bias dress needs to exist as a complete thing in order for the grain to function properly.
So, that's the logic behind only requiring the half for these projects. You'll see in this collection though, one student with an asymmetrical Worth design as her resource image elected to do it as a full costume.
( Read more... )
