x Cross and Dot .

This weekend has started to feel very autumnal, with a very chilly night or two recently and so I am accepting it is time to start to fully embrace the autumn in all it's golden leafed glory.

Last night i had my second pattern cutting class, and really we really got down to business drafting our first basic skirt pattern. I am proud of my efforts, and have almost finished producing my first skirt pattern.

First we used our measurements from last week and some paper called cross and dot paper (so called because of some very helpfully placed crosses and dots) and some instructions from Julia, our teacher, and drafted the shapes which make a skirt.

my draft pattern, ready for tracing and adding the seam allowances

My homework this week is to trace off my shapes and add the seam allowances and other information to make a finished pattern ready to use to make a calico toile in next week's next class.

It was really fun to be drawing and to be able to ask if i got stuck with something and to work with other people in my class. And the most pleasing part was to start to see the shape become something like a pattern. That was really exciting for me.

My homework now is to trace off and add the seam allowances and other information to make a pattern which can be used to make my calico toile in next week's next class. I think that is going to be a nice evening.

After we have made our basic pattern and adjusted it to a perfect fit, we will learn how to incorporate more features and create something that we have designed from our own imaginations. I have therefore been letting mine run riot so i can take full advantage of that. I think i have a good idea of what i will want to do now, although do change my mind a lot. I want to do everything!

 

i am keeping a scrapbook to hold my ideas

When i did french classes it really felt like hard work, but this is learning that is fun! There is a girl in my class who wants to work in the fashion industry. i can understand that as i think to be a professional pattern cutter would really be a satisfying occupation.

yours learnedly,

Emilia. x

First Class

Last night i went to my first evening class. I have signed up for pattern cutting with City College. I was quite nervous but it was really grand once we had all said hello to each other. There is a really nice mixture of people i think, and everyone has different experiences and different ambitions so it will be really nice to be working with them to see what they do. I think their designs will be something quite different to mine so it is exciting.

Our teacher is called Julia and she is really nice and i think will be a good teacher. She showed us some sketchbooks that she did when she took courses. I would like to keep on of those. I have a scrapbook where i like to keep pictures i see, but i never do sketching. This will be a good skill to develop. I think i will study Fifi Lapin more closely for good drawing techniques. Perhaps i will ask Deb to help me with watercolours!

j'adore la lapin

Last night i learnt about some new equipment, like a tracing wheel and a pattern master. i am looking forward to getting my hands on those. Also we took some measurements in preparation.

this is a pattern master to help draw on seam allowances and draw curves

The course is for a whole academic year and the first term is devoted to skirts. i am happy about this. The first step is to learn how to use our measurements to make a basic silhouette. i think this will be our task for the next couple of weeks. Then after that we will learn to adapt the basic shape to make up our own designs. I have started some research on this but can never make up my mind. it will be fun to do proper designing instead of just freestyling!

Sorry Vogue Easy Options pattern 8363, it is time to move on

farewell my trusty friend

Yours studiously,

Emilia. xx

The Mixtape Project

Last month, after seeing this from Debbie, I joined The Mixtape Project.

Yesterday i was delighted to receive in the post, my first mixtape from a stranger. It is really a great one with lots of bands i like on it and a lot of illustrations. I managed to find the creator online and here it is.

It is lovely to have received something which has had so much effort put in. i feel quite honoured. I will be sure to write and say thank you.

I decided for my introductory mixtape, i would use the theme of birds.

The past month has been quite hectic for so i fear i have not spent as much time and effort as i would have liked to, and certainly not as much as was put into the one i was sent. But i hope that my recipient enjoys my humble offering.

I am already starting to think about next month. This is a lot of fun indeed.

Emilia. x