Wednesday, 20 November 2013

5 DIFFERENT WAYS TO TURN A BASIC BODICE INTO A VARIETY OF NECKLINES

 TURNING A BASIC BODICE INTO A VARIETY OF NECKLINES


Have you ever notice how much things you can do with a basic block?  Turning a basic bodice into a sweetheart neckline, a v-neck or even a decorative neckline.  Today's blog is going to not only inform you of the different necklines but to also show you how you can make it yourself.


LETS GET STARTED

First off, the picture below represent the different lines and areas that makes up the bodice.


1.Sweetheart Bodice
In many dresses, there are excessive sweetheart necklines, these bodices are used to show off the shape of the bust but in a classy, lady-like manner.


To achieve this you must:
1. Measure 1 1/2 inches down from the bottom of the arm
2. Use either the full bust or high bust line (line not shown) to determine how high/low you want the cut to be.
3. Sketch a curve from the arm-pit to the cf (center front) line.
4. Optional: You can use either a french curve or a protractor or anything that has curve to achieve a balanced curve.
I recommend either these two.



2. V-Neck
V-necks are used in high-end garments or even a simple shirt.  It forms as a "V" and is also used (in most dresses) to show off a hint of bust.



To achieve this you must:
1. Measure 0.5 inches-how many inches you desire away from the neck and mark it
2. Draw an angled line from the mark to the cf line.  Depending on your design, you can make this line longer or shorter.



3. Elizabeth Neckline
I haven't seen many dresses cut into the Elizabeth Neckline but it is a neck-line I have grown to appreciate.  I've seen a few dresses on the red carpet cut into the Elizabeth Neckline but not much. The Elizabeth Neckline is actually the sweetheart neckline but with connected straps.


                                                             To achieve this you must:
1. Measure 0.5 inches-how many inches you desire away from the arm hole and mark it
2. Measure 2 inches-how many you desire for the strap
3. Draw an angled line down to where you want the half sweetheart to be.
4. At  the ending of the lines, draw a curve.


4. Square Neck
In The Bahamas, I haven't seen many dresses cut into a square neck.  There is though, a uniform that is.  The squared neck is exactly what it says a square neck.  This is used in high-end to in-the-house garments.

To achieve this you must:
1. Measure 0.5 inches - how many you desire away from the neck and mark it
2. At the mark, draw a straight line down to your desired length.
3. At the ending of that line draw another straight line to the cf line.



5. Decorative Necks
Daria Ross's photo.Decorative Necks is one I use a lot in my designs, it's different, adds a touch of class and appeal and it shows how creative you can be as a designer. Here, I show you one of the necklines I have stumbled across. There will be a tutorial on this dress.
To achieve this you must:
1. Measure 1 inch to how many you desire away from the arm and mark it.
2. Draw a slanted line to or close to the point of the bust.
3. At the ending of that line draw a curve. 
Make sure your curve is at least 0.5 inches away from the bottom of the arm


Friday, 15 November 2013

HIGH END FABRIC ON A BUDGET


   

HIGH-END FABRIC ON A BUDGET - CREPE

"In order to make good quality, you must invest in good quality"

Disclaimer: I am not certain of the price outside of The Bahamas but these are the prices here.

Though that saying may be true, you don't have to spend an arm and a leg on designer fabric.  With creating my collection, I scoped around all the fabric stores here in The Bahamas in search for some high-end fabric.  But what I found shocked both my friend and I.

CREPE!!!!!!!


What is Crepe?
Crepe is is a silk, wool, or polyester fabric of a gauzy texture, having a peculiar crisp or crimpy appearance.
-Wikipedia
It can range from $4.00 to $80.00 depending on the type that you desire.  As said before there are different types and textures of Crepe material including:

Crepe
Crepe Back Satin
Wool Crepe
Crepe de Chine

Crepe (regular)
If you want more of a "flowy" type of fabric, Crepe is the fabric you would want to invest in.  I usually spend hours upon hours watching runways and I notice that majority of the designers use crepe material. Though I'm not to keen of the texture of Crepe itself, it can be used for flared skirts,dresses or tops. This sells for $6.99 at my local fabric stores.




Crepe Back Satin
I admire Crepe Back Satin.  Being the cheapest of them all, this fabric can be compared to bridal fabric in my opinion.  This sells for $4.99 at my local fabric stores and it is one that I have used in my collection.  Crepe Back Satin, as seen in the picture, has glossy appearance in the front and a matte finish at the back. 




Wool Crepe
Wool crepe, also known as crepon, is a wiry crepe fabric made from mixtures of silk and cotton fibers. This fabric is one of the most expensive types of crepe material.  It sells for $25.00 but it is great for a high-end finish.  I'm not the one to completely invest in wool crepe because that's not in my budget but if you want to design at a higher scale I would recommend it.
 




Crepe de Chine
Crepe de chine is a lightweight fabric, usually made of silk, that does not possess a crepe finish. It tends to have a smooth, pebbled, matte finish and is used to make luxury garments and evening wear.Though Crepe de Chine and Crepe looks totally the same, crepe de chine has more of smoother texture than a gauzy texture. This sells for $16.00 and is quite an OK fabric to invest in.  There are printed crepe de chine that I would spend $16.00 a yard for.  The finish on the printed material is to die for and it definitely looks like a $75.00 fabric from Italy.



These fabric, in picture may look the same but they vary in touch and finish.  I would recommend checking your local fabric stores just to take a look at them in person.  I have used Crepe Back Satin, Crepe de Chine and Wool Crepe in my collection and the finish on these three materials is amazing.  They sew perfectly and its appearance on the body is incredible.  

Designers that use crepe often:
Georges Chakra
Elie Saab
Zuhair Murad