It’s been too long since I shared a workroom peek! Lately, things have been quite busy. I decided to take as much time off as possible during the kids’ summer holidays (Dec-Jan). This was partly because I needed a serious rest after working hard on my kids’ pattern launch, and partly because I wanted to soak up every second with my family.
Now that everyone is back at school, I’ve been playing catch-up on pattern development. I’m working through a rather large list of half-finished designs, and I’m really thrilled to be finishing up many designs that I adore. The other day, I decided to take a few snaps of my process. When creating a pattern, I often make small test sections instead of full, wearable garments. This ensures that key aspects work correctly on their own. I use contrast thread on calico to make things easy to see. I like to isolate and test elements such as: – Sleeve insertions – Waistbands – Darts – Gather ratios – Pleats In this instance, I was testing whether a flared skirt fits into the waistband correctly before making the full garment. Instead of inserting a zip, I simply folded over the edge. There were no seam finishes, no closures, and I never sewed the skirt to the waistband, as pinning showed it worked beautifully. This method takes much less time than making a full garment and helps me be more efficient in my development. Would you like to see more behind-the-scenes peeks at what I’m up to? Let me know in the comments if you have any burning questions!
