Post Thirteen: Through the Drapevine!

My first twelve or thirteen weeks here in the Fashion curriculum have been ridiculously informative; I feel like I'm learning/hearing about new things every day.  Things that I barely know existed three months ago are now my current obsessions -- and what's more, they actually make sense!  The most recent addition to my list -- "Things That I Didn't Understand When I First Heard About Them A Few Weeks Ago" -- is draping/pattern drafting.  

This "draping" is something I have heard of for a while, and once thought pertained only to non-tailored garments.  Then I reached Week 6 of my Integrated Studio 1 class, and things changed.  I was "draping" shirts to make new shirts and it was exciting.  Meanwhile, my teacher had been mentioning "draping" collars -- zero sense.  She had spoken of "draping" patterns, and how she preferred that method to using slopers and pattern manipulations (the only thing I knew!) -- less sense.  I could not wrap my mind around how someone could put fabric on a dress form, pin it, and then mysteriously have a sloperless pattern.  What seemed to me was that using a 3D dress form to make a 2D pattern that would go onto a 3D person was confusing; I much preferred (conceptually) the idea of taking slopers and making alterations to them.  

Then one day, during one of the most eye-opening demonstrations I have received ever in my 13 weeks in the fashion curriculum, I was shown how to "drape" a skirt.  All of a sudden, everything made sense -- darts, curves, this "twill tape" I was instructed to buy, grain line.  I felt enlightened.  After the demonstration, my teacher sent us off to "drape" our own skirts and make patterns from them!!!!!  I thought (and still think) that that was the coolest thing ever.  I went crazy.  I was a "draping"machine.  True, I barely know the difference between a tuck and a pleat, but that's no big (I hope).  Participating in this activity -- which  presume is relatively simple -- gave me a sense of legitimacy and cemented my intent to become genuinely interested in and fully consumed by the things I explore with/design.  Below are some of my findings!  

Here's a skirt front with some pleats.  I think these are inverted box pleats?  I know I should be embarrassed that I'm not 100% positive, but I'm too distracted by how excited I am that I can make a pattern from this.  

Oh, here's an example of my going fold-wild.  I don't think I would be able to make a pattern out of this "drapery" -- maybe next semester.  But I do give myself an A for effort!  

Here's a pattern I actually drafted myself!  This part was so nerve wracking and also exhilarating.  I was so scared that my line would look hideously wonky or wouldn't resemble a skirt pattern in the least.  I think it came out pretty okay for my first time!  I just hope that when I actually make the skirt it works.  

Here's what I "draped" to make the pattern!  In my head, it's ridiculously edgy and 1000% cool.  I am well aware that it isn't obscenely interesting, but I don't really care.  I designed it from scratch; that's all I really need to feel great about it.