●► Tips on fashion design and dressmaking
Good creative skills are essential for the specialised fields of fashion design and dressmaking. Consequently, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the industry and be able to apply acquired skills in a theoretical and practical manner. Lifestyle Learning Direct, one of the Gold Coast's premier online learning and correspondence course providers, suggests that in order to be a good fashion designer or dressmaker you need to be able to:
1. Understand fashion trends, clothing ranges and colour groups.
2. Learn Know how patterns work - flat patterns, commercial patterns, tracing patterns and pattern blocks - read patterns, choose pattern sizes and have basic pattern alteration knowledge.
4. Have knowledge on the range and quality of the many fibres and fabrics available today - natural and man-made fibres, fashion fabrics, modern developments and special fabrics - which will have a large bearing on your creations.
5. Be familiar with the tools and equipment necessary for good dressmaking: scissors, tape measure, pins, machine needles, hand needles, stitch ripper, tailor's chalk, haberdashery, sewing machine, overlocker, iron, ironing board, full-length mirror, flat cutting surface and storage.
6. Be conversant with inserting zippers and sleeves, buttonholes, waistbands, types of stitching, seam types, stretch sewing, and so on.
7. Present a design collection using fashion drawing and design skills, as well as the competent use of colour and themes.
8. Understand which designs will suit the client's life and activities, as well as know the basic body shapes, hair styles, make-up trends and how to plan a wardrobe.
9. Know how to set up a system, research customers, basic business structure and types of operation.
Copyright by Streetdirectory
Images courtesy by Regent Academy
