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August 13, 2021
Where Inspiration Comes From
Actually this is a question for the ages, that everyone from the Greeks to current psychologists have been trying to answer. Corporations hire multiple psychologists and psychiatrists to figure out how to make their employees more creative.
But I'm going to make a stab at this, from our meager point of view. Mostly because creating art like creating music, clothes, set design, poetry and worthwhile novels all follow the same model: learn the rules and guidelines, practice those rules and guidelines, so you can break those rules and guidelines!
We have, being clothing designers, a lot of heads up because we have some parameters within which to work, whereas some visual artists and musicians and even writers, don't have very many parameters and are all over the place.
The parameters we have are things like:
►fitting various parts of the body
►flattering the body, (something which may be something that some RTW stores forget)
►staying in proportion to our bodies
And basically working within those guides means that there's a lot of things we don't have to worry about or even consider in our designs - like a blouse for 3-arms, or a garment for two waistlines. You may think this is funny, but think about it. Because we have to clothe a certain shape, size and style, that means that a lot of variables are removed. Whereas other artists don't have those limits and can create stuff on Mars, and call it
art. We can't - it won't work for us.
And yes that makes creating a little easier, but how do we get started? The first place is with a collection of what works. You can find that in a number of places.
►In your closet - what you do have in your closet that you love - that might be a neckline on one garment, a sleeve on another and a hem length on yet another, but all of those together give you information about where to go with a fabulous
design.
►In your memory - or looking at old photos and seeing a look or a garment that really was special for you. Why was it? The color, the look, the fit? All those matter, and yes, you might have been thinner, pre-kids, but the truth is that you were the same shape, only more of you in that same shape today than then, and if a color worked for you then, it most likely works for you
today.
►I can't stress this enough, but recording those blips of inspiration when they come is vital. That can mean a simple squiggle on a silhouette or a sketch or two. And of course my favorite is Pinterest. Start collecting ideas as you rummage around the internet and you'll be amazed at how those collection of pics can spur on all sorts of creativity.
I wanted to take you down the path of a little how I create, and as I sat down to write this email today, I was thinking I would make this video to show you how I'm looking at some fabrics on my cutting table.
Here's that video to show you that process...
...and discovery!!! Some fun things! This is a "process" video and by that I mean it's a little longer. I'm working through the process on four designs so it takes a little longer. The truth is that I spent about 40 minutes (some of it is speeded up) working these 4 designs. Although that sounds like a lot of time, the truth is, compare that to the time it would take to sew up and assemble these garments to "see if it worked" and the cost of
the fabric, and sketching begins to not only look like a great way to solve design/assembly issues, but a cheaters way to see up front if a design is going to work.
Although I did use some colored pencils, you don't have to. It's the black and white sketch that is so meaningful.
Supplies I used in this video (I think I've listed this before, but just in case you didn't get them):
Lightbox (this is what artists call a back light they can trace on.) or a Tracing Light Pad. I really like this one. It's much sturdier than the cheaper ones and has a nice clasp on the plug in so that it's not always dropping out.
Pencils - I always use a softer led. It's a bit darker than plain #2, and you can get them from Pentel (for mechanical pencils - they are listed as #2B) Ticonderoga (as
#1 Extra Soft) or any art store.
Paper - I used Pacom #4739, it's a 50lb. (lighter weight) sulfite
paper. It has a nice tooth (grabs the medium well) and it is just slightly more see-thru and easy to see your croquis under the paper, even with out a lightbox.
Colored Pencils - You can use everything from Crayola
to Prismacolor
.
Depends upon how much you want to spend.
BTW - did you know you can go to camelcamelcamel.com and put in the link for an Amazon product and then set it for the price you want to pay, and it will email you when that product hits that price. On some of my staples I do this all the time - might try it for those Prismacolor pencils - they are a dream to draw with!
I collect mostly on Pinterest - it's so easy and simple, but there are times when I get emails as I did this week, and some designs pop out and literally scream at me. That's what happened with these designs. These all came from the Santa Fe Weaving Gallery, which is a great fun place. If you're ever in Santa Fe, make an effort to stop by their shop. I guarantee you, you will be inspired and fired up after being there
with all the ideas. I got so fired up one time, I bought something and I never buy clothes - ever!!!!
Here are some of the things that piqued my interest:
 
 
Believe it or not, there's a lot here. Here's the close up on my sketches.
  
I'm really excited about all three of these designs, but you can see clearly the geometrics and the balance that is going on. What makes this so much fun, is that we're using these designers as inspiration and it's to work with our own core patterns to be inspired to think in different terms. That's what collecting these ideas are all about.
These were some of what I was working with. Well, to tell you the truth, I've had these on my cutting table all summer and thought I would be inspired by something! But never have been...till today!
 
Don't both of these look like fun?!
And here's what I had fun with.
 I've been looking at that Marcy Tilton Fabric all summer knowing that something would happen, and nothing has all summer. But it's beautiful fabric and I've been dying to do something with it.
After messing with this today, I've finally got a great idea. I'm going to make this look like it buttons up at the top collar, but in truth it's going to be a slip over and more closed than it looks in this drawing.
It's actually going to be more closed like this, however with that rolled collar.
You can always make a knit like a woven, but can't make a woven like a knit, so I'm going to interface this with armo (what tailors use in bespoke jackets) so that it will roll correctly.
As you can see in the video, I came up with four new ideas for fabrics, and even after letting them cook for a while, they are pretty much intact. There are some variations in weight on the fabrics, so taking that into consideration I will most likely make a few design variations, but the designs will remain the same. The red, though will be made in a woven - it screams woven as
it's a take off of a Moroccan tunic idea, and that is not knit, but a woven.
Sketching is one of those ways you can literally let your mind run free and not pay too much attention to the sewing part. But believe it or not, after you finish the sketching you answer a lot of your sewing/assembly questions. That's another benefit of sketching. Of course, there's the design that never works out. There's the design that presents problems that are unsolvable. They simply can't work. This
isn't a problem with you. ALL designers have that happen to them. And isn't it better to find that out in the sketching phase than in the sewing phase, where you've cut it all out and "hope" it works when you put it together.
When that happens, I always say....."NEXT!!!!" And move onto the next idea!
This is the quintessential toolbox for the wannabe designer, and you don't even have to draw to use them. All you have to do is trace. That may sound just a little too far-fetched, but believe me, not all designers can draw, and most of them do not sew. So you are one up on most designers.
This package includes a lot:
Elements & Principles of Design w/Color
Proportion (Divine and Rule of Thirds) and Apex Point Fitting
and something new:
 Sketching - taking the idea to sketch, to pattern to garment and yes, you can do that. It's not that hard. There are a lot of steps, but this is the final part of the whole package of creating something especially for yourself.
You know all those pictures on Pinterest or pinned in your studio or on your bathroom mirror?...those ones you know you would look smashing in if...1.) you could find the right pattern, 2.) you might be able to find it in RTW, but to fit you would be a problem or 3.) you've always wanted to create a look or certain collar or fabulous sleeve or some other detail and never knew how. Here's how to do that.
This does require that you have your core pattern up and running. That's what the whole pattern will be based on and it is what makes all this work so well. Whereas commercial pattern makers and designers have to go through 5 to 8 iterations to get it right, with your core pattern, we already know it works, and what we're doing is copying that to make the style you want.
If you already have only one of the above, then you have the opportunity here to bring your toolbox up to date by acquiring the only what you need at a discounted price. The Sketching Resource is the only one that's new that no one has before this month.
At the same time if you want the whole kit and caboodle, it's at an even greater discount than normal. Here's everything with the whole kit and caboodle at the bottom!
Enjoy!
Elements & Principles of Design with Color Primer - This is what art and design students learn in art school. The only difference between them and you is that they have the time to play around with them. But we can do the same, albeit a little less time.
Fitting with Proportion and Figure-Flattering Tools
(This one comes in two parts)
Sketching - From Idea to Garment
The Design Toolbox - All Three Resources above in one download at a terrific price.
Once this special is over, the Sketching will go into both the Proportion and Elements & Principles (it's already in the Toolbox), at regular pricing.
On the Blog
From the time I started my design company, I was sketching designs for clients. It was the only way that ...
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