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Sponsored: Fashion Illustrations & Cutting the Titan Fabric for a Dancewear Top in Large Scale Print

10/27/2015

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I'm so excited to finally be at the point of cutting and working with the final fabric ( TS582 World Print) given to me by Funkifabrics. If you've been following along, this is the 5th post in the series around designing and sewing a dancewear top in a large scale print. This wonderful, busy, crazy, and colorful print was designed by the talented team at Funkifabrics. Originally printed on their flexcite (think basic nylon lycra swimsuit like material only better!) and is now available in one of their performance fabrics called Titan. 
  • Sponsored: Sketching Designs & Completing the Muslin for a Dancewear Top in Large Scale Print
  • ​Sponsored: Creating a Muslin for a Dancewear Top in Large Scale Print
  • Sponsored: Drafting A Dancewear Top in Funkifabrics Titan
  • Sponsored: Planning a Dancewear/Activewear Top in a Large Scale Print
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Before I cut into my good fabric, I love to sketch out my designs. Get them out of my head and see them on paper. Many things are revealed to me that cannot be seen by visualizing alone. Imagine how tickled I was that my basic 4 color highlighter set actually mirrored the colors of the TS582 World Part quite perfectly!  Sketching the designs also gives me a chance to "live" with the design for a few days allowing my creative mind to roll the concept around for a while and see if I'm still "in love" with the idea or if it was just a fun idea.  Some ideas never make it past their infancy, others go all the way. I choose to allow myself to let the ideas be what they are. If I'm not in love, then this is the time to change it.

The design for this top is a combination of several patterns and ultimately one that I've taken many liberties with. I need to give it a name, other than Funkyfabrics Top, because it really doesn't conform to any other pattern.
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Looking at the photos of the TS582 World Party, you may notice that the drips go sideways nearest the printed text from Funkifabrics printer. I assume that the fabric printing text is the file name and such, and would indicate that is likely UP. Granted, I still did a stretch test to see which direction might have more stretch over the other, and still this felt like the best direction for the lengthwise grain.  As I study the fabric, I notice that the drips go every which way, and no one direction over another feels like "up" when looking at the print. I wouldn't want to cut the whole pattern out only to find out I drip sideways. That would make people looking at me feel a little sea sick, or likely to run for some V8.   Maybe even a Costco sized pallet of V8!
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Another thing to note is that the flo pink flexcite is a little bit shear. That's not necessarily a bad thing, But, if you're going to use it over your booty, bust or other areas and you prefer a bit of modesty, a lining or some other layer between may be preferred. I'm using this on the yolk, which I have since raised above my bust point (the muslin of the yolk actually fell below my bust point - whoops!).  Plus, I'm using a layer of powernet beneath it. So I'm not concerned about it being see through in this case. ​
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Because there is are distinctive blue and pink "lines" or swaths of color that runs crossgrain, I chose to align the hem of both front and back by first using a ruler. As you can see from my photo, the chance of that ruler being straight is slim. 
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Welcome the T-square to the party! I aligned the T-square to the crisp edge of the printing, then aligned the other ruler to the T-square and voila! Alignment!
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Now, isn't that front piece both wild and fun at the same time? Once on my body, wrapping around my curves, it won't be nearly so wide looking. I kind of dig that I'll have tiger stripes on either side of my navel!  RAWR!
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I noticed that I might have a little bit of fabric left over. So, I got to thinking, why not make a skirt or pair of swim shorts out of the left-overs?  I love dancing in skirts, and it would be potential craziness to have both top and skirt out of this (like on the verge of too much), so I sketched out a skirt too. Once I finish the top, I may come back to make that skirt. I've grown to enjoy wearing wild prints on my bum and shaking it on the dance floor. Plus, it would be a great way to test the Titan fabric against my skin in a different area.
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Sponsored: Sketching Designs & Completing the Muslin for a Dancewear Top in Large Scale Print

10/22/2015

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Hooray! I've finished my muslin of a dance top in large scale print. This is the testing portion for Funkifabrics Titan World Party Print fabric I'll be using for the final garment.  The 3 previous blog posts in this miniseries take you from planning to drafting, to the first part of creating the muslin. 
  • Sponsored: Creating a Muslin for a Dancewear Top in Large Scale Print
  • Sponsored: Drafting A Dancewear Top in Funkifabrics Titan
  • Sponsored: Planning a Dancewear/Activewear Top in a Large Scale Print

Another thing that I do when creating garments, even if working with someone else's design, is to sketch it out. I always thought that was a waste of time. Gah! Why should I spend that extra time? Because it gets the idea out of your head and onto paper. It gives the idea life and allows you, the designer (you still design with color and print when using an existing pattern), to observe the potential garment.  
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Because I love sketching and am an artist, I always sketch my own figure on these same little 2" x 2" squares using ballpoint pens and highlighters. Isn't that hysterical? I have tons of art supplies, yet I always lean on the most accessible, usually cheapest tools for my sketch work. 

For this top, since I went all out and threw in new lines for the back, I sketched both front and back. The neat part about seeing my sketch, then seeing the finished piece on me (see the video below), is that I can see the difference between where the design lines actually lay on me vs. where I thought they would lay when I sketched and drafted the pattern. Case in point, I thought the lines for the yolk would lay above the bust point. In actuality, they lay 1" or so below the bust ppint. That allows me to decide if I want to alter that line or not. ​
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I mentioned in one of the first posts (see above) that I put powernet in the straps too, not just the bust. Here you can see the powernet peek out from the edge of the yolk along the neckline and also the back straps / yolk (Above left = Front, Above Right = Back showing powernet) 
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The triple stitch zig zag is my all time favorite stitch. It's flexible, stretchy, and is NOT wont to break when I'm leaning over a cliff by a harness (that's what happened with a pair of my happy pants which were made using straight zig zag). 

Lastly, I had to see how the large print vs. solid looked on my torso when dancing. How a garment behaves when moving is so critical to activewear and dancewear. If it doesn't move with you or return to a "home base" after moving, then it might not be as flattering nor would it be comfortable to wear. All key things for me in my dancewear. Frankly, I want any garment to be non-fussy, and feel like a second skin. This piece wins. I felt so GOOD dancing Bachata in this last night! Woo hoo!  Best part is that this muslin will be a great piece for dance practice! And with the built-in bra, I am even freer to move and not worry that anything is showing. 

Next, I'll be cutting out the Funkifabrics Titan and starting the final piece.  Stay tuned, there may be FRINGE! (gasp!)

Practica mi #bachata a @romeosantos #eresmia and testing out the #muslin for my #grafted top. It's a combo of 4 unique patterns!!! This is one I've been writing about on the blog (link in Instagram profile) as I plan and test a new garment for a large scale print from @funkifabrics in their newest #titan print!! This top is ridiculously comfortable!! I feel like I'm wearing PJ's. And with a bustline like mine, support can sometimes be something I am continuously aware of. Woot! Woot! #isew #sew #sewing #sewingknits #Sewcialists #sewingactivewear #sweatnsew #sewdancewear #dancewear #memade #sewswimsuits #bailamos #baila #latindancing #dwts

A video posted by Gwen Gyldenege (@gyldenege) on Oct 21, 2015 at 9:12pm PDT

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    Gwen Gyldenege

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    Gwen Gyldenege

    I'm a one woman circus.  
    I'm curvy and athletic.
    ​I am a dancer.
    My last name translates 
    to "Golden Oak". 

    I'm an artist, intuitive, engineer, seamstress 
    and performer.

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Except for sources otherwise stated beneath images or bottom of the page (Creative Commons), all images and works are copyright Gwen Gyldenege, all rights reserved.  Contact Gwen to request permission.
Photos used under Creative Commons from I Robertson, DoNotLick, Gustty, Jayson Emery, Nbepko, Gamma Man, I Robertson, Lars Plougmann, RowdyKittens, Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious, The Wandering Angel, VasenkaPhotography, quinn.anya, Léa Chvrl, Lost Albatross, Guttorm Flatabø, BEST PHOTO, RowdyKittens, allistair, BozDoz, tanakawho, Navicore, Bilal Kamoon, D-Stanley, Kris Krug, glasseyes view, essers, Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious, Alex Pepperhill, Found Animals, adactio, Office Now