LBL Project: The Final Stages

Final Design
After developing my sketchbook and designs, I decided on the final:

Final Design

Up next - Drafting Patterns

For the bra: altered a strapless bra pattern

For the knickers: drafted a pattern on the stand

Final Garments

Final LBL Garments

Snibston / Little Black Lingerie Project

Since the trip to Snibston I have continued to develop my sketchbook of initial drawings.

Following on from this is our first project: 'The Little Black Lingerie Project' (LBL for short).

Examples of sketchbook work:

Initially developing lace drawings...

Then looking into the royalty influence and experimenting with crown shapes....

Then, combining the two influences in an abstract form.

Using these developed drawings as inspiration, I began some design ideas...

(of which are currently under-wraps and yet to be uploaded)

Mastering the Basics: High-leg Knicker

Knickers, Knickers, KNICKERS! Aka what contour is all about!

So today bought the basic knicker.. and basic it definitely is! Again, not the most enticing of garments or material but never the less, the lesson was valuable!

The Basic High-leg Knicker

Lace:Here:Now Exhibition 14/11/12

With inspiration running low for our ongoing Snibston Project we decided a day trip was needed! So on a cold November morning we were Nottingham bound...

Lace:Here:NOW!

Surprisingly, the lace exhibition featured a lot of lace...

Delicate Lace: Pretty and Predictable

Experimental Lace: Sculptured and Lazered

Creative Lace: Projected Shadows, Printed and Draping

And of course with it being 'the season to be jolly' we couldn't resist a festive treat from Starbucks!

Festivities

Mastering the Basics: Medium Support Bra

At long last we were finally taught how to make a bra! I'll admit, it's (definitely) not the most desirable bra but still its a start! The first of many to come.

Just as I thought the white lace (that even my Grandma V would turn her nose up at) phase was over.. we were greeted by another. Although this is no ordinary lace... it's laminated lace!

The front in all its glory!

'Ballet' Back

The view from the side

The darling model sporting the full coverage!

Modelling on the Stand: Suspender Belt

Following on from my previous post... the suspender is now complete! This was my first chance to use my own material instead of the 'heavenly' white lace and also my first pattern drafted from the stand!

Here we have the garment in progress. Elastic time!

The Final Garment on a mannequin (with imaginary stockings pulling on the clips)

The Final Garment Photographs

Mastering the Basics: Suspender belt

Two weeks without any making.. was a long stretch. So, luckily today was Suspender day!
It was the day we were introduced to the LN20 taping machine, suspender straps, elastics and the 'dreaded' 3 point zig-zag. After spending (too much) time with my dear un-picker the garment was complete!

Making Suspender Clips..

Front 

Side 

Back

The Final Garment Photographs

Then upon completion.. the next task was to design our own suspender. I used the stand to draft the pattern, then I was homeward bound for a well deserved tea and biscuit break! 

In terms of the new and improved suspender, we'll call it suspended (couldn't help myself!) and save that for another day.

Pattern Drafting: Medium Support Bra

What started with a simple outline of a MS20 bra wire (technical talk) turned into a functional pattern. The guidelines seemed like a treasure trail (E.g At a right angle to this line draw another 90mm long).

We then made a copy, cut it out and construct with tape...

Constructed Paper copy 

To add further excitement to the class we had a competition..Who could do the best re-design? Despite not winning (tough crowd!) It was an interesting task and without a doubt a well spent Monday.

Although now comes typing up the instructions.. including diagrams such as these beasts...

Pattern drafting diagrams

Mastering the Basics: Bustier

The first garment of the course...
Despite the lace not being the most attractive in all the world, learning how to make this certainly was exciting. It provided a good opportunity to get acquainted with new machines (my favorite being the bone casing). Being such a basic pattern it'd be easy to adjust and alter into something more elaborate.. if only I had more hours in a day! As this is the first garment of course I went wild on taking lots of similar images!

Bustier Front View

Side Angle

Side-Back

Back View

Photographs of my lovely in house model 

A Day Trip to Snibston

Thursday 27th September.
A day trip to Snibston in search of inspiration for our first project.
The aim of the day: To gather photos as inspiration. Choose one object and draw the day away.

I was drawn to Vivienne Westwood's Harris Tweed Suit from 1987.

Vivienne Westwood's

Harris Tweed Suit 1987

Lace and Tweed Sketch

Shoulder Structure and Tweed Drawing

The Summer Project

With only a couple of weeks before beginning University I received a letter stating we had to complete a summer project. After initial panic, I decided the best thing was to get stuck in!

The Brief: To deconstruct an existing lingerie set, research current trends and design a set based on this. Then.. make the garments. Looking back this sounds simple.. However, having not even started the course yet, this did seem daunting.

Research: I gathered inspiration from magazines, high street and designer lingerie and also designer and high-street fashion trends.

D&G Designer Inspiration

OMD and Toad Lillie Lingerie Inspiration

From this I decided to go forward with: lace, leather materials with a mainly black colour pallet.

Designs and Development

Next task: deconstruct an existing set...

Existing Set Pre-deconstruction

I then spent hours and hours making the garments... and took a few cheeky snapshots along the way...

Garments in Progress...

By this time the garments were still work in progress and it was the 21st September aka the day I was moving. So come 6am I was up and sewing away at the kitchen table. But finally they were finito!

Final Garments

Final Garment Photographs

This did prove a good exercise as deconstructing the garments taught me how to construct them. Obviously there was an element of guess-work but I was happy with my self-taught first set.