One of the big questions around all this because we feel like we can just jump right into, you know, creating a garment is to have a real plan for your production and understand all the different elements of it. So one of the keys to that is your fabric, and when you're starting to create the actual pattern, um, were you normally used using an inexpensive cotton fabric called muslin, and the thing about it is that you want tohave, uh, muslin that reflects the weight of the garment? You mean, the fashion fabric that you're going to use to make it so if you're using sort of mid wait, this is really good, but if you're using chiffon, you might want to use a very much lighter version of muslim, sort of a more glossy fabric if you're using, if you're doing a heavy coat, you might want to use something that feels a little bit more like canvas, so this is usually the first step some designers will work with, uh, right, we'll work with paper, but a lot of designers I like to work with muslim. ...

I mean, what with the draping aspect of it? So one of the first things we want to do is cut off a piece here and, uh, you want to test your fabric? I mean, most cotton fabrics have a basically that you could do this, but you don't want to cut it all the way across, you want to sniff it and tear, and you can't do that with every fabric fair warning I've tried and have made some horrific mistakes, but if it has a basic we've you can do that, and one of the reasons for doing that is that fabric can get worked, and we want to make sure that the fabric stays on green so often will take a piece of fabric like this, and if we feel that it's warped, we might sort of twist it by pulling it back into shape until we get on actual truth square. So this is is the starting point now? Um, the muslin has some important things you need to consider. Going across is the cross green and then going along the salvage is the length white screen. Most garments are created on the length white screen because it has a little bit better drape it hangs down better. Um it was more fluid, and then there is another element of fabric which is very important, and if we create a true, uh, bias, which is that the perfect angle if you have a square, so I always do it by going from the corner and bring it over. This would be the corner of a square shape right here. This line that we're seeing at the fold is true bias, right? That perfect, that center cut and one of the nice things about it. Although this is a woven fabric on the bias it will give, I hate to use the word stretch, even though it is technically stretching, stretching implies sort of in it, but this is a bias, the bias, and it gives it kind of conforms to the body. And we spoke a little bit earlier about madeline bonet, who was sort of a master of working with the bias, and she wanted closed to drape and hug the body and the kind of mitts that are available now weren't available then, and she was able to manage that effect by using the bias. So one of the first things I want to do just so that I have something to work with, I'm just gonna cut myself a basic square. So you want to take this and you want to press it? If your muslim has creases in it, it will actually affect the size of your garment of your pattern, because when you transfer this, it'll be to paper, which doesn't have those creases. And every little crease is sort of grabbing it could be a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction, but when you're working especially in the industry on large numbers it can affect the patterns in a big way, so we're just going to take a minute to press and it also helps kind of uh the pressing also helps kind of make it a little bit starchy causes a little starch in muslin before you you wash it okay there and this is our first plane, so to speak, the plain on the body we're going to do one section at a time wait and I know that I wanna work with the lengthwise grain so it's my selvage so I'm going to automatically fold in about an inch actually a little more than an inch and I can do this by eye, but you want to measure it's funny it had, um wonderful patter, mate, I mean better making destruction teacher in high school and she used to see me doing things by eye and she'd go crazy. So when she said, if the measurements aren't right, you're failing that project and I was so happy that measurements were right, but not but I don't want to encourage that because teachers all over the world will get very mad with me, but you want to you want to, uh measure and check and make sure, and it could be. Whatever measurement you decide. I just give myself that much, sometimes with fabrics that are woven tightly. Here at the salvage, you might want to clip to cut into it. So that it's not too tight and that you know just to release it.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials

Mood Board Checklist

Styling and Fashion Show Gear Guide

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Body Measurements Chart

Care and Feeding of a Garment

Change Agents

Copy Rights and Copy Culture

Dissemination - FashionArt

Fashion Equations.pdf

Fashion Show Checklists

Question Charts

Specializations - The Players

Starter Questions Chart

Pattern Making Gear Guide

Sketching Gear Guide

Sewing Gear Guide

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Jay Calderin

The Boston Globe refers to Jay Calderin as a budding designer's best friend. He is the author of The Fashion Design Reference and Specification Book formerly Form, Fit, Fashion, which the LA Times called, a new fashion bible for designers, aspirers and the just plain curious, this tome contains all the secrets. It was followed by his second book, Fashion Design Essentials, and a collaboration on a third book entitled, Fashion Design, Referenced. The first two books have been translated into German and Chinese. He is also a contributor to Native Fashion Now, the book that accompanies the Peabody Essex Museum’s upcoming exhibit of the same name.

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topics covered in this class

Fashion Design

Ratings and Reviews

Abbeylynne

Jay is a rare gem in the world of instructors. He has the perfect balance of information, examples, and hands on visuals. He included his students in the teaching process. They were not just the audience. Even the viewers were encouraged to participate! I loved his teaching style and enthusiasm as well as the content of information he shared with us. He covered a vast amount of information and led us at a pace that was very easy to follow. It reaffirmed my love of fashion as well as designing new ideas. This class was inspiring and motivating. If you are even the slightest bit curious about Fashion Design, constructing patterns, or even drawing models, this class is for you. It was all encompassing for an overview of Fashion Design from start to finish. Jay has an easygoing manner that you will want to watch him again and again. A great resource for your library. I can't wait to see him again in the Creative Live classroom!. Good luck to Jay and all his endeavors! Thank you Creative Live for providing yet another great learning opportunity for an international audience.

Michelle B

This is day one of Jays class and I am already hooked and purchased this class. Jay is an awesome instructor. He explains everything in easy to understand terms. He explained things that I have bought books to learn and didn't in one easy lesson. I recommend this class for anyone that has a interest in Fashion design or even learning to draw models for anything you need to sketch out. I hope Creative Live will bring Jay back for more classes. Jay is a instructor also worth having in your tool box of CL classes to refer back to for learning and inspiration! Thank You Jay for sharing your knowledge with us!!

Anji

I agree with everything that michelle-b said in her review of this class, and will add that I can tell that he is an instructor who not only knows his subject matter, but has excellent teaching skills. He is very engaged with his students, and focused on making sure that they get what he is telling/showing them. He also has the rare gift of distilling a complex subject down to its essence and teaching it in a simplified form that gives the student a good overview of the basics, and somehow also gives the student insight into more of the subject’s depth than he actually says in words. This broader understanding of the subject empowers the student to proceed on a much higher level than would be possible after taking any other course overview. Even more amazing is that the lessons covered in this way could be (and are) full courses in themselves elsewhere, but were merely segments of this two-day CL class. For this reason, if I ever got a chance to take one of Jay’s classes at the School of Fashion Design, I would take it in an instant. I too bought this class by the end of Day 1. For me, the segments on sketching and drafting alone were worth the $69, and the rest is bonus.

2,000+ classes ranging from fundamentals to advanced techniques.

Pattern Draping: Working with Muslin

Pattern Draping: Working with Muslin

Lesson Info

17. Pattern Draping: Working with Muslin

Lessons

Intro to Fashion Design Inspiration: Where to Begin

Why Create a Moodboard?

Student Mood Boards

Fashion Inspiration Resources

Learn from the Masters of Fashion

Explore New Fashion Frontiers

Why Narrow Your Focus?

Find a Fashion Specialty

Craft a Collection

Learn to Edit

Intro to Making Fashion: Draw, Draft and Sew

Why Start with a Sketch?

Drawing: Draw Your Muse

Drawing: Sketch a Figure and Define a Silhouette

Drawing: Render Color

Drawing: Add Texture, Patterns, and Details