First Samples and Pattern Insights

There are two new blog posts on the website:

First Sample - Drape Tube Skirt

Pattern Insight - Circular Knit Twist

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Wishing you all a fabulous Festive Season! :)

First Samples and Pattern Puzzles

Catch up with all the posts on the new blog, on the website!
Drape Tube Skirt
First Sample - The Dolman Coat
Asymmetric Cowl Drape

For the story of the week and all the pattern making detail for the jump across to our new blog location on the website.  See you soon!  :)

Pattern Puzzle - CJ Drape Skirt

This weeks pattern puzzle is an update of a Charles James drape skirt design.  I have used my Skirt Block to begin this development.

For the story of the week and all the pattern making detail for the C.J. Drape Skirt, jump across to the website blog.

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Vintage Update

The vintage inspiration for this weeks #PatternPuzzle has come from a pattern I found on the So Vintage Patterns website.  Unfortunately, this one has been been sold but they have a mountain of great vintage patterns for all eras.  I was attracted by the asymmetrically-set, diagonal seams with gathered drape.  But not so much the button decoration.  By adding the extra seams, I believe I have made it easier to construct, as they eliminate the corner seams.  I have also reworked the back view from the original design to carry the front, diagonal seams through to the back dress.

For all the pattern making detail for the Vintage Update jump across to the website blog.

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Vintage Fancy

Since the earliest of my pattern making days I have had a passion for the tailored femininity of vintage styling.  And now that I have discovered an extensive online community that enjoys both fashion and vintage designs I am presented with so many beautiful options for our weekly pattern puzzle.  I found this weeks inspiring image in a wonderful tumblr blog, The Tailors Desire, full of all things vintage.  :)

Pattern Puzzle - Vintage Fancy

For all the pattern making detail for the Vintage Fancy jump across to the website blog.

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Double Drape Maxi

You may be forgiven for thinking that we often torture the stuffing out of our fabulous #PatternPuzzle fans.  Well, last Saturday was no exception.  I did a slightly tricky thing with a 'grown-on hood' and it was enough to make the pattern shapes very hard to read.  The idea I have is to cut this dress in a merino jersey.  That could be either a one-way or two-way stretch jersey.

The Double Drape in the Maxi refers to the #CowlDrape on the back of this dress and the #GatheredDrape on the centre front seam.  The hood styling may also be considered a #CowlDrape with the large tuck and the centre back line on the fold.

Pattern Puzzle - Double Drape Maxi

For all the pattern making detail for the Double Drape Maxi jump across to the website blog.

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Drape Back Dress

The simplest of shapes have a tendency to be the most difficult to solve in the pattern puzzle.  When there are no recognisable patten parts (armholes, necklines, etc.) a huge amount of creativity is needed to make sense of the pattern shape.  Each week our fans excel in their ability to work their way through the information, ask the best question and eventually win the day.  :)  They are the best!

The Drape Back Tunic is now a PDF Sewing Pattern.

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Vintage Booty Dress

It was a demanding #PatternPuzzle this week that ran live across all the different time zones and gave everyone a chance to join in.  You can see by the pattern shapes below that the final move of adding the front side panel to the back side panel was just enough to make it a very challenging game.  Huge thanks to all fans and friends for dropping by and making it a great day.  :)

Pattern Puzzle - Vintage Booty Dress

For all the pattern making detail for the Vintage Booty Dress on the website blog.

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Erte Inspired Design

This weeks #PatternPuzzle was about targeting another of my favourite Erte designs and bringing this inspiration up-to-date.  As it turns out this is a truly challenging style.  I know I made at least two mistakes in putting these pattern making instructions together.  So please forgive any other errors you may find.  And because of it's complexity, I imagine I would have to produce at least 2-3 toiles/muslins to really get the design and fit to work well before attempting final cloth.

Pattern Puzzle - Erte Inspired Design

All the pattern making instructions have been moved to the website blog. :)

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Cowl Back Tee

We have had a good run lately with Cowl Drape styles and this week is no exception with the Cowl Back Tee.  Last week was the Vivienne Drape Dress featuring a Cowl Drape on the neckline and in the skirt.  And two weeks ago a reworking of The Drape Shift in a woven fabric for The Drape Shift - Woven.  You might say we are coming at the #CowlDrape thing from all directions.

Pattern Puzzle - Cowl Back Tee

All the pattern making instructions have been moved to the website blog. :)

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Vivienne Drape Dress

It was another short race last Saturday as the first correct answer came in 7 minutes after posting.  #PatternPuzzle fans are proving to be fast and accurate leaving me with an enormous challenge to find yet more interesting ideas to unpack.  

This weeks design is a homage to one of my favourite designers, Vivienne Westwood.  The understated neckline drape and off centre skirt drape are characteristic of her wonderful draped dresses.

All the pattern making instructions have been moved to the website blog. :)

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - The Drape Shift Woven

The original Drape Shift #PatternPuzzle post has turned out to be the best performing of all our blog posts over the past two years.  It has pattern making instructions for the knit version of this design which is admittedly far more straight forward than the woven fabric version featured in this post.  So in response to many requests I have detailed here the pattern making instructions to make this design for woven fabrics.

All the pattern making instructions have been moved to the website blog. :)

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Curved Seam Dress

Once again our weekly #PatternPuzzle is focused on doing wicked things with darts!  The design is a classic in many ways and uses a very flattering diagonal seam.   The drape is sent in opposite directions to encourage the eye to take in the whole garment. 

All the pattern instructions have been moved to our new blog, on the website.  See you there!  :)

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - The Cowl Tube Top

It's a mean thing to present the fans with a rectangle as a #PatternPuzzle and expect them to describe the garment.  In my defence I did include a couple of very small notches as a clue.  In the end Mioara was able to produce an almost exact image of the idea in knit fabric. I think we may have been reading the same pattern making books.  ;)

I found this image on pinterest but have had no luck finding the original source material.  If anyone knows the origin of this piece I would love to be able to include the correct information here.

All the pattern making instructions have been moved to the webiste blog. :)

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzles - Balenciaga Blouse

The inspiration behind this weeks #PatternPuzzle post is this divinely simple vintage blouse by Balenciaga (circa. 1958-60) found in the MetMuseum online collections.  It has been sitting in my stash of great ideas for #PatternPuzzles for over a year.  :)

All the pattern making instructions have been moved to the website blog. :)

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - Classic Drape Dress

The idea behind this weeks #PatternPuzzle is to use a classic drape style to show how the fitting darts in your bodice block turn into drape according to design.  And to also have a go at making my pattern making technique clearer for everyone.

All the pattern making instructions have been moved to the website blog. :)

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - The Seamed Cowl Dress

ALL THE DETAIL FOR THE SEAMED COWL CAN BE FOUND ON THE NEW BLOG.

You'll find all the pattern making detail on the website blog.

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - The Dolman Coat

ALL THE DETAIL FOR THE DOLMAN COAT POST CAN BE FOUND ON THE NEW BLOG.  

You'll find all the pattern making detail on the website blog.

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - The Morticia Skirt

You'll find the PDF Sewing Pattern available on the website.

www.studiofaro.com

Pattern Puzzle - The Draped Peasant Dress

Last Saturdays #PatternPuzzle pays homage to Yohji Yamamoto’s SS 2002 collection. Fans made very light work of our pattern pieces and had the puzzle solved by lunch time. Gloria Lucia Sandoval went to all the trouble of printing out the puzzle, cutting and assembling the tiny pieces to make sense of it for everyone. :)

The Draped Peasant Dress has a strong oriental flavour with a Kimono sleeve and a classic but restricted print & colour palette. Inspired by the back view of this Yohji Yamamoto (SS 2002) gown, this kimono styled dress features contrast fabric, a gathered neckline and waistline drape.

You'll find all the pattern making detail on the website blog.

www.studiofaro.com