Amy Ballew
Cutter/Draper
Draping II
Kent State University; Spring 2023
Instructor: Grace Cochran Keenan
A graduate level course for historical draping. My project track was altered to include an accelerated project schedule and the final project was substituted for a different and more challenging time period than the original assignment.
18th Century
The inspiration for this design was taken predominately from the "Patterns of Fashion 1…c.1720-1800" by Janet Arnold. I was intrigued by the Mantua style dress and the front piece being draped around the back. Since I had previously done a half scale Robe a la Francaise I choose to go a little earlier in the century for this piece. The most challenging portion of this piece was solving the front draping piece since the underside would be seen. I went through about 3 versions before finding a working solution. The front drape is separate from the bodice and the seam is hidden by the waistband. The draped piece would need to be lined to achieve the right look.
1840s
When looking at the 1840s I was particularly drawn to the more formal wear of the period. The structure of the bodice, the fullness of the skirt through small cartridge pleats, and the wide neckline were key elements I wanted to explore. The two major challenges to this piece were the petite cartridge pleats due to the sheer number needed and a cutting error that resulted in needing to completely reconstruct the bodice in only a few late hours. The cartridge pleats were not applied as neatly as I would have liked but I am far more careful with my cutting and time table to complete things after this project.
Late Bustle
When researching this period, I discovered that the painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” fit perfectly in the time frame we were asked to stay within. The goal for this design was to create the outfit that “Dot” from Sunday in the Park with George wears based on George Seurat’s painting. The main focus was to recreate the side view drape as seen in the painting. I experienced several new puzzles with this piece and it was by far the hardest design to figure out. Draping the polonaise on the bias was mind-boggling and took a long time to wrap my head around particularly since the front needed to fall in a specific way. This was also my first time working with a two piece sleeve.
Tudor
The inspiration for this design was taken from a previous design I had done in this time period. After revisiting that design and doing more accurate research I redesigned this piece to be more period accurate and with a better understanding of how it might be constructed. Overall, this piece was less puzzling than other pieces from this semester. The shapes in the dress were simpler but the sleeve and collar were the most complex. Thankfully, I purchased The Tudor Tailor and it helped me solve what the sleeve shapes should be when in flat pattern. I’m most proud of the detailing I added to elevate the overall finished look.