Master’s Designer

posted by Masters Designers on Apr 13

There are many things that influence the designers choices in creating a clothing line. The designer has a choice of which group of sizes the designer wants to work with and the styles of the clothing that appeal to the designers clients and future clients.

Each designer can even select the measurements that each of the sizes in the line of designs are to be made from and how the designs are going to fit. The clothing can be made from certain types of fabric like woven fabric or from fabrics that have stretch. Even the amount of stretch can influence the way the clothing designs fit the client.

The fun in being a designer are unlimited if the creative flair of the design is inspiring to the designer as well as the design.
These designs can be innovative, creative, and exactly what a client has in mind for what the client wants their personal style to be.

posted by Masters Designers on Feb 6

Transforming your wardrobe is easy if you know how to do it.

Early in my sewing career I had a choir ask for 50 dresses to be designed and sewn for them for a special event they were presenting. I did all of the measurements, pattern making and sewing. When I attended the event I noticed some of the ladies looked great and some not so great.

Since I had done all of the work on creating these garments I immediately went to work to discover what caused the difference in the results I saw. I found that even with the clothing in my personal wardrobe that there were some garments that looked great and some not so great.

The thing that kept influencing the result of the over all look was clothing placement. With years of training in anatomy, the bone structure became important in understanding how each person is put together and the influence that has on the way clothing looks.

Since each clothing designer chooses the height, size and shape of the person they like to design for, many garments could look better with just a little tweaking. That is why alterations often need to be made for the garments you are purchasing or gifts you are given to add to your wardrobe. It is not your body, it is the way the clothing is fitting your body. Remember we are clothing hangers, as the garments hang from our shoulders.

Change The Length The Garments In Your Wardrobe To Be In Your Personal Proportion

Like a diagram for a room and where to place furniture, each person needs to know where to place clothing on their body so it works for their proportion and bone structure.

Padding (or weight ) around your bones does not influence your vertical placement formula. A cool side effect of putting clothing in the right place for your proportion is that you can visually look like you weigh less.

I appreciate being able to take all the guesswork out of what to wear especially when making clothing purchases so that every garment in my wardrobe is a garment that really looks great with my personal proportions. Since your vertical proportions are based on your bone structure, they will remain the same throughout your life. It will be valuable for you to become aware of your head size, where your arms attach, where your waist is and the rest of the information about how you are put together in your proportions.

The result is you can save thousands of dollars by transforming your current wardrobe and when making new clothing purchases that will flatter you every time.

Wardrobe update. It is so simple for you to make the minor changes to your clothing that they need for you to have the right proportion for your clothing. More information about how you can find out your personal proportion is HERE

The key to having a working wardrobe rather than just a hanging wardrobe is that every garment is one that fits, can be worn for the other items in your wardrobe easily and fits your lifestyle.

Improve your image instantly by having your clothing in the right place for you.

In the area of your wardrobe, you can take an amazing leap forward by knowing your personal proportion and using this information every time you get dressed.

posted by Masters Designers on Aug 6

1 Everyone has at least one part of her body that she wishes were larger or smaller. Fortunately, you may not have to resort to plastic surgery to adjust your body part to your liking. Clothing can aid you in creating the optical illusion of a better-proportioned body.

2 Make a list of the following body parts: shoulders, chest, waist and hips. When finished, look closely at yourself in the mirror. If any of these parts look disproportionate on your body, place a check mark next to them on the list and write a short explanation of the problem. Some common examples include narrow shoulders, small bust and wide hips. When finished, look at yourself again and make note of any body parts you especially like.

3 Determine which illusions you would like to create based on what you have written.

4 Learn how color and pattern create the optical illusion of changing size.

5 Learn how texture affects a garment’s illusory capabilities.

Apply your new knowledge next time you go shopping for clothes. Before you remove something from the rack to try it on, ask yourself, “Do the colors, patterns and textures in this garment draw attention to the right places?” Don’t be afraid to be picky. For any given person, there are many more unflattering clothes out there than flattering ones; but this makes it all the more gratifying to find the right piece.

posted by Masters Designers on Apr 15

When designing a garment that you want to do any kind of bead embroidery or embellishment on you start with the design basics. Shape, detail and how the garment will be worn. Bead embellishment can be done on garments from jean jackets to very upscale wedding gowns. There is no limit on bead design. The limits come more in bead placement so the overall look is creative and beautiful.

Bead embroidery can be one of the most expressive, most satisfying methods of bead work you will do.

You can use any fabric that you can get a needle through. Bead embroidery has been around for generations and is highly valued in the haute couture fashion world. Beads on fabrics look great not only on dresses, gowns and in fashion but also add that something extra on bags, hats, shoes, and belts.

Basic Beading requires only a needle, thread and beads. There are just two stitches to learn: a stop stitch and a running stitch.

Materials:

1. Beads: You can sew most beads to fabric. You can use seed beads because they are small and sit well on fabric. There are many choices to select your beads from so be creative. Here are a few choices. Delicas, Czech seed beads, Japanese seed beads, larger beads.

2. Beading Needle: These are longer and thinner than regular needles so they can go through small beads like seed beads. However, they are weaker than most needles so they can bend and break more easily.

3. Beading thread: You can buy special beading thread (usually nylon) that is coated and specially protects the thread from fraying, knotting and tangling. I prefer regular sewing thread in the same color for the entire project so it does not distract from the design.

4. Fabric you want to bead.

Things to remember about beading fabric:

Stitches should be secure but not pulled overly tight or left too loose. Maintain an even tension.

Placing project in an embroidery hoop helps you keep the tension (how tight you pull the stitches) more even preventing puckering or wavy work.

Mark placement of design with chalk pencil or a water soluble marker.

Take a back stitch every one or two inches to secure. When you do this if anything happens to break a bead or the thread, only a few stitches between the back stitches will come out, rather than the entire line of beads.

Begin with the pattern making of the garment design, put the bead embellishment into the process and create beautiful bead embellished garments that are designed and made well and you have a successful finished garment that you or your customer will want to wear and enjoy having as part of a unique wearable wardrobe.

posted by Masters Designers on Nov 11

Do you have a full-length mirror? If not, invest in one — you must be able to see yourself from head to toe in order to establish the ideal length and correct proportions. Once you have bought your mirror, you’ll appreciate how much difference getting the right proportions can make.

You may be wearing the right color, style and fabric, but if the length and proportion of your outfit are incorrect for your height and shape, you will not look your best. If you buy a garment that is the incorrect length, have it altered to fit before you wear it. Take off your shoes when checking your correct lengths. If your proportion and legs look good without shoes, then imagine what they will look like with them on!

Whether you like your body or not, if you understand what your current shape and proportions are and know a few style guidelines for your shape you are well on your way to looking your best. Not many of us do have a perfect shape (only something like 2% of the population). However, you can create the illusion of a perfect body by choosing clothes to create the appearance of perfect proportions. It’s all about balancing your perceived shape to the “perfect” shape.

Combine wearing flattering clothes with your best colors and you’ll feel fabulous and impress everyone you meet.

posted by Masters Designers on Oct 9

Quilting alone isn’t the only way to add texture to your quilt. Manipulating the fabric and stabilizing it before you add it to your quilt can add visual interest. Imagine, for example, a solid color quilt with sections of differently textured fabric.
Three easy ways to add texture to fabric include gathering, pleating and crinkling. All of these methods require cutting a bigger piece of fabric than the finished size because all methods result in some shrinkage. Generally count on cutting a piece twice as big as what you need. Cut off the extra later, if any. And all will need to be stabilized, either by sewing it to another piece of fabric cut to your finished size, or by using iron-on interfacing. Before doing any of these fabric manipulations, always wash the fabric in hot water and don’t use fabric softener.

Gathering is simply running a straight stitch, by hand or machine, across the total length of the fabric and pulling up the stitches until you reach your final measurement. If you use a sewing machine, read your manual to find out how to do a basting or gathering stitch. Alternatively, you could zigzag stitch over a length of thread or lightweight yarn making sure you don’t catch it within the stitching. Then pull the thread to gather. You can run gathering stitches only along the edges of your piece and this would give you a lot of fullness in the middle. A better result would be to run a series of gathering stitches in parallel lines across your fabric. Or stitch randomly all over your fabric.

Pleating is very like gathering, only in a more regular format. To get a feel for how much fabric it takes to make your finished square, make a sample. Start by cutting a six inch square and an eight inch square. You then need to pleat the edges of your eight inch square enough to lose two inches of length. Fold the fabric along the edge, pinning as you go, until it fits along the edge of the six inch square. Do another sample with a six inch square and a 12 inch square and see how much extra pleating you need on the bigger sample. Pleats can be regular, say, ¼ inch pleats folded in the same direction, or of random width.

Crinkling is done by wetting down your fabric and twisting it until almost dry. Bind with string or yarn if necessary to keep it twisted until completely dry. Open out gently onto an ironing board, right side of the fabric face down, and flatten it as much as possible without losing the crinkles. With a piece of iron-on interfacing cut to your final size, iron it onto the back of the fabric. Once it’s cool your fabric won’t lose the crinkled effect.

These are just three ideas to add texture to your quilt or wearable art and they can be used for either a subtle or dramatic effect. Make some samples and see for yourself how easy it is to texture fabric.

posted by Masters Designers on Sep 7

Unlikely though it may have seemed a few years ago, it now seems that the ancient pastime of knitting, borne out of necessity through the centuries, has now been given a new lease of life with many, including celebrities, busy clicking their knitting needles at every spare opportunity. The next decades may be the decade of creating ones own wardrobe, with sewing, knitting and crocheting all seeing a great surge in popularity, and it can’t all be just down to the credit crunch, with many of the more ‘well off’ sections of society joining the trend.

We were all taught the basics as a child, knit one, purl one, knit two together, and as soon as you see a pattern it will all come flooding back to you, the language of knit. It really isn’t difficult and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you learn to make a quite intricate looking pattern if you so desire.

Find a stylish pattern, pick up your needles and get at it. You can do it almost anywhere, while you’re watching TV (if it’s nothing too complicated) or traveling. You’ll get such a feeling of satisfaction being able to walk out in style, in something of your own making from start to finish and soon all of your friends will be at it too.

posted by Masters Designers on Aug 5

Fabric Art is different from fiber art in that fiber art often evokes images of the processes involved with gathering, combing, spinning and weaving. Fiber art utilizes rustic fibers as well as the textural elements of refined fibers usually to create functional items such as rugs, place-mats or runners, wearable items such as shawls, skirts or jackets, or wall decoration.

Fabric Art brings forth images of quilting, piecing and applique of manufactured fabric-on-fabric or perhaps sewing with cloth in general for the purpose of creating clothing and home accessories. In the fine arts and crafts business, fiber is becoming more and more popular. Years ago, a lot fiber art was rustic in rapture. Do you remember all the woven and knotted plant hangers, rag rugs and burlap sculptures? But weaving with fine yarns, many with interesting additions of silk and ribbon and chenille has brought forth appealing and trendy wearable clothing items which buyers find desirable.

Fabric art can be described in other ways aside from quilting and applique work. Anyone who designs and/or sews can be considered a fabric artist. People have done so for centuries. Stiffened fabric is now used to make decorative bowls–it’s sometimes used as wallpaper and certainly fills our homes with color and texture in every conceivable way on furniture, coverings and draperies. Artistic in design, by texture, by choice of color and by application of myriads of gorgeous trims–home decor is truly “fabric art”. From following patterns to make a simple baby layette to the most involved evening dress, sewing is also truly “fabric art”.

However, in taking Fabric Art that “extra step”, there is a process of applying hundreds of bits and pieces of fine fabrics to form pictures and images that has been adapted by artisans’ to adorn evening bags, purses, totes, pillows and wall art. It is innovative and unlike other processes currently on the market.

This process, which utilizes double sided fabric adhesives as well as heat elements, special glues and stitching, is unlike other forms of piecing because it is not meant to look quilted or appliqued, but rather more like a water color or oil painting in its finished form. It is not just an explosion of little pieces dropped or placed to form a textural interpretation of a scene or object as in a craft known as “snippets”, but rather it is the use of the blended and shaded areas of various hand-dyed fabrics which are meticulously cut and placed to look like artists brush strokes. The selected pieces highlight with hue and texture to create light, dimension and depth. It requires an artist’s eye for the most effective execution. It can be done on canvas and finished with artists gel medium to capture the essence or an oil painting, or applied to clothing and accessories. It’s also very effective on decorator pillows. Utilizing the right adhesive and protective finishing processes, it can be washed or cleaned.

Designer clothing accessories like handbags and specialty evening bags are the rage right now. Everywhere you turn, stores are loaded with them. There are entire stores featuring nothing but handbags and jewelry. Not only are the big name brands doing a whopping business, but anything that looks close to those designer name brand bags sell like hot cakes. The quality is not equal, but the trend is to go for the “look” rather than the real thing for the sake of today’s fashion trends.

For those who hold out for the real thing, there are unique and one-of-a-kind fabric art handbags, purses and totes available, most often through private artist designer websites or galleries. We’ve been creating custom Fabric Art for a number of years now for those who look for the unusual. The discerning buyer, while nodding to fashion trend, also embraces lasting quality and enduring style. Perhaps that is the true essence of purchasing something created at the hands of a Fabric Art master.

posted by Masters Designers on Jun 2

Accessorize your wardrobe with wearable art and create drama with your everyday look. I have always admired the wit and imagination of designers who transform everyday items into wearable art. Wearable art according to Wikipedia refers to individually designed pieces of (usually) hand-made clothing or jewelry created as fine or expressive art. There is a lot of interest today in recycling and so we see lots of wearable art coming from this eco drive to recycle. I have seen stunning jewelery made from:

-recycled PET bottles
-phone cards
-hair pins
-elevator buttons
-tooth picks
-acetate
-old wire
-and the list goes on.

Wearing jewelery pieces that are artistic masterpieces will certainly get you noticed as most pieces are individually designed and handcrafted. I like to call them conversational pieces as people will strike up a conversation with you which starts “where did you get that”. Many persons are usually intrigued by the use of everyday material to create fashion. The last time I wore my hairpin necklace; a perfect stranger approached me and asked “are those hairpins?” She has since become a friend for life. So it turns out to be a good way of meeting people as well.

Wearable art comes in all shapes and sizes and takes its inspiration from many aspects of nature. Some designers use non-fiber materials such as leather, plastic sheeting, metals, etc. to create truly unimaginable, breathtaking and lifelike works of art.

As always, it is a matter of choice when selecting jewelery accessories for your wardrobe. You can go for jewelery that is fashioned after a flora and fauna theme where designers for example produce lifelike interpretations of nature. Look for ethnic and exotic jewelery pieces including brooches in:

-Copper and Brass
-Stone
-Clay
-Glass
-Silver

A banana leaf in copper and brass in the form of an earring or pendant or orchid brooches made from leather are just a few examples. The more lifelike they look the more they will create intrigue and interest.

Most recently I came across a leather necklace in the shape of a hibiscus flower widely grown in the Caribbean. This necklace draped delicately around the neck and created a soft dramatic impact. Alternatively you can opt for the more abstract or eclectic pieces that are simple and eye-catching.

Accessorizing your wardrobe with wearable art does not only mean jewelery accessories but also includes belts, handbags, scarves, hats etc. Again look for accessories where designers have imaginatively transformed an everyday item into a work of art. Texture also becomes important. Look for bags for example which:

-combines leather with other materials such as goatskin, crochet, studs
-has an unusual shape
-uses leather with an embossed background or colored leather
-has an unusual handle
-has a bold pattern

Look for elegant and timeless handcrafted accessories that you can use time and time again. Even if they are a bit more expensive than traditional jewelery just think that if you paid £50 for a piece of wearable art and was able to use it 25 times then the cost per wear is £2. More importantly you will have it for years to come providing it is a well made quality piece.

Then again can you put a price on the pride of wearing it and the compliments and attention you receive…priceless.

Our simply stunning collection of funky unusual jewelery handbags and sandals are specially selected for their uniqueness and are not available on the high street. We are sure to find something special from our range of Ethnic jewelery and gifts. Buy online and start that conversation with fashion that begins “Where did you get that?”