What I learned in draping class at FIT
Posted by Regine Tessone- founder of the Original Modest Swimwear line for ladies and girls on 6th May 2015
Draping class at FIT taught me how important precision is. Draping gives a three-dimensional form to an idea of a garment. In Draping, one uses a fabric called Muslin (a very low-priced, somewhat stiff fabric). It would be too costly to use any other material for practice. However, once you have the correct version draped, you must use the actual fabric with which you intend to create that particular garment.
Ideally, if you design a garment like jeans, you must use denim fabric. If you are off by even a 1/8 of an inch, the entire garment is out of sync in measurement and will result in poor design. To tear a fabric or Muslin, one must do so within the grain lines of the fabric. It is preferred to cut the material this way rather than using scissors. One must be careful not to create stress on the fabric as it will give the potential garment a “poor look.” Proper amounts of seam allowances must always be taken into account. This will allow for better flexibility in wearing the garment. Darts are a great way of adding extra movement to a garment design. Another way of adding extra movement to a garment is by cutting the fabric on a bias ( briefly put, a tendency is created by folding the material that is square shaped in half and working along the long part of the triangle thereby created).
The great thing about working with swimwear is you do not have to worry about darts and perfect seam allowances. The best swimwear fabrics stretch in four directions. It is the perfect fabric to use for excessive body movement. Using this fabric is not cheap, but the results are always fabulous. At Aqua Modesta, only four-way stretch swimwear fabrics are used. As the designer of this line, I am asked by some of our accounts if we can use lower-priced materials for swimwear. However, the lower-priced fabrics stretch in only two directions. That would compromise the concept of swimwear. A well-designed garment must take into account its functionality as well as its fashionable appearance. B” H, Aqua Modesta stands behind a garment that does both well. http://aquamodesta.com/