Eco-Friendly Fashion Solutions

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about the pollution caused by the fashion industry.

This issue can be frightening to anyone in the fashion industry and might even at one time been a reason for some industry professionals or even prospective fashion career enthusiasts to turn their back on the fashion industry in favor of the environment and our future but not now.

We've got hope now thanks to the growing number of caring industry professionals and their corresponding resources manufacturers and scientists dedicated to environmental sustainability.

There are many sustainable resources available for us fashion designers, in every area of clothing design and production. We've got organic natural fiber textiles, natural and eco-friendly fabric paints, dyes and dying techniques as well as a growing availability of organic and eco-friendly sewing notions and even fully bio-degradable polyester thanks to the fibers and textiles supplied by the Ichimura company in Japan (using DuPont's 'Apexa' polymer resin).

Over the next few weeks or so I'm going to develop a resource list of the websites, companies and online stores where fashion designers all over the world can have acess to affordable eco-friendly products and keep up to date and informed about chemicals and textile manufacturers that are serious about providing strictly environmentally friendly products.

As fashion designers and consumers alike, we've got the power to turn our industry into a sustainable practices only industry and we don't have to do it tomorrow, we've got the resources to do it today.

I've got to drop some names here for you to look out for but don't worry I'll be providing more info in my up coming eco friendly fashion lens.

Kitamura (bio degradable polyesters)

Summer Rayne Oakes (the world's first eco-friendly model)

Victor Innovatex launched Eco-Intelligent Polyester (perpetually recyclable, chemical free polyester)

Climatex® Lifecycle biodegradable fabrics made from organic wool and ramie and dyed with 16 different safe non-toxic dyes

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Well, Time To Try Out My Fashion Industry Wings

I'm a little scared, about working with my first client but I'm currently looking for a designer to work with so I can work as a pattern maker, then, after a couple years with that kind of work, hopefully with more than one client, I'm planning to start my own line of fashion or get a job as a fashion designer. Got to be flexible because you never know where the greater opportunity lies.

So here is my ad, let me know what you think:

I'm a beginner pattern maker looking to partner up with a freelance, entrepreneur or student fashion designer to offer my pattern making services so I can further develop my skills while gaining experience in the field of fashion pattern making.

For anybody willing to give me a chance I'll do the first five garment patterns for free.

What I have in mind is to develop paper patterns for my partner/client (you) and mail them out to (you) in return for these services I want to get credit for the pattern drafting of the design (not the actual design itself). Along with a signed designer's sketch or illustration of the intended garment and an 'after production' photo of the garment on the intended wearer or dress form.

I'd also prefer that if professional photos can't be provided that they be taken in good (complimentary) lighting against a plain background.

After I've fulfilled my 5 free garment pattern commitment, my fee for each garment piece, depending on the complexity will be between $10 - $30 for at least 6 months.

If anybody is interested in my offer please email me at stylistwithacause@gmail.com

I'll be looking forward to hearing from you,

thanks and have a wonderful day

Ayisha1978


The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Slow Progress, But That's How Things Are

Okay, so I've gotten into fashion pattern making now, I'm still doing freelance writing on the side because I'm not getting paid yet for my drafting gigs. If you teach yourself and you've got no experience and credentials, that's reality, you've got to do work for free to prove yourself. If you're dedicated it's not a real problem, but you still need to make money to live, especially important if you've got 2 kids and 4 cats, they don't stop needing stuff, so I'm choked. But, ONWARD! You know what Benjamin Franklin said? "Up with ye sluggard, there's time enough for rest when you're dead." I just love that, don't you? Goes hand in hand with my "Just do it!" motto I live by.

Wish I could keep up with my blog like I want too, nothing much has happened so far really, well, that's not quite true, I've managed to:

- land a few non-paying clients (everybody likes free labor don't they?" one in Illinois, a girl in Florida and another one right here in Vancouver, all by using the fashion industry network and craigslist, hmm, didn't think to use kijiji though, I'll do that too

- come across this awesome site for designers to upload their fashions, get exposure and even get their garment made and sold (and earn a profit from it, too cool huh? the site url is: http://www.garmz.com/ great team, great quality site, you got to love them and check it out

and I've come to realize that I better get Connie Amaden Crawford's book "pattern making made easy" so I can further professionalize my work, the lutterloh pattern making system has some nice "blocks" you can work from, but they're pretty poor on marking and labeling so I need another resource as well, I'm thinking Connie's book should do it. Maybe I should have done that first, but I'm starting to shun procrastination big time and wanted to get started. Face your fears, let nothing stop you, when you jump out the plane you've got to hit the ground running!

Anyway, wish me luck, I want all of you to succeed in your dreams, let's make a happy, eco-friendly world!

Eco Friendly Fashion Designers Resources page

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Don't Be Afraid Of Challenges

Okay, if you're like me you may be doing both a job you don't like and working toward learning how/doing one you love. For me this means being a freelance writer for hire while really wanting to pursue/indulge and dive into a fashion career. Somedays, I can't work on patternmaking, it's true because deadlines, articles need to be done at certain times. Being a ghost writer too, means that you're letting more than one person down if you don't complete your deadlines. Your direct client and their client, no a good thing.



So when you need to make the money with the job you don't care for, you need to face up to the fact that this is about daily/weekly priority fluctuations. You've got to be patient and avoid being reckless with your time. Think about your time priorities, if you've got an extra tight deadline to meet (4 articles need to be done by the day after tomorrow for example) then get those out of the way before working on your heart's desire (patternmaking practice). However, when you have a breather in the form of no current projects or a distant deadline, don't go slack. DON'T PROCRASTINATE!



If working on patternmaking or anything else that you really want to do that takes time and effort, don't steal time away from your dreams by taking it easy. Get up and fight for what you love and get busy working on it. The little problem that keeps us from doing that is wanting our undesirable work to be easier right? Like, if we just relax and take some time off doing nothing, than the 'other work' won't be so depressing and stressful right?



If this is happening to you, put your foot down with yourself and remind yourself that if you work on what you love anyway it's the only right way to invest in yourself and your dreams. Even if by doing so you keep your not-so-fun work on a constant fairly tight deadline, at the end of the day, you still know that you're working toward your goal, you're getting somewhere. It's like what they say in the fitness industry, "no pain, no gain".



If you'd like to find out more about the fashion industry, schools, work, inspiration or anything else related to fashion visit my site at:



Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources



If you're a designer or home sewer and you'd like to find some cool eco-friendly fabrics and more check out my resource page at:

The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page

Chapter 12 Kimonos and Raglans or Chapter 13 Sleeve Drafts pattern making practice?

Another patterm making weekend, study/practice that is. I just completed chapter 11 dealing with drafting collars and hoods. Chapter 12 of Connie Amadon Crawford's Pattern Making Made Easy is dealing with Kimono and Raglan block construction, however, the next Chapter (13) is dealing with sleeve blocks, which I need to draft the Kimono and Raglan blocks, so I've decided to do Chapter 13 (the sleeve chapter) first. Looks like there's a really neat new way to draft sleeves too. The tecnique is based on a arm size measurement table, love those kind of guidelines. I also love learning all these different processes to drafting patterns. I remember thinking that patternmaking was some kind of illusive, magical art, which maybe a cute, sometimes inspiring way to look at things, but it can become a little daunting when you actually try to develop patternmaking skills without having proper instructions to follow and that's not really a good thing. Thanks to Connie's book I see pattern making as an adventure in practical geometry, based on clothing the human figure, all math, curves and a welcome comfortable logic. Lots of nice rules to follow to help you along too, taking the guess work out of the picture and of course laying the foundation for experimental changes and alterations.

I thought I was going to be able to just buy my dress form in a few weeks or less, well, I'm not going to be able to do that, however, I've started saving a little of all the money I make off my writting gigs :) to put toward my dressform. I can't wait to have the beautiful thing in my home. I'll have to mark it on my own but that's okay, I even like the idea (I might even decorate it, hehehe). What I've done is just started leaving 20 - 30 dollars what ever is a bit more than my usual $100 + writing project (usually a whole batch of article re-writes) and I am pretty close to what I need, just got to make sure I've got enough for shipping and handling for my dressform as well. I'm thinking I may be able to buy it at the end of the month which ain't really bad at all.

I want to make something clear to all you readers out there that may be wondering "but if she's already making patterns without a dressform, why is she buying one anyway?" Well, just let me square up about the situation, I have sewn and made my own clothes for quite a few years (since I was 13 or so) however you can imagine how errored those patterns were :(, I couldn't help it though, I just had to do it right? Well same thing here, my familiarity with basic pattern shapes helped me draft a bodice without a dressform, done just well enough as an educational tool to continue developing the rest of the blocks in the book. But these blocks are a bit distorted, and I don't like that. So, to get my patterns drafted perfectly, I obviously need what they all say, that lovely dressform. Working on the book ahead of time has just cut down my preparation time to be able to create ready to use patterns. When I'm done with this practice, I'll make the 24 or so basic blocks over again from dressform bodice draft and I'll be good to go. Just thinking about this is very exciting :) Any way, I got to throw some bread pudding in the oven and get started with my sleeve drafting practice. .

If you'd like to read more about fashion, information on the industry and online schools check out my site at:
Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources


If you're a designer or home sewer and you'd like to find some cool eco-friendly fabrics and more check out my resource page at:
The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page

Only The Buttons Left To Do On My Lemon Tulip Pattern

Okay,  I've got to fess up,  this post is a week late as I did all this work last weekend and simply wasn't able to write a post for the life of me due to housework.   It's a shame,  but here are the photos of my finished look. My only complaints about the finished design,  is that I think I should have made the waist and midriff band half the width (I just had to say that),  I wish there was at least an extra 1/2" of ease in the waistband and the sleeves,  although every bit as beautiful as I wanted them to be,  should have been a bit shorter by at least 2".  I'll be sure to put in all these tweaks when I re-work the pattern.

Other than that,  there are only the buttons left to put in and those are going to be the metal ball buttons.  I still liked them after I had the garments sewn up,  they're a little quirky for the design,  I know,  but I like them,  it fits anyway.  I'm not so sure about the lingerie part though actually,  lol,  after watching a few Tinkerbell movies,  great 3D movies there,  I think my design is more of a fairy costume,  so funny.  I'll have to do some serious lingerie another time, Oh hold it,  I had an idea for a piece a few months back,  I should work it out for my portfolio...!  Awesome idea there.  I think I want to do my jacket design anyway though.  Now to decide which one I'm going to work on first.   

It might have to wait till next weekend though because I've got a pile of dishes sitting in the kitchen (note,  I didn't restrict it to 'sink'  eeeck!)  and unfortunately my article writing suffered this week so I've got to make that up too.

I've got another confession to make as well,  out of all the "how to" fashion books I've read,  pattern making,  sewing secrets,  couture sewing,  designer details,  pattern grading and even various book on the fashion industry but .... after all is said and done,  I realized last week that I've never actually read a book on Fashion Design.  Isn't that crazy?   I've got to get another book on pattern making,  either dealing with women's suites,  specialty patternmaking or patternmaking for lingerie,  but my next book purchase will have to also include a book on Fashion Design,  as in the design process that goes into collection development.  I've already got a list of books I'm going to be picking from.

I'll have to choose between a book that focuses on the process itself from the perspective of a fashion school professor or another that focuses on the history of fashion design and the process.  (I'm a sucker for history so this is a tough choice).   Soon as I get my web cam up and running, or get a real camera,  I'll start making book reviews of all the cool books I've been reading,  or rather have read on fashion and patternmaking.

Any way,  I didn't eat anything yet since early this morning either so I better get busy with my non-fashion work for now :(

If you'd like to read more about fashion, information on the industry and online schools check out my site at:

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

If you're a designer or home sewer and you'd like to find some cool eco-friendly fabrics and more check out my resource page at:

The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page

Pattern Grading Experiment For Pattern Cutting Skill Development

The results for yesterday's pattern grading experiment for expanding my pattern cutting skills.  The red bodice pattern and sleeve blocks are the 'Internet' grade I did.  This is where a pattern is simply scaled down or up to whatever size it needs to be.  For example if you need to grade a size 6 up to a size 8,  you've got to increase bust,  waist and hip measurements by 1" and this is what I was doing.

Because I'm working with half the front and back bodice sections,  you've got to change each using a 1/4 of the over all grade,  in this case I had to add on 1/4" to the front and back sections and do almost the same for the vertical measurements as well.

The green bodice pattern and sleeve blocks however,  were graded according to Connie Amaden Crawford's book on grading.  First you've got to section the blocks in certain horizontal and vertical areas,  then you've got to figure the amounts to spread them outward or inward to enlarge them or decrease the block's size,  respectively.  (A little bit needs to be reserved  for the hip measurement so it's left out when the bodice section  is being vertically graded). A detail totally neglected in the 'Internet' method.

Click to see the actual difference between the aligned patterns.

Here,  I've aligned the green version over the red version and it turns out that the red version is a bit bigger then it's supposed to be and a bit longer as well.  You'll have to click on the link to really see the difference,  but it's a bit too much of a difference.  On a lazy day,  I might grade a pattern using the 'Internet' method if I was working on a pattern I'd be sewing for myself,  like to wear right... maybe.   However,  seeing as how Kathleen Fasanella said that when pattern cutting professionally,  your patterns can't have as much as 1/32 of a error,  I think I'd better stick to Connie Amaden Crawford's grading technique when I'm doing client work.   No questions or doubts about that in my mind.

So now, I've got to check the armscye balance,  that's the armhole measurement,  adjust the curves,  check and possibly adjust the sleeve cap curve and ease,  place the notches in their correct places and give them their 1/2" seam allowances.   Then I'll take this size 8 (Butterick standard) and grade it up to a size 10 getting ready to do some work for a client.

For all those aspiring designers and those who want to learn pattern cutting,  I'll be offering these additional sizes of blocks for only $5,  once I've got my pavment store set back up on my facebook page,  so stay tuned,  hopefully over the course of this coming month you'll see these new size 8 and size 10 bodice patterns available.

If you are interested in my discount digital pattern cutting or digitization service however,  or you have any questions,  please email me for more information at stylistwithacause@gmail.com or visit my Facebook page to learn more.

Patternmaking In CorelDraw9

Wow,  once you know how to use a software and you have a skill you can implement iton it,  like patternmaking things can get really cool.   With the precision of a software like CorelDraw9 program your confidense goes up and because you don't have to worry about wasting any fabric or paper you're ready to edit anything over and over again,  save all your 'work in progress' steps as valuable resources and above all experiment.   I grade my patterns,  I build the seams,  add the allocations and pattern markings,  use slash and spread techniques and dart piviting as well as create and edit style lines all in one place.   The only problem is that I couldn't measure curves.  

This becomes a problem any time I had to true up the armcye and/or a sleeve cap.   Before today I was printing out sections of my patterns and reprinting them from AdobePhotoshop CS2 whenever I had to walk the sleeves into their armholes and adjust their curves as needed because there was no way for me to perfectly measure them.   Truly a nuisance.   So I decided to look for how to measure curves in CorelDraw9 on Google.  

I stumbled upon a forum where some guy who happened to be a CorelDraw user that developed a script for doing just that.   Cool little thing too.   Any way here's the full lowdown for any of you who may need such a curve measuring script:

(Thank you Peter Clifton of the UK,  for putting out this free to download and edit script,  God bless you big time)

First download the curve measuring script for your version of CorelDraw9 from Peter Clifton's page: http://www.clifton89.freeserve.co.uk/

Then follow the instructions about how to incorporate the file into your CorelDraw9 subdirectory (folder group in programs on your computer) Scroll down to the bottom of this page:
http://www.oberonplace.com/draw/drawscripts/megagallery/index.htm

And all this has got me to thinking about my own designs too.   When I've completed patterns for my clients and I have a little extra free time,  I could develop my patterns,  say in a size 6 like my dressform and either sell them to home sewers who like my designs or sell them to clothing manufacturers who like them.  Of course this means I'd most likely lose re-sale and distribution rights,  but I won't mind that at all if I can get credit for my designs (not at all like when you work as ghost writer).

At this point,  I have no idea what next time's post will be about,  but it'll definitely be something cool about patternmaking or fashion design.   I thank God for all the people out there that put together free information,  programs and scripts for those who need them.

If you'd like to read more about fashion, information on the industry and online schools check out my site at:
Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

If you're a designer or home sewer and you'd like to find some cool eco-friendly fabrics and more check out my resource page at:
The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page

Free Fashion Figure Template Downloads/Printing How To

Well okay,  about a week ago,  I posted my free fashion figure templates for everyone to download or print,  which ever you like and my instructions for how to get the files into your hands were... a little off.   Google's way of allowing people to view them has changed so this is why I made the mistake in the first place.   So here's the right way to do it and the link to the post so you don't have to look for it if you want to go back and get some fashion figure templates to start working on your own fashion designs after you read this post:

http://myroadtobecomingafashiondesigne.blogspot.com/2011/12/free-fashion-figure-templates-are-here.html

1.  when you see a template you like in the 'free fashion figure templates' blog post left click on the picture

2.  when the 'gallery view' comes up and there's a row of thumbnails at the bottom of the screen with the larger image you chose at the top right click on the big image and click the option that says "open in new tab"

3.  when you're in the new tab you'll see the template on a white background,  run your mouse over it (it'll probably appear as a zoom lens

4.  click to zoom to actual size and print the image out, depending on what size you want the figure to be you may want to save the image and change the size (and eliminate the problem of having the url printed with it at the bottom of the page) or you might just want to take the shortcut and pick the "fit to media" option in your printing dialogue box.

Okay so there you go,  sorry if you had any problems getting these images printed out the first time around.   I might take a while to get my actual patterns made for my portfolio designs,  although they are definitely going to happen (I've already got several design illustrations thought up and ready to scan in and edit),  because I'm also teaching myself how to create digital patterns using CorelDraw9 and Adobe CS2.   It's a must that I learn this because I realize it's the best thing for both my potential clients and myself to do so and it's in demand.   I'll keep you all posted as things progress though.

If you'd like to check out my fashion or eco friendly fashion resources lenses here are their links, feel free to drop me a note if you like what you see/read, I'll be happy to hear from you:

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page 

Digital Patternmaking, Can I Do It Myself? Yes I Can!

After some good long thinking,  not only am I going to work on my portfolio with some original designs,  but I'm also going to see if I can teach myself digital patternmaking and develop a way to send printable pattern files to my clients.  

Well,  I did take a course in desktop publishing years ago and I learnt how to use CorelDraw 9,  I love that program and I've been wondering if I can use it for patternmaking because whenever I look at screen shots of patternmaking programs they look a lot like vector programs.

I'm thinking regular patternmaking programs probably have a database of ready make blocks to edit,  maybe in different sizes too,  and have neat features like notch adjustments,  seam allowance builders,  mabye even a way cool dart manipulation feature.   But technically speaking a person should be able to pull all of that off in regular bare bones vector program if they know how to use one and they also know how to draft regular patterns.   Heheheh,  I know how to do both :)   So several hours later (I've never done this before) I've completely reconstructed my basic bodice block in CorelDraw 9.  Here it is:

Something to smile about for sure.   I just can't stand by and wait to learn something when I think I can teach myself somehow.   After all that's what got me this far.   So now,  I'm not in the clear,  I have to see if there's a way to create a "tile" file for the pattern to perfectly printed out from a file I can create in Adobe Photoshop CS2.   That might be tricky,  I believe the newest versions of CorelDraw allow you to do this easily,  "but I ain't got the money for that".   No problem there's always a way :).    Now,  if you're wondering how I got those beautiful neckline and armscye curves,  it was a little digital ingenuity.  

I found a non-angle shot of a vary form curve ruler (googled it of course) than I imported it into CorelDraw 9 and enlarged it so that the image's inch measurements matched a little 'inch' bar at both the straighter end and at the curved end.

Then I made some inch marks and half inch markers so that I could still measure my curves in the software,  neat huh?   All I have to do is flip this baby around and basically use it the same way as I would an actual ruler.

Well,  now if I get a client,  think I may have one when these holidays are over, crossing my fingers,  but even if I don't,  I'm going to work on these digitals and my portfolio pieces so I can show em my patternmaking expertise.

Before I send off any digital patterns though,  I'm going to be printing out a hardcopy see how they measure up.

If you'd like to check out my fashion or eco friendly fashion resources lenses here are their links, feel free to drop me a note if you like what you see/read, I'll be happy to hear from you:

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page