The times they are a-changin’.
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I recently volunteered to create a set of instructions for making a pants patterns for the “Crochet addict” thread I was following on Facebook. I have been “toying” with the idea of creating instructions for patterns or “blanks” that artisans can fill with artwork- printed or painted, crochet, knit or quilting. I see dresses, bras, tops but the patterns available could not fit many I know. We see it all the time great images of fashion, clothing, crafted from all corners of the globe posted on social media sites. Yet try as you may to buy or purchase it is not always easy! Even for those who can “make” patterns present an issue! An independent artisan can make a duplicate of his her body form but you cannot make one for EVERY potential client! Even general grading has not been working in the traditional fashion sector.
Where there is need there is an opportunity.
At the core of the supply chain challenge and even the virtual fit challenge that keeps online clothing conversion at a 10% threshold is a simple fact;- Everybody is different and so fitting, supplying apparel, means meeting fit needs. At some point we need to admit that campaigns to get consumers to control weight to fit standard sizing is not working . That may be because fit is not merely about measurements.
Identifying real issues and meeting needs.
Many “free” patterns exist, site like Burdastyle have downloadable PDF’s for free or for sale, yet these tend to be set to standard measurements. And need alterations. Even given that the patterns is available, “how to fill” or execute in a craft format is not often clear.
As I created the pattern I found myself being cognizant of small details that needed to be communicated. Typing did not seem adequate, so I will be adding a voice over. What would usually take me 10 minutes to execute (literally) became a 20 minute tutorial that I am still preparing for sharing. (SIGN UP HERE FOR ALERTS OF FINAL) Making this seemless and easy… is not a simple task. I am simplifying the custom process I designed over 30 years so that someone with little experience can be fairly accurate! I am glad I decided to take this on as it give me an opportunity to create the guideline for a digital solution. I decided on a multistep procedure.
- How to measure,
- How to create Master pattern
- How to test a draft
- How to make a lining
- How to fill
The last sent me looking for patterns to fill but led to several crochet pants variations… all which can be made from the “master” pattern… what was a “simple” task became a template that now included.
- Selecting style-
- From Inspiration to design
- Finding pattern
- Selecting Color Combinations
- Designing Patterns
- Altering for styling options!
The biggest challenge though is taking a Creative responsibility to the process. As I worked my way through Pinterest and the social communities I am amazed how much time is wasted because there really is no organization if these images despite the existence of both visual and text search mechanism.
GIGO – Garbage in Garbage Out…
When my team and I were in the Hearst fashion hack we realized that the value of fashion images as an economic tool was being eroded by lack of correct info. You can only get out of a database what you put into it! In short if you’re looking for a crochet pants you should be able to find one in a few clicks on any of these networks. Unfortunately you cannot!
There is room as well as need for disruption in how we supply and acquire apparel. From my perspective it is simply a means of survival of making heritage crafts and arts relevant as economic sectors. I now need to digest this into a format that a developer can execute in a digital form as well as find a home printer/hardware capable of outputting the results. If you are interested in testing these sign up at Http://So.BonnieSandy.com