Fashion Incubator » Grading http://www.fashion-incubator.com How to start a clothing line or run the one you have, better. Thu, 16 May 2013 00:39:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=334 Life in the trenches from the real world of a technical designer http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/life-in-the-trenches-from-the-real-world-of-a-technical-designer/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/life-in-the-trenches-from-the-real-world-of-a-technical-designer/#comments Sat, 30 Jun 2012 22:59:57 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=11491 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/life-in-the-trenches-from-the-real-world-of-a-technical-designer/feed/ 14 How to check the accuracy of graded patterns pt.3 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-check-the-accuracy-of-graded-patterns-pt-3/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-check-the-accuracy-of-graded-patterns-pt-3/#comments Sat, 30 Jun 2012 22:59:00 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=11493 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-check-the-accuracy-of-graded-patterns-pt-3/feed/ 2 How to check the accuracy of graded patterns pt.2 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-check-the-accuracy-of-graded-patterns-pt-2/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-check-the-accuracy-of-graded-patterns-pt-2/#comments Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:43:09 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=11466 part one, someone I'll call Mary asks:
At this point I'm not 100% sure what the procedure is, hopefully you can confirm. Once I get the nest I will test it by sewing one sample? or should I sew every size?
The short answer is no, kind of. The real answer is that it depends. I'll explain still another way to check the grade on the nest without convoluted charts. In part three I'll explain why you mostly shouldn't sew up a set of sizes to check the grade. Checking the nest: This presumes you provided the grade or grading guidelines and calculated its division across however many pieces. It also presumes you know where the cardinal points lie (these points are numbered in the Excel grade rule report I showed you in the first entry). What you want to do is measure along the XY grid to see the grade of each point and for each size. I'll show you how to do this for one point; this is the junction of the side seam and under arm. This first illustration below shows a line drawn perfectly vertical and another horizontal to intersect with the base size cardinal point. Since all of your sizes grow and shrink from the base size, each cardinal point of the base size is effectively the zero point.]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-check-the-accuracy-of-graded-patterns-pt-2/feed/ 3 How to check the accuracy of graded patterns http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-check-the-accuracy-of-graded-patterns/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-check-the-accuracy-of-graded-patterns/#comments Fri, 22 Jun 2012 23:50:33 +0000 Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=11439 grade_post_seam_measure2Edited 6/23/12 So you had a pattern graded, what do you do next? By way of introduction to what can go amiss if you don't know what to do after you get a pattern graded comes this comment (emphasis is mine, edited for clarity):
In the midst of my first production, I visited the factory today and found out that the sleeves of my dresses were much larger than the armholes they are supposed to fit in to. In some cases, the sleeves were 1" larger on each side, front and back armholes (total 2"). This was across the board, 5 styles in 5 graded sizes. Result: waste of fabric and sewing time trying to correct the problem. The sample pattern was checked against the sample size in the marker. Don't graders have the ability to check seam lengths on graded sizes? Has this happened to anyone?
The short answer is yes, graders have a tool to check grades which I will show you and then I will describe the process to follow after having a pattern graded to prevent this sort of thing. Before proceeding, one off topic mention: Sleeve and armhole seams should match evenly; see Sleeve cap ease is bogus. Additionally, it bears reminding that a grader might not be at fault if the pattern was wonky before it got to them and no, they're not responsible for checking it unless you pay for it. Which is why a lot of pattern people don't want to grade patterns they didn't make because patterns must be checked for accuracy (see how to do it yourself) before grading to prevent cumulative error. Using my CAD program (StyleCAD), I can display seam measures in a variety of ways. This first one (top right) shows seam lengths (the key is F7 if you have this software) from notch to notch. In the above example I'm showing two adjoining pieces. From the left corner to the notch, the seam is 3 63/64ths on both sides. From the notch to the right corner, the seam length is 2". In this way I'm checking not only total seam length but that the notches are exact on the two pieces that will be sewn together.]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-check-the-accuracy-of-graded-patterns/feed/ 12 Pop Quiz: grading necklines pt.2 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/pop-quiz-grading-necklines-pt-2/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/pop-quiz-grading-necklines-pt-2/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:34:14 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10739 the first entry and the side jaunt (what does a 1" grade mean?), I'm not sure we have a clear explanation for the apparent contradiction. Specifically the contradiction is: If we only grade the neckline a total of .5" for a 1" grade, how come we don't grade the neckline an inch for a 2" grade? [Informal (unscientific) polling shows we usually grade the neck 3/4" for a 2" grade, 1/2" for a 1" grade.] Some suggested ideas were as follows (mostly paraphrased, please correct me if I misquote, mis-attribute or misinterpret what you said): Theresa said 3/4" is used for a wider demographic because one is using SML instead of 6-16 etc. You know, there is some validity here. I take this to mean this is a way of refining the grade, to tweak it with a semblance of fit to one's customer rather than an across the board, gross increase. This seems just as likely as any other theory. Katyrenee said it amounted to "just because", that we do it this way because it works (for whatever reason) instead of blindly following a rule. I like this too, another good theory. Brina said the neck increase should be relative, not absolute -using the example of grading from a M to an XL. At first I wasn't sure what she meant as the amount of grade applied to an area is relative (explained in the second post) but I think I get it now. It brought to mind an ongoing argument I've been having with Cooklin's grading book -yes, I argue with inanimate objects since Cooklin is now deceased and couldn't be compelled to leave the piano (and wine and women) long enough to discuss it with me and for which I do not blame him, my being generally quarrelsome. Pg 25 of my copy has scrabbled sketches with a lot of notation to include exclamation! points! such as "F&G do not equal D!" , "D-(F+G)=8%!"and "D=25%, F+G=17%, E=12.5%!" This of course is totally aside from the fact that I am in complete agreement with him that the front should get 62.5% of the grade and the back 37.5% of it but I don't know anybody who grades like that (anymore). Which is because your front is bigger than your back (yes it is, yes.it.is). Which is in sum, kind of sort of what Brina was saying drawn out to its logical conclusion. I think. Either that or I am too liberal in my attempts to inject a little fun into a normally dry discussion.]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/pop-quiz-grading-necklines-pt-2/feed/ 13 What does a 1″ or 2″ grade mean? http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/what-does-a-1-or-2-grade-mean/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/what-does-a-1-or-2-grade-mean/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:33:01 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10697 Pop Quiz: grading necklines -and as it has come up before, I thought to dispense with it for once and all time. Namely, what do we mean when we say we have a 1 or 2 inch grade (or however much)? This is not so easily summarized because it seems ambiguous if one doesn't understand the underlying references. I'll try to explain the primary tenets of grades which are:
  1. A grade describes sizing changes for the major fitting attribute only.
  2. Application of the grade is proportionate.
  3. Grading is a logarithmic scale. Or should be.
Defines major fitting attribute: Generally, when we say something has a 1" grade, we mean that the major or defining attribute of the garment will grow or shrink that amount. If the item is a blouse, it is understood that the bust measure will grow or shrink 1". If the item is a pant, it is understood that either waist or hip is the primary fitting attribute. It is also possible they both are, it depends on the company.]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/what-does-a-1-or-2-grade-mean/feed/ 8 Pop Quiz: Grading necklines http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/pop-quiz-grading-necklines/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/pop-quiz-grading-necklines/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:02:49 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10684 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/pop-quiz-grading-necklines/feed/ 23 Why larger sizes cost more or Size is nothing but a number http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/why-larger-sizes-cost-more-or-size-is-nothing-but-a-number/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/why-larger-sizes-cost-more-or-size-is-nothing-but-a-number/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:44:55 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10278 a recent comment:
Please explain to me why lines that sell the exact same clothes in a 6 to a 20 charge more for the 16-20. In my example it is the exact same style and brand (pinup style clothing which tend to fit plus sizes well). PLEASE help me understand as I find it entirely perplexing!
The answer to this question may seem intuitive but the context is that she read Why existing manufacturers don't add plus sizes in which we said the costs of adding on a plus size line were considerable, on the order of adding another division. Since the manufacturer she mentions already tacks on larger sizes to the standard sizes they offer, I can see she has a point. It goes without saying that Lisa is new in these parts because she has not learned I cannot tell you the time without also explaining how to build the clock. Thus opens this discussion circuitously in which I explain that size is nothing but a number. ]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/why-larger-sizes-cost-more-or-size-is-nothing-but-a-number/feed/ 21 Getting a quote for children’s pattern making pt.2 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/getting-a-quote-for-children%e2%80%99s-pattern-making-pt-2/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/getting-a-quote-for-children%e2%80%99s-pattern-making-pt-2/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:44:56 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=10169 the first entry so I don't know if people are mulling it over or what but Simone came back with answers to the questions I posed that may be similarly helpful for us to discuss. In reference to my point that she needed to have fabric samples before hiring, Simone said:
I have not sourced my fabrics yet, although it is not for lack of trying being far from the fashion districts. I'm planning to use very basic fabrics (lightweight wovens) in dye-able white. I will be dyeing my garments post production in shades that complement one another.
We call it garment dyeing and it is common. You need to shop for PFD (prepared for dyeing) fabrics. There are quite a few dye houses that provide this service. As far as sourcing that I mentioned in the first entry, one reason it is critical to be aware of industry schedules is because fabric shows are also organized by season. Meaning, you may plan to attend a fabric show in August (for example) with the intention of buying summer fabrics but there won't be much there because they're mostly selling Fall. Simone continues:]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/getting-a-quote-for-children%e2%80%99s-pattern-making-pt-2/feed/ 12 Patterns must grow longer based on girth pt.2 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/patterns-must-grow-longer-based-on-girth-pt-2/ http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/patterns-must-grow-longer-based-on-girth-pt-2/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:55:48 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/?p=9787 the first entry, it is not universally understood that girth increases will require length increases in a grade. So, I made up one dress (1/4" woven gingham) and put it on both balls to provide a comparison. Below is a small version, see the larger file if desired. The black marks indicate 1". dressed_balls_comparison_sm It is not readily apparent owing to depth of field and differing positions when I took the photos but the hemline on the soccer ball is over 2" shorter than that of the football. Again (as this seems to be a point of confusion, this is the same dress on both balls. The photo above shows the two balls side by side to provide comparison but the photos were taken separately and then spliced into one.]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/patterns-must-grow-longer-based-on-girth-pt-2/feed/ 22