Option Explicit Success!

First two panels etched today. Each 24"x36" panel took 50 minutes in the laser cutter. Settings are: 50% speed at 40% power with a frequency of 2500. The lens was cleaned yesterday, so I had to modify my test settings considerably as two fires resulted from using my tested settings from the days of a dirty lens! This post is mostly for my little self, but I will add photos of the gown in progress here once I have cut all panels... Early in-progress post. Also see this finished-state post. Wool Flannel Lace Experiment.

On the Boards-Spring 2008

I now have this wonderful pattern ready from my site:



I am currently working through this one from Germany, circa 1935 to have for you this June:




I have some more goodies up my sleeve for June and July.

Option Explicit-Part Drei 'Fray Factor'

I was finally able to experiment cutting the metal silk a couple weeks ago. It was very satisfying and I have determined the correct laser settings, but I learned that I cannot make a completely clean cut through the fabric to pass it off well enough. The fray (at right) is too much! I have decided that simply etching the fabric with the laser-cut pattern is the way to go for an equally impressive fabric design as seen at left. Once I have every yard of the metal silk I need for the entire project, I will cut it into the 24x36 inch panels and have about 10 goes with the laser cutter. Stay tuned!

Option Explicit-Part Deux

Strength of (Fabric) Materials
I am studying Silk Metal Organza to prepare it for the parametric design to create my metal lace and the first step is to do proximity tests on it. The fabric is 80% metal and 20% silk-the color is silver.
Since I am essentially 'de-materializing' the material to create the new metal lace, I wish to see how close I can cut the figures in my pattern design without the fabric loosing structural integrity.
As shown below, using 'analogue' dressmaking shears, the cuts are too close together at 1/8" apart, making the fabric too weak and it breaks between openings. Looks as though the minimum agreeable distance between figures is 1/4".

Also interesting to note at this preliminary stage is the limitation the machinery imposes on the design at a couple of scales. On the smaller scale, my 44" wide cut organza (I need a total of 3-1/2 yards) has to fit into a 24" by 36" laser cutting bed, so I have to give up 8" of manufactured width and one selvage in order to even cut the design into it with the laser. Also, I cannot do a long run of yardage at one time. The fabric has to be cut to 24" by 36" pieces which are totally flat.
On the larger scale, this affects the overall design of the frock. I will have to make the seams from piecing these 24x36 sections together part of the overall design which works well in the scheme of the 1930's-the decade this frock pattern originated. Also, I am cutting the frock on the bias which requires piecing much of the time anyway-more later!
Also see the finished-state post.

Option Explicit

Making the Fabric-An Added Dimension to Dressmaking

How many times have we envied fashion designers for being able to design 'their own' fabrics?

Well, thanks to parametric design, I may have broken into the realm of possibility!

In being taught to script a 3D modeling program (Rhinocerous 4.0) I learned how to script patterns of many different geometries. Doing this has been extremely cool, but it keeps getting even better when I think about it in terms of fabric! We laser cut patterns into small panels of heavy paper board and then joined the edges of each panel into a cell which created what I think of as a 3-dimensional lace. (photo below-I always try not to become completely mesmerized by the beautiful shadows this model produces!)



At some point, I plan to create a really beautiful pattern via script and experiment laser cutting metal silk organza with it. I think of this as my metal lace.
The pattern below is the base of a design which I have modified for bias cut metal lace. Since silver metallic lace is so hard to find these days, it is thrilling to think of making it myself so the frock will finally come to life!



In-progress post.
Also see the finished-state post.

Possibility of the Perforation

As part of my Architectural graphics coursework, I read about the perforated cards used in the 19th century containing digital information (via perforations) to control textile looms. Of course in relation to that course, the bridge was being built to the use of digital information in computer systems, but I claim it also applies to the original tissue patterns dating as late as the mid-1950's.

If we think about it, these perforated markings on the pattern allow us to control where we make an indentation in the fabric surface via tailor tacks, chalk or carbon tracing. The perforations also enable us to do aligning functions with the patterns when placing the pattern with respect to the grain of fabric or when placing a pocket or other application accurately on the fabric design.
Paper sewing patterns are a special part of developable surface exploration. I know so many of you have told me you are as excited as I am about the 2-D paper becoming a 3-D garment via darts, folds, tucks, seams, etc.




The perforated markings which create the dart at the keyhole neckline in the pattern of a blouse I started last night.

On the Boards - Look what's coming!

Customer Melissa sent me some some killer patterns that had originally been her grandmother's. Among them is a 1933 McCall (top-most image) I have been looking for over the last few years! So, it will be among the first I will make available in multi-size format.
E-mailing your preferences about what you want of these first will help very much!