clothing construction

CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION
EASY SHAPES FOR STYLISH GARMENTS
for Rigid Heddle and Multi-harness Weavers
JUDITH SHANGOLD
www.judithshangold.com
e-mail: [email protected]
This booklet is copyrighted by Judith Shangold and is for your personal use
only. Additional copies are available for purchase as pdf downloads from
www.judithshangold.com.
Dear reader
This material is an introduction to creating woven garments. It is by no means the complete story. Every project for
me has been a learning experience, and my main lesson is that nothing is ever perfect. The glorious (and expensive)
cashmere I used for the Off the Grid jacket sheds and snags. The fabric for Silky Jacket feels wonderful, but it wrinkles very easily, some of the chenille is worming, and the silk is already pilling. The Chenille Jacket came out shorter
than I had planned. Oh well. My next project is always going to be the best.
My interest is in exploring fashionable and wearable clothing construction ideas that require little or no cutting and,
because I am not a seamstress, not too much sewing. My other interest is in color and design. Though I have a 4harness loom, I do most of my weaving on a rigid heddle loom using only one heddle. So I am limited to plain
weave. What excites me is what can be achieved with fiber and color choices.
I have provided you the shapes I have woven, but not the specific measurements or materials or pattern stitches. I
hope to inspire you to design your own fabrics that you can make to your own measurements. More detailed patterns for some of these designs are available on my website: www.judithshangold.com. I am also happy to consult
with you and answer any questions you might have. Please e-mail me at judith @judithshangold.com.
Thank you and enjoy!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
• Guidelines for Designing
3
• Tools of the Trade
4
• Details: Armholes, Necklines, Seams, Hems,
4
Washing and Fulling
• Design: Getting Ideas
6
• Measurements and Calculations
6
DESIGNS, SHAPES AND SCHEMATICS
• Wraps / Ruana
Easy, no shaping
• Off the Grid Jacket
• Tees
8
Easy shaping
12
Involves cutting out neck and knitting
• Chenille Jacket with Pocket
A little more shaping, no cutting
• Canyon Jacket with Shawl Collar
• Silky Jacket
No shaping, but knitting knowledge needed
• Down the Garden Path Jacket
• Silk Shirt
Easy shaping
Easy shaping with knitting
Easy shaping
• Mesa Tapestry Vest
Easy shaping with knitting
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
• Project Notes Template
28
• Resource Guide
29
2
GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING
As weavers, we are capable of creating fabric that can be treated like any manufactured cloth. Armed with a sewing
pattern and a sewing machine, we are good to go. Or we can create woven shapes on the loom and design them to
become a garment. This is my focus.
The garments presented here are constructed of very simple shapes that look well on most body shapes because they
drape well. There is very little sewing required.
All of these garments were created on a 20" wide rigid heddle loom. Because of the width limitations, I either wove 2
sections for the back to achieve the right width or added width to a single panel with knitting. If you have a wider
loom, you could possibly weave the back of a jacket in one piece.
Following are some guidelines for starting to design and construct garments.
1. KNOW THYSELF Shop and try on different styles, things you might not normally try on. Look at the shapes of
the pieces you like. Take a notepad and tape measure into the dressing room with you. Turn the garment inside out;
it’s easier to see the pattern shapes. Draw diagrams of the shapes and indicate the measurements.
2. STUDY FASHION MAGAZINES AND CLOTHING CATALOGS Trace the garment on the model and try to
break the garment down to its simplest shapes. Once you’ve determined the shape of a garment you want to make,
the next step is to design it. Consider the direction in which you are weaving; do you want vertical or horizontal
stripes? Vertical lines in garments are flattering. If a weaving pattern is going to read horizontally, consider putting
some vertical stripes in the warp. Draw the shape you will be weaving and use color pencils to play with design and
color.
3. UNDERSTAND DRAPE Does the fabric need to drape softly into folds or do you want a more structured fit? For
fabric with good drape, you need to start with fibers that are soft and flexible like silk, rayon, bamboo, cashmere,
some cottons. The type of weave you choose will also effect the drape.
4. DO A MOCK-UP You can test how a shape will fit you by cutting the shapes out of muslin and quickly stitching the pieces together. This will tell you a lot in a quick, inexpensive way. Then you can make modifications for a
better fit. You can also use permanent markers to draw on the muslin to see how your design ideas will work on
your body.
5. SWATCH A good idea if you want to be sure your choices will work the way you think they will. With a rigid
heddle loom, you can put on a short, narrow warp. With a warp length of 30", you would get about 15" of weaving,
enough to tell you how your fabric will look and feel.
6. MORE IS BETTER Don’t forget to allow for take-up and pull-in. Always allow for more warp length than you
think you’ll need and better too wide than too narrow. You can always make it smaller and shorter!
7. TAKE NOTES! Write down everything! Your starting width and length, width and length off the loom, width
and length after washing, finished size. Yarns used. Patterns used. What you wished you had done. What you
learned.
3
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Helpful tools beyond your weaving equipment:
• Sewing machine that will zigzag
• Sewing thread, needle, straight pins, iron
• Sharp scissors
• T-square and triangle for making straight lines and squaring material
• Fusible interfacing is good for backing fabric if you want it stiffer or to have more body. This is good for bags or
jackets that require more structure. It also helps seal raw edges. The piece will require lining.
• Digital scale (fairly inexpensive ones are available at Staples or kitchen supply stores), preferably one that weighs
in ounces or grams. This is helpful for weighing yarn in your stash and for calculating how much yarn you will
need. If you know the yards per gram/oz or lb, you will be able to calculate the number of yards you have.
To calculate what you will need for knitted areas, knit a swatch, measure and weigh it. Let’s say your swatch is 2" X
2" or 4 sq inches and weighs 1 oz. If you want to knit 16 sq inches, you would need 4 oz.
DETAILS: Armholes, Necklines, Seams, Hems, Washing and Fulling
TO CUT OR TO SHAPE - THAT IS THE QUESTION
The answer to this question will be based on :
1. Whether the fabric will shrink significantly in washing. If the answer is yes, you should probably choose to cut out
the shapes after washing and drying.
2. Are the shapes rectangular, diagonal or curves? Rectangular shapes, like armholes and square necklines are easy to
shape on the loom. Diagonal shapes, such as raglan armholes, and curved lines, such as necklines are easier to cut.
SHAPING ON THE LOOM
Use for straight lines like armholes
Many of the schematics for these designs show gray areas
in the warp. These are areas of waste that will be cut away
after the piece comes off the loom. Figure 1 shows the
weaving shape for the “Off the Grid” jacket shown on the
cover. The gray areas are the armholes. Weave the sections
that say "hem" for 1" with a separate shuttle but same yarn
as the main body. Weave the gray area with a separate
shuttle and waste yarn for 2".
In Figure 2, the black sections are hems; the turquoise area
is waste. Either weave these sections simultaneously with
the main piece of weaving using a separate shuttle, or
weave the main piece first and then weave in the waste.
The first method allows you to use the beater; with the
second method, you will have to use a fork to beat down
the waste area. When the piece is off the loom:
• Zigzag along dotted red lines along the last row of black.
• Wash and full fabric.
• Cut warp and remove waste (figure 3).
• Trim warp close to zigzag stitching, fold hem to wrong
side, roll raw edge under and hand stitch hem in place.
1"
HEM
2"
1"
HEM
FIGURE 2
1"
HEM
2"
1"
HEM
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 3
4
SEW AND CUT Use for curved and diagonal lines like necklines, body and sleeve shaping
For a rounded neckline for a pullover, for example, it is easier to cut out the shape than to shape it on the loom.
Follow these steps (see page 13):
1. Weave the front of your piece to the shoulder. Mark side edges for shoulder seams. Weave 1" more.
2. Outline neck opening, using thin yarn in contrasting color threaded through yarn needle. This is the line along
which you will sewing machine stitch and then cut. After hemming, the finished opening will be 1" wider and ½"
deeper.
3. Finish weaving the back. Remove from loom. Zigzag stitch around neck outline as well as along top and bottom
edges of weaving. Wash and full fabric. Cut out neck opening. Trim warp close to stitching. Roll hems.
If you are going to cut fabric that will pull in a lot when fulled, wash and full the fabric first; then outline, zigzag
stitch and cut the fabric. Be sure to plan for extra width and length to compensate for the pull-in and include ½" for
seam allowance.
SEAMS
By Hand There are 2 kinds of seams needed for most clothing.
Figure 1 shows the Figure 8 stitch which is good for joining 2 selvedge
edges that butt up to each other, most commonly side seams.
Figure 2 shows a Blind stitch, which is good for joining rolled hems,
most commonly shoulder seams. If you are joining a rolled hem to a
selvedge edge, use the Figure 8 stitch for the selvedge edge and the
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 1
Blind stitch for the rolled hem edge.
By Machine If you are seaming cut edges or if you want to lose some
fabric, machine stitch leaving ¼" - 1" seam allowance. Raw edges can then be rolled under and hand-stitched in
place
HEMS
Allow at least 1" at top and bottom edges of all woven pieces for hems. Zigzag stitch along top and bottom of woven
piece. For edges that might show on the front, roll raw edges under and hand stitch in place. For wrong side hems or
those that will be covered with lining, you could machine stitch hem binding to the raw edge and then hand sew
hem in place.
SLEEVES
There are several ways to think about sleeve shaping:
• Weave rectangles and cut away extra material: Wash and full fabric,
outline shape including ½" seam allowance, zigzag and cut.
• Shape the pieces on the loom.
• Think about what you can do to a rectangle to give the sleeve some
shape such as pulling the fabric together at the cuff with a pleat or
gathers. For Off the Grid (left), the bottom edge of the sleeve is woven
with a slit (see p. 11) and overlapped. The sleeve for Silky Jacket is
pleated.
WASHING AND FULLING
Washing your weaving is critical to its feel and drape. Remove the piece from the loom and machine zigzag all raw
edges and along all edges that will eventually be cut. Do not cut or remove waste yarn until after washing. Decide
how much you want the fibers to meld together. Use luke warm water and either agitate by hand or use the gentle
cycle in the washing machine. For a felted look, use a cold rinse. Keep checking and work in small increments until
you receive the desired effect.
5
DESIGN
The following pages show you shapes for several different types of garments.
The fabric you will create is yours to design.
GETTING IDEAS
Getting inspiration from resource material helps break you out of your color and design comfort zone.
Look at textiles, pictures of textiles, textures and stripes in nature – water patterns, trees in the forest, sunsets, rocks.
Look at paintings. On the following page are examples of watercolors I did from textiles, photos and paintings.
These stripe designs can be interpreted into warp patterns.
USING PHOTOSHOP® To visualize a plaid design from your stripe pattern, follow these steps:
1. Scan your painting and open it in Photoshop®.
2. Under Image, choose Duplicate. You now have 2 files open of the same image.
3. Rotate one of the files 90 degrees. With the Selection (Rectangular Marquee) tool, select this image and with the
Move tool drag it on top of the other file.
4. In the Layers window, type in 50% for the Opacity of Layer 1.
Voila! A plaid.
EXERCISE Using tracing paper, trace one of the photos in this packet or from a magazine. Draw and color in some
design ideas. Stripes, plaids, color blocks. Keep in mind which pieces will be made from the same warp and think
how you might change the design from one piece to another while working on the same warp. Having a second
warp for sleeves provides the possibility of a whole different pattern for the sleeve pieces.
MEASUREMENTS AND CALCULATIONS
To make something that will fit you well:
• Measure yourself correctly. For width, measure around the widest part of your chest.
• Add ease. Allow AT LEAST 2 inches of ease. More is better. Add more ease for a heavier fabric than for a light one.
You can always take it in, but you can’t make it bigger.
• Add allowance for seams and hems.
• Allow for pull-in (width), take-up (length) and shrinkage of your weaving. Again more is better. Add width and
length to your desired finished measurements.
WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING! Page 21 is Handwoven’s author requirements for “Project-at-a-glance”.
Use this to help you keep the correct notes. This will help you when planning future projects.
6
NAVAJO TEXTILE
NAVAJO TEXTILE
PHOTO OF TREES
PHOTO OF TREES
PHOTO OF TREES
PAUL KLEE PAINTING
Plaid created in Photoshop ®
(see p.6)
PAUL KLEE PAINTING
7
WRAPS
Woven length on loom: 53"
Finished length: 50"
11" neck opening
14" seam
Weaving width: 17"
Finished width: 15"
Fold
25"
Woven length: 54"
Finished length: 51" + 4" fringe each end
For no fringe: Weave an additional 10" and roll hems.
Fold
13" seam
Woven width: 18"
Finished width: 16"
13" seam
8
As seen in Handwoven, May/June 2011
With the long border edge up, mark the center point. Measure 10" to each side of center and place pins. Stitch one
end of the neckband to each of these points. Mark the bottom edge (the non-border long edge) at 24" from each
short end. Fold point A to B and point C to D and sew the lower edges together for 1". These are the armholes. Try it
on. If desired, sew a hook and eye to the front edges. Or make braided or twisted ties.
74" on loom / 72” finished
Make neckband 7 X1/2" and attach
ends to points E and F.
E
10"
10"
F
Border
18" in reed
center
C
24"
D
B
24"
A
9
RUANA WITH SHAWL COLLAR
10
11
• OFF THE GRID JACKET
• HANDKERCHIEF VEST
• SPLASH JACKET
as seen in Handwoven, Fall 2010
12
• The width of the warp is the length of the jacket.
The length of the jacket shown here is the longest possible length on a 20" wide loom. You can make a longer jacket
on a wider loom.
• Decide on the width of the back. Make each front the same width as the back.
• The sleeves are double the width of the armhole. If the armhole is 10", then the sleeve would be 20" wide. If the
warp for the jacket is also 20", you can do all pieces on one warp.
• The sleeve “cuff” for Off the Grid is slit down the middle; use a separate shuttle for each half. Overlap the halves and
sew on button to finish. The cuff for Splash is pinched / pleated and a button is sewn to each side.
SLEEVES
BODY
Off the Grid: Woven with slit, sides overlapped and sewn in place with button.
Splash: Woven without slit. Edge of sleeve
pinched and sewn in place with buttons.
woven in one piece
(same for 3 garments pictured on p. 9)
jacket length : 20" on loom;
18" off loom
1" hem
1"
LEFT FRONT
hem
hem
4"
HEM
side "seam"
Cut here
HEM
BACK
1"
side "seam"
HEM
Cut here
HEM
hem
1"
1" waste
hem
hem
4"
1"
2"
1"
10"
RIGHT FRONT
Warp
1" hem
1"
hem
20"
4" shoulder seam
SLEEVE top rolled
edge
1. Wash all pieces.
2. Roll hems at front edges,
armholes and top of
sleeves.
3. Fold sleeve in half and
sew into armhole (see p. 5,
figures 1 and 2).
4. Hem bottom of sleeves
to desired length.
5. Pinch, pleat or overlap
bottom edge to create
desired shaping.
13
WOVEN AND KNITTED TEES
A
B
14
WOVEN AND KNITTED TEE A: shown in a mix of silk and rayon ribbon.
B: shown in a mix of cotton and rayon ribbon. A and B sett at 10 dpi.
1" hem
1"
knitting
weaving
knitting
18" for photo A;
12" for photo B
½"
hem
½"
hem
9"
2"
shoulder
2"
½" hem
Decrease 1 st at these edges
every right side row
outline and cut line
Cutting neckline - see pg 5
final opening - 10" wide
2" down from shoulder in front;
1" down from shoulder in back
1" hem
KNITTED SECTION Work with one or more of the yarns used in the weaving. Knit a swatch and experiment with
different stitches. Calculate and write down the gauge.
A stitch I like because it actually looks like weaving is Linen Stitch (use an odd number of stitches):
Rows 1 and 3 (WS): Purl. Row 2: K1, *sl 1 with yarn in front (wyif), k1; rep from *. Row 4: K2, *sl 1 wyif, k1; rep
from *, end k2. Repeat rows 1 – 4 for pattern.
Hold the weaving with the right side facing you. Pick up a stitch between every 2 wefts, i.e. pick up a stitch, skip 2
wefts, pick up a stitch. This is generally the correct spacing. You should pick up as many stitches per inch as your
gauge.
15
CHENILLE JACKET
16
CHENILLE JACKET shown in a mix of rayon chenille, silk, merino lace, rayon ribbon, sett at 10 dpi.
• Gray areas indicate areas woven with
waste
• Zigzag stitch and cut on all red dotted
lines
• Armhole measurement is half the width of
the sleeve. If the maximum width of your
sleeve will be 18" (after pull-in and shrinkage), the largest armhole is 9".
• Pocket flaps get folded up and stitched
along the side edges.
• Collar pieces meet at the center of the
back neck.
• If you want front pieces wide enough to
overlap, work them on a separate and
wider warp than the back. See Canyon
Jacket, p. 15.
HEM
COLLAR
HEM
HEM
HEM
LEFT FRONT
HEM
HEM
HEM
LEFT BACK
1"
HEM
4"
COLLAR
HEM
1"
HEM
1"
HEM
HEM
1"
HEM
RIGHT BACK
1"
1"
HEM
HEM
1"
HEM
3.5"
8.5" - 9"
armhole
HEM
HEM
1"
RIGHT FRONT
1"
HEM
length to
armhole
HEM
5"
POCKET
1"
1"
HEM
4"
HEM
WARP 1 - FRONTS
1"
1"
17" - 18"
WARP 1 Continued BACKS
WARP 2 - SLEEVES
17
CANYON JACKET
18
CANYON JACKET shown in Manos Wool Clasica sett at 8 dpi
WARP 1
FRONTS
HEM
HEM
WARP 2
BACKS
WARP 3
SLEEVES
HEM
RIGHT
FRONT
HEM
HEM
HEM
4" collar
HEM
HEM
HEM
HEM
Desired length
Length to shoulder
Length to
shoulder
LEFT
FRONT
3"
HEM
3"
HEM
HEM
20" weaving width
18" after washing
3" wider than back pieces
for shawl collar
Sizing example:
If the desired finished back measurement is to be 24", create a warp for the back pieces at least 14"
wide. That would allow 2" for pull-in, shrinkage and sleeve allowances and leave you with 12" in
width for each piece. When sewn together, the back would be 24".
For the fronts, you need to add 3" in width for the collar to fold back; create a warp 17" wide.
Finishing note: I made a tuck at the back shoulders for a better fit - see photo p. 15.
19
SILKY JACKET
6"
3"
20
SILKY JACKET shown in lace weight silk (double stranded), rayon chenille and sea cell, sett at 10 dpi, better at 12 dpi.
2"
2"
LEFT BACK
• Fronts are woven wider than backs so they can overlap.
• Corners are turned under for 2" at dotted lines and sewn in
place.
• Leave 1" hems at top and bottom of each piece. Zigzag before
cutting and roll hems.
KNITTING
Knitted yoke is worked sideways starting at the shoulder
edge.
3.5"
FRONT
BACK
5.5"
Pattern stitch:
With A, k 2 rows.
With B, k1 row, p1 row.
shoulder edge
RIGHT BACK
Want more knitting instructions
for these pieces? Contact me.
RIGHT SIDE
3.5"
BACK
FRONT
5.5"
12"
LEFT SIDE
LEFT FRONT
SLEEVE 2
RIGHT FRONT
SLEEVE 1
See schematic
p. 17 for armhole
dimensions.
Fronts 2" wider than backs for overlap
WARP 1
20" - 18" after washing
WARP 2
21
DOWN THE GARDEN PATH
22
Fold fabric to inside on dotted line for neck shaping.
LEFT FRONT
RIGHT FRONT
width of sleeve
needs to be twice the depth of
the armhole
18" finished for 9" armhole
length of sleeve
WARP 2
RIGHT BACK
LEFT BACK
Black triangles are knitted gussets. Pick up sts along
edge and work short rows for desired measurement.
Knit or weave collar and cuffs.
23
WARP 1
SILK SHIRT
24
25
MESA VEST
As seen in Handwoven
Sept/Oct 2011
A winner of Våv / Handwoven
Garment Challenge
26
27
PROJECT at-a-Glance
Warp order and length
for:_________________________________________
# of
Weave structure
ends:______________________________________
____________________________________________
Length:_______________________________________
Equipment
Color order (attach a chart if necessary):
Loom (# shafts):____________________________
____________________________________________
Weaving width:____________________________
Warp and weft spacing
Reed:_____________________________________
Sett (ends per inch):_____________________________
# of shuttles and/or bobbins:_________________
Width in the reed:______________________________
Yarn amounts
Picks per inch (measured on the loom as you are
Warp yarns and amounts:_____________________
weaving):_____________________________________
___________________________________________
________________________
Fabric measurements
Weft yarns and amounts:______________________
Length of fabric measured under tension on the loom
____________________________________________
(keep measurements as you weave):
_______________________
____________________________________________
Specific yarn information
Length of fabric after it is removed from the loom:
Attach a 6" piece of each yarn (tape one end of the
____________________________________________
yarn above its specs).
Width of fabric after it is removed from the loom:
Warp: yarn names, yds/lb, color
____________________________________________
______________________________________________
Length of fabric after washing and drying (indicate if
______________________________________________
measurement includes hems or fringe and give the
______________________________________________
separate measurements of each):
______________________________________________
____________________________________________
Weft: yarn names, yds/lb, color
____________________________________________
______________________________________________
Width of fabric after washing and drying:
______________________________________________
____________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
28
RESOURCE GUIDE
FASHION WEBSITES Style inspiration
www.oprny.com Very expensive magazines to buy, but look at the preview pages online
www.modeinfo.be/EN/View_Textile_85-product-50315.php Allows peeks into very expensive trend magazines
www.style.com/trendsshopping/trendreport/072610_Trend_Reports/
www.sewingworkshop.com/index.php/action/category/id/1/subid/33/
Easily constructed garments
www.fashion-411.com/Trends/TrendForecast.htm
CATALOGS featuring loosely constructed clothing
www.softsurroundings.com
www.jjill.com
www.eileenfisher.com
COLOR AND DESIGN
Brodatz, Phil, Textures (Dover, 1966). A photographic album for artists and designers
Edmaier, Bernhard, Patterns of the Earth (Phaidon, 2007).
Guild, Tricia, On Color (Rizzoli, 1993).
OTHER WEBSITES
www.weavezine.com
Look for Darryl Lancaster’s columns on weaving garments
www.weavolution.com
www.allbrands.com Dress form mannequins made to your size. On my wish list.
WEAVING BOOKS
Patrick, Jane, The Weaver’s Idea Book, Creative Cloth on a Rigid Heddle Loom (Interweave Press, 2010
MAGAZINES
Handwoven (Interweave Press) www.interweavestore.com/Weaving/Handwoven-Magazine.html
Selvedge www.selvedge.org
29