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The last minute panic has set in! Since I seemed to be finished with this show, when something the designer had hoped to purchase was delivered in the wrong colour, I got the assignment. Last week Friday.
Help! we need eight faked shirt fronts made in a week. In sequined fabric, in four collar sizes, to be worn under costumes that were being made elsewhere.
The sequined fabric was ordered last Friday afternon and landed on my table this Monday afternoon. The backing fabric came yesterday, so we are up and running.
I have to say that making a faked shirt front is almost like making a whole shirt, it is just the sleeves and cuffs that are missing. Therefore they do take some time to put together.
Most people, including some designers, management and the general public really haven't thought about how many pieces need to be cut out for just one garment. Then it all has to go together, and be quick changed up the back just to complicate things a little.
Anyway, onward....
The backs won't be seen so I am not covering that area with sequined fabric. The same with the collar stand as the only visible area is at the front, and that is covered by a big bow tie. Besides there only so many layers of sequins that you can work with.
Here's the list of pieces that need to be cut for each one:
base fabric for fronts (2)
interfacing for CF of fronts (2)
sequin fronts (2)
base fabric backs (2)
interfacing for backs (2)
base fabric for collar stand (4)
interfacing for collar stand (4)
stiff interfacing for collar stand (2)
base fabric for collar fall (2)
interacing for collar fall (2)
stiff interfacing for collar fall (2)
sequined fabric for collar fall (2)
interfacing for sequined fabric collar fall (2)
velcro to close at CB as this is a very quick change costume, otherwise I would use snaps.
bias binding to finish the outer edges
Luckily I was offered a junior seamstress to do the sewing, so I cut two out, one for her and one for me and I spent part of the day today, taking her through the construction, step by step, working out all the details.
I find that I am much better with the fabric in my hands, showing the steps as we go rather than just verbally going through it- and by the end of the day, she/we had two complete and the third part way except for binding around the edges, which we will do when they are all done. I left her to do the finishing on mine while I went back to my regularly scheduled work which now feels like I am behind on.
Oh well.....I think she will be able to get them done by Friday, but I still have to cut them out for her!
Woo, shiny!
ReplyDeleteVery shiny and they all fit, hooray! But....the sequined fabric of the collar irritated their necks, so after the tech dress, the collar edges were covered with a doubled strip of fine mesh fabric, close enough in colour that it isn't noticable. Of course, that knid of thing needs to be appied by hand and also takes a bit of time to do.
ReplyDeleteI thought that might be an issue, but needed confirmation by the actors before spending the time to do it. Well, we just barely got them made in the first place, so at least they were wearable.
I like shirt fronts!
ReplyDelete