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Cleathero Creations Jan 5, 2006

Allright I know how its done (thankyou Nancy Tillberg) but has anyone here done it and is it any good?  It seems like a lot of work, are the results any better?

patsylakebears Jan 5, 2006

I am waiting for someone else to do it first so I know what it turns out like ....    

matilda Jan 5, 2006

I in all my ignorance have no idea what you are talking about.     Matilda

Estelle Jan 5, 2006

me nieter please tell us more, what is pattern draping?

lapousmor Jan 5, 2006

I would to know too about that... Never heard about it before...  :wacko:

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

Cleathero Creations Jan 5, 2006

"Cover the figure with a soft, semi-transparent cloth and attach it in place with pins or putty.  Draw the outline of the shape onto the fabric.
Cover the cloth pattern with tracing paper  and transfer the pattern onto the paper where it can be properly sized and perfected.  measure the pattern to ensure that the pieces will fit together properly, especially in such areas as the tummy ans muzzle.  once you have finished your hard copy pattern, create a protottype bear from an inexpensive fabric to test your design."

This was taken directly fro 101 bears to make by Nancy Tillberg. She used it to create a lifelike bear.  I don't think I will be trying it any time soon though.

WildThyme Jan 5, 2006

I use pattern draping all the time when I am working on a really new pattern.... I take some of my old polymer clay, sculpt the body part I want... I haven't even been hardening the clay lately... my clay is left over from my doll making days... so most of the plasticizer is completely leeched out, and it stays really firm even without baking.  Then I use a thin cotton fabric or sometimes tissue or paper towels to drape the fabric over the clay body part.  If it's a big part, I pin the fabric/paper towel in place... if it's a tiny bear I can sometimes just use my hands to hold it.  then I take a very fine marker and trace out the basic seam lines.  Where I have to gather the fabric in a pleat to make it lie flat... I put in a dart.  My patterns often end up VERY darted!  I remove the fabric, place it on card stock and trace it out.  It sounds laborious and time consumming, but for folks who can really imagine a 3-D part & translate that into a 2-D drawing (like me!)... it's probably less time consuming than drawing and sewing a mock up, whoops- that's not it, then drawing, sewing again, drawing, sewing.... Oh how I envy those who can do it in one shot with just a pencil and paper!  I don't do it for every new pattern though.  Once I have something that works for me, I can play around with altering the pattern here and there just from the card stock pattern I make... play around with the proportions a bit... but after about three bears I'm off to the clay again!

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Estelle Jan 5, 2006

Oh how thick am I  :redface:  I know exactly what you mean, I had just never heard it given a name.
I do the sane thing all the time. I used the same method when I worked in interior design to redisign furniture

Eileen Jan 5, 2006

  Pattern-draping is my favorite method so far, although I'm way behind Kim! I use regular old plasticene clay--easy to work, but messy--and paper towels for the draping. Once they're darted, pinned and cut, you've got yourself an accurate but sticky pattern that works, with a bit of adjustment.

I just used pattern draping  to design my daughter's Christmas Penguin.

Eileen

WildThyme Jan 5, 2006

Estelle... you aren't thick at all!  I bet it's probably called different things in different professions... I'd imagine that it would be exactly the same thing you'd do if you wanted to reupholster a chair or make a custom slip cover... well no clay obviously.. 'cause your model is right there already made... but you know what I mean!

Eileen.... What a cute penguin!  Was your daughter head over heels in love!?  I'm sure plasticine would work just fine!  I like the polymer clay because if I bake it (or just use my ancient old and hard clay!) I don't have to worry about the shape distorting as I drape the fabric.  I'd imagine you could use the bendy polymer clays or the polymer eraser clays as well... those would probably accept the pins nice and easy even after baked. 

It's just a really great method for those who are "dimensionally challenged" like me, or if you want to do a really specific head shape, body shape that you've never done before... After two years of experimentation and seeing many, many teddy head patterns, I pretty much know what to expect from a two dimensional profile/pattern piece.  But if I wanted to do a cat profile, or a koala... (or a lovely little penguin face!)  I'd be back in the clay for sure! 

Oh, it's so nice that people here know what this is!  I was on a discussion list a few years back where folks thought I was just out of my mind insane when I said that I did this!

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

Eileen Jan 5, 2006

  Thanks, Kim!

My daughter loved her Penguin! The photo is awful, but since she was out of town I wanted to get a piccie to her on Christmas morning, and my so-called 'photo studio' was buried under piles of other junk. I had to improvise, without much light.

For me, working in my chilly basement keeps the plasticene from distorting before I've got the pattern right. I have to shove it into the microwave to make it workable!

The only problem I've had comes from working with small clay models, then scanning and enlarging. The heads become too big. This little penguin had his head re-opened and unstuffed, but it's still a bit large.

Next penguin will look better . . .

Eileen

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorJan 5, 2006

Great penguin, Eileen!

Judi Jan 5, 2006

Nope not me.  I take blank paper and a pencil and draw up a new design, cut it out and hope for the best.  SO far so good.  If it isn't perfect, I change it.  For example, my bear Sherwood in the bear showcase.  His body was not long enough so I lengthened it by adding a neck ruff...which I think makes him look a whole lot better anyway and is more of the end result I wanted.

I admire those of you who are so methodical...I wish I could be more like that.  I fly by the seat of my pants...wing it.....  Like Forest Gump says,"  Life [designing bears] is like a box of chocolates....you never know what you're gonna get."  To me this is exciting...which is why I don't like to make the same bear twice...too boring for me.

Wonderful thiongs have been discovered by mistakes....like antibiotics....

Winney Jan 5, 2006

I have done it both ways...for various reasons. When I was designing my fashion bear it really helped to sculpt the bear...then pattern drape...the joint placements and sizes were very critical if this tall lean bear was going to stand up all by herself and be able to take the many poses I had imagined... I still had to make several to keep revising her shapes til I was satisfied...

Now, I make all her clothes the pattern drape way ...for a custom fit for any style I can dream up in my head..and they will fit her..... Winney

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorJan 5, 2006

I am a dodobird when it comes to making clothes. Winney, I'd love to hear more from you, since you have experience and success, about using pattern draping to make clothes fit an already-made up bear.  Can you offer any pointers, suggest any books or articles or websites, or otherwise just fill in my blanks?

Hey, that sounds naughty.  :redface:

You know what I mean... !!!      

Cleathero Creations Jan 5, 2006

Well I know pattern draping wouldn't be for me in designing a bear as I can't sculpt! 
I think that would be an important part of it 
I tend to be more like Judi draw it then try it.