Lessons on moving from Concept to Creation

For those of you who have wondered whatever happened to my cut and sew hat pattern, I actually did order the proof of the whole thing.  What I discovered was that I should have done a little more paper testing before I spent time on the layout. 12.5"x12.5" was 4" more than the crown of the hat needed.  The length of the bridge only needs to be 27 3/4" to work effectively. This also changes the dimensions needed for the bridge of the hat. Suffice it to say it has taken me so long to update this post because it required a complete rework of the pattern.  The idea was solid, the dimensions were off.

I have decided to share with you the lessons I have learned about taking an idea from concept to creation based on the struggles I had with the hat pattern.

1. Paper is your BEST friend.

If you're going to be making things from scratch without the benefit of a store bought pattern, there's nothing wrong with this.  However, you'll waste a lot of fabric and money if you don't thoroughly test out your ideas on paper before trying to cut and sew them together.  I recommend buying large rolls of newsprint so that you have roughly the same dimensions as you would with fabric when working.

2. Don't just sketch it out. Piece it together.

Sketch out your initial idea on the paper, but then cut out the pieces and tape them together. This will immediately bring to your attention any potential design flaws you may have and problems created by any errors in your mathematical calculations.

3. Be sure to include seam allowances in all your calculations

Nothing is more disappointing than creating something that is absolutely beautiful and works perfectly only to discover it doesn't fit because you forgot to include the seam allowances. If it helps, piece it out on paper without the seam allowances first, then trace the pattern onto a new section of paper and this time add the seam allowances around the edge.  If you're an expert seamstress, you might not need more than 1/4" seam allowances, but I prefer 1/2" seam allowances because it gives me a larger margin for error.

4. Design ideas rarely work out the way you plan them in your head.

Expect things not to work out exactly as you planned them in your head the first, second, or even third time you try it. As you gain more experience creating things from scratch you'll run into fewer of the same problems but new problems will present themselves. Just ask any engineer.

5. Try it on cheap fabric first

Go to a thrift store and buy a lot of fabric. Use this fabric as your test fabric. Just be sure it's the same type of fabric as you plan on using in your final design.  If you're planning on using standard cotton fabric in your final design, make sure you pick out a standard cotton at the thrift store.  If you're planning on using a knit fabric in your final design, pick out a knit fabric at the thrift store.  Wash the fabric before you use it on high heat and dry it the same way to ensure that all the shrinkage that's going to happen happens before you begin cutting and sewing.

Project 3: A Cut & Sew Hat Pattern - Step 4

The hat I've designed is intended for a Mommy and a young child/infant. I designed this whole project with my niece, Kristina, and her new baby, Paisley, in mind.  So, since it's now time to create a pattern - what would be more natural than to create a paisley pattern??  

I sat down on my couch with a blank sheet of paper and did a rough sketch in crayon of the paisley pattern, using pinks and grays since I had seen that color scheme on some of the pictures that Kristina had posted to her Facebook wall. Here is the original sketch: 

I imported that image into Illustrator and worked up a paisley design that would serve as the base for the pattern.

I ended up creating two different designs. The first had a large floral motif centered in the design.  

However, I wasn't fully satisfied with this design. I felt there was something lacking in it.  So I created a second design, similar to the first but this time with the paisley florals on a diagonal instead of by row.  This one I found much more pleasing to the eye.

Now that I had the pattern I wanted, it was time to fill in those blanks :)