Drafting

Draft, quick stitch up, try on, redraft, nibble at the shape, try on again, get the scalpel out and sculpt that pattern just so!

I'm working on a very simple design for a gillet, somewhere between tailored waistcoat for the shoulder / neck shaping, but with the boxiness of a quilted coat to give it a useful outer layer vibe. I started by looking at a waistcoat pattern I already have, traced it then roughed out some new lines over the top.

At the moment, simple is good if it helps me understand how a specific element works — in this case shoulder seams — so I’m happy concentrating on just this one aspect for now. With each drafting project I’ll understand a little bit more, then feed it in to the mix.

So today, a couple of hours to play with my designs at the cutting table, tunes on, coffee brewing. I love doing this. When it works it is so satisfying, and the sense of possibility is fab.