Hooverette Draping Project | Fall 2024

Practices: Draping | Sleeve Patterning

Style/Era: ~1920s - 1930s

A personal project meant to help me continue to develop my draping skills. I picked out a garment from a collection of Sears catalogue issues in which to then drape on my own. The project initially began in Fall of 2023, but was mainly the process of draping out the pattern and transferring it onto the fashion fabric; the cutting and construction took place Fall of 2024. Due to the wave of the fashion fabric, ideally the garment would have a soft lining to guard the fabric pattern from fraying or getting caught, however I opted to skip the lining so that the interior seams can be seen for presentational purposes.

The process started by determining the style lines of the garment, as such I was to determine how the back of the garment should appear. Next, I mapped out the form and began to drape muslin to determine any darts and connecting points, and with a bit of help I was able to figure out how to divide the skirt half into workable sections. Then I made estimations of how long the skirt half would be from the waist as well as how the garment would close. I landed on a built-in waistband with interfacing for structure that connects to two overlapping panels at the front akin to a robe. Afterwards, I had some guidance with figuring out how to drape out the sleeves which amounted to a combination of a half circle that would gather in at the end of the sleeve cap. Finally, I transferred all my marking onto a paper pattern and trued up the edges to prepare for piecing the garment together, I opted out of creating a mockup because it was not intended for use in any production.

Piecing together the garment was not too complicated, however the most trouble came from the front panels—waistband—skirt—bodice intersection where a fair amount of finessing was required due to the unorthodox and stubborn manner I decided to complete the intersection. Finally, was the welt pocket with a white accent to match the front and sleeves. Overall, I feel that the project was a success at draping and constructing a piece from a single source picture; there are parts I would do differently—waistband, but overall I am satisfied with what I was able to accomplish.

Points in which I was challenged:

• Draping out the sleeve's armscye.

  • With questions and guidance, I was able to find a half circle approach to pattern out the sleeve.

• Determining how the waistband would be made.

  • From my original plan of wrapping the waist with a belt-ribbon attached to the front panels, I settled for trying to create a built in waistband.

• Stitching the front panel to the front skirt and bodice pieces.

  • There was a fair bit of finessing required to stitch these parts around the waistband without letting too much fabric accumulate, but I think I was successful at having it lay flat.