For my Shape & Detail For Fashion Knitwear class we have to design and knit four “mini” versions of full-scale size sweaters. These sweaters are 3/4 scale of the actual measurements. They are knit in a smaller scale and front pieces only as they will be mounted on a board for display purposes and also so we can learn how to design and make the sweaters in a reasonable time and use less yarn. The sweater samples are a nice size for our portfolios as well.
This process has really got me thinking about how I want to achieve a look or a concept through patternmaking. Sometimes the sweater design will change as I work out the pattern in full scale on graph paper. You have to adapt as you go along if your original idea doesn’t translate the way you originally intended. The process can be challenging, but it is a challenge I end up appreciating in the end; to have more than one idea, to think in a limited time frame how to edit and make necessary changes. This is good practice for the “real world”. You always need a back up route to your destination.A thought floating in my mind these days is to not let myself feel precious about my designs. I have to be ready to accept that someone may dislike my ideas all together (even if at that moment I think they are marvelous) and keep pushing my creative brain to find new ideas. If you only have one great design, well, how good are you? I struggle with the concept of feeling “proud” of what I’ve done. To be honest, I never feel truly satisfied. I know in my soul that I’m following a path that feels authentic and… right, but that doesn’t mean I’m familiar with feeling content. I itch for more, it keeps me going.
--Adelle
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