End of year evaluation

Olivia Mullin Evaluation for unit 122 and unit 128




Unit 122…



Title: Pattern Development for Fashion and Clothing.



1 Be able to prepare blocks for pattern construction

2 Be able to make full-scale patterns

3 Be able to prepare a lay plan for production

4 Understand own pattern development.



Unit 128…



Title: Garment production.



1. To be able to operate equipment and machinery correctly for the development of garment production.

2. Be able to evaluate work during the production process.

3. Be able to produce and assemble garments.











I used basic dress blocks to create my dress bodices and used whole dress block for one garment. I did not create any of my own blocks. I patterned on the stand to create pleats going across the bodice and used the stand to create the strap to support the flower detailing. I used the basic dress block to adapt the pattern pieces for my bodice (adapted by removing darts and forming panels) and used a slash and spread technique for garment 1 skirt.



I put my name, garment name, size, grain line, number of pattern piece, cut x, cut on fold information on my pattern pieces. This information is important so that the pieces do not get mixed up and the manufacturer can cut them correctly. This means the correct measurements can be achieved and the patterns can be easily adapted, by using the tracing off method.



When creating my lay plan my choice of fabric meant that I had to consider the width and the best way to fold the fabric. I also had to consider the costing, and to ensure as little fabric waste as possible. This is very important in industry. I learnt from this process: how to do a lay plan (this was my first attempt) also how the process is done in the industry to keep costs as low as possible. I also learnt how industry standard lay plans are done on CAD; this is important for industry as they can be saved for future reference and easily adapted.



After completing my costing sheets I learnt the overall production cost of the garments. In future I could try to keep my costs lower by considering the price of fabrics at the design stage, but still keeping the quality. As I designed for higher end High Street customers I had to balance the costing against quality. Industry professionals would have the same challenge.



Initially, I found CAD very difficult as I didn’t find Adobe Illustrator software very easy to use. I had training from my father, who is a graphic designer and practiced every evening to gain a better understanding of the programme. I also adapted my original spec drawings to a higher technical standard. I found this made my designs look more professional. Spec drawings in industry help manufacturers picture the finished garment. In industry they will feature stich marks, zips, seams and other such details.



I used a domestic over locker for the first time. This gave my garments a more higher end high Street finish, rather than using the industrial over locker. I used the domestic over locker on all my skirts.



The areas of my collection that I sampled were: decorative, layered flowers, to find a method which didn’t fray and which could be mass produced (I needed approximately 70) I also had to sample pleats going across the bodices; I did this by creating a simple stich line and pressing together. The pleating process was particularly difficult. I also sampled a skirt finish (seam area) and created a net sample for the underskirt, by experimenting with gathering and securing the gather. I tried out the domestic over locker to assess the finish.



I was happy with my fabric choice and feel it matched my target customer. I based my whole collection around the Romans and a new and established company called Jones and Jones. My target audience is young women ranging from ages 17-24.

My customer would be fashion forward 'feminine and confident in the way they dress' They would have to be earning a reasonable income ranging from a salary of £1800-£2400 a year as my customer would be buying high end high street. As I wanted all my designs to look very feminine I feel this reflects me as a designer and what I would like my brand name to portray. I feel all my designs have been designed to embrace the female figure particularly the hip area.



High-end high-street uses the best fabrics available for high street trends with perfect finishes. After-all your customer is buying at a higher price tag. In conclusion to this I have used strong and effective Crepes this goes well with my chosen colour pallet. Crepes are a good quality fabric. I feel this worked well for my target market, colours, influences, and designs.



In conclusion, I felt my strengths were the CAD unit, as I am now able to create and adapt garments using adobe and Photoshop. This will help me in the future to translate my ideas into a spec drawing to industry standard. I also felt my flower designs worked out very well and I was pleased with my final colour choice. Pattern cutting is a skill that needs improving, however this is not my chosen career path. I am going on to study a fashion marketing course in Birmingham University in 2013 and will use all the skills gained on this course. I did not enjoy the pattern cutting aspects of the course; nevertheless I really enjoyed the design elements and can improve this area by making my designs more technical in the future. Reflecting on the past academic year I am pleased that I have managed to complete all the coursework, to above my target grade.