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Fabrics

Dress oes>gn begms with fabric. Fabric is often creeted with particular designers in m«rd who then nterpret it into fashion snapes

The colour. texturo and weight of fabrics oetermtne the silhouette and the des<gn hnes of the garment Tne handle - the way a fabnc hangs. dfapes ano moves • suggcsts bcth possib<iities and limitatons :c the designer whose instinct and exponenco witi lead to choices compatbte with both fabric and design. Wnen sketches precede the chotce of fabric it >s not always possibie to find the right fabnc to achieve the origmal design When fabnc choice precedes tne sketch or ei/en the «Jea tself. the fabnc charactenstics are mstrumental m the design concept and n the hands of an enpenenceo designer a'e morę hkely to work to perfection

Many designer* prefe- to work wth plain rather tnan patterned. ar>d knitted rather than wovon fabrics With patterned fabrics. the size of the pattern and the pattern roooat must be considered in rełauon to the garment.

Most pnnts obscure design hnes and can limit the designer's imagination by prevent>rg the use of certam hnes which would interrupt the fabnc pattern For this reason the majonty o! ccllections featwe unpattemed fabrics in elear, stunning coloors which show ot! the design seams and deve- cut and emphasize tne silhouette

Garment design *s mspirec by fabric which « studied in reation to the type of Client and occasion for which it will be worn. With excenence ano confidence the fabnc may be cut directly on the stand but it is uSuai to make up a trial ga-ment la toiie> in an mexpensive substitute fabric to evaluate the design and masę any mnor adiustments After this. 8 cattorn i$ mace from the tod© and IS used to cut out the expensive fabnc.

Many fabnes como into the "spaciaT category sdk. satin. lace. brocade. taffeta. chiffon. crooo-do chmc and v« vct Spccial fimshcs mci udo ombroidored. beaded. seou nned and metaihc fabnes and may be wcven or knitted Added to these must be the mereasing yariety of stretch fabnes such as siik iersev and streten lace designed for specai occasion wear

The fabnc foi making the prehminary tole should be as elese as possiofe in weight and texture to the fabnc to be useo in the aciwal garment The basx; blocks and most of the exercises in this boos may be mode»ed in medium and lightweight ca >co Cotton jersey is suitabie for making tne toles m the stretch section,