Fitting Fashions IMP Narrative

ET793 Spring 2015

Dr Smyth
By Jean Pesce

1.

Why did you choose this topic? How will it benefit your audience?
My students are expected to design garments but will not be learning that through the
traditional means of draping or molding the fabric directly onto dress forms, therefore I
would like to explain and demonstrate the common techniques for creating 3-dimensional
shape from 2-dimensional fabric. Specifically they should understand gathering, darts,
pleats and/or seaming. I will demonstrate the technique for each on a head form
beginning here with darts. I expect them to be able to: complete an assignment to design
and demonstrate each technique; translate their design into a flat pattern; and finally
produce finished products. These students will soon be using digital apparel patternmaking software to create simple patterns they design in accordance with industry
standards, however they do not have the background knowledge necessary to translate the
printed information into a visualization of the final outcome. This might best be
compared to learning how to perform calculations with paper and pencil before using a
calculator to do these tasks.
Another aspect of providing an opportunity to engage in draping techniques is the usual
connections made by artists in physically handling their medium. It is enjoyable and
rewarding on its own but also instills a sensory knowledge of textiles that would be
difficult to develop by any other means. This too becomes a valuable reference resource
for professionals in their field.

2.

What design steps did you follow and how did this benefit you?
I approached this as the tool I plan it to become by considering what components are
needed for each step of the learning process (Brown, 2006) and how to locate or create
them.
a. Student engagement was intended to be encouraged by providing references to
contemporary clothing styles with the hook of figuring out how their shapes were
formed in order to apply the information to personal use. (Moreno, n.d.)
b. Activating previous knowledge was encouraged by touching on the history of
clothing (images); fabric terminology; pattern design and fitting concepts; and a
textile production process (video).
c. The main goal of providing experiences for the comprehension of new knowledge
was provided in three forms of representation (visual/graphic, aural, text) in closecaptioned video in accordance with Universal Design for Learning principles.

d.

e.

f.
g.

3.

(Principle, n.d.) This provides for learners to contact information through different
sensory channels something my very visually-oriented design students are always
asking me to provide.
The intended learning was to be connected and reinforced through the application of
newly acquired knowledge within an assignment. To provide the most effective
learning the objective is clearly stated with the three components of a) the action of
draping a product with a dart; b) the conditions of when, where, and how this would
take place; c) set criterion in the form of a rubric by which students may evaluate
their efforts. (Brown, 2006)
In order to build on the new concepts associated with shaping through darts, students
are encouraged to analyze the geometry involved by experimenting with variations of
paper folded darts in the hexagonal box exercise.
Since these students have up-coming projects working with darts they will then have
the opportunity to synthesize or use their new knowledge for self-directed use.
Upon evaluating the results of the exercises provided here students will be able to
consider future applications, as well. Hopefully this will also increase their awareness
and appreciation of skillfully designed and constructed clothing.

What media did you select to use and why? What media did you exclude (or could
have used) and why?
As mentioned above, I wanted to provide as varied an experience with these concepts as
possible. Therefore, I chose to use visual and aural dimensions with the video. This is
often the most effective means of conveying skill acquisition since it involves several
domains of learning. My students are quickly learning this although I encourage them to
read instructions for their projects very carefully to build that skill and familiarity with
the vocabulary and techniques used to describe these types of activities since they will
often need to do so alone.
The Emaze presentation application was a new tool I enjoyed seeing recently and sop
thought I would try it. I feel my resulting product is acceptable but probably not much
different than a new version of PowerPoint (PPT). I was disappointed to learn many of
the interesting effects came only with the subscription plans. It took some time to figure
out but was fairly intuitive after awhile. It was probably better for me to have less design
options, anyway, since I tend to get side-tracked to easily with them. Also, a note to self
for the future is to find out how many slides (or whatever is used) are allowed in the
Basic plans since I think I maxed this presentation out at the limit of 10 so I had to be
creative with the material that wouldnt fit and group it together. I did like offering my
video in the middle of the presentation even though PPT does that also.

I considered adding a background soundtrack to the video but felt that may have been
somewhat distracting especially with the narration. This was an option for the Fitting
Fashions presentation but I was not sure if that would add or distract from the viewing. It
may be a future consideration to field test with my students. Although many people find
music relaxing and an aide on focusing, I find my teenagers are mostly pulled off-track
regardless of what kind of music it is but it may create a more comfortable experience
worth achieving.
4.

List the sources for your media. Remember, do not use any copyrighted material.
(See end of presentations and below)

5.

Add any other comments, observations, reflections.

I learned a lot more but mostly that there is so many inter-related variables in this field.
Working with the photos and images I felt would enhance my product was interesting but
very time-consuming. I could not find the close-up garment construction shots I wanted
online and so spent an hour or so in the mall snapping pictures. Unfortunately, when
looking over them (and even during my search) it was difficult to locate teenage styles
with darts which my students would probably enjoy better than some of the more
utilitarian pictures I was able to get. Apparently most of their clothes are designed to be
less confined by structure or fabric since most are knits.
In dealing with the pictures I learned some short-cuts in PhotoShop Elements (PSE)
which will help in the future at least. For instance, in trying to add Alt text (for those
who are reading the images) I found it almost impossible to do before the picture is part
of an html file. Of course, I didnt realize this until; after I had opened in a doc and
performed the edit on several that it wasnt working. In PSE its possible to do this in the
File Info section under IPTC Extension before saving as jpg or png files so it stays
attached to the image whenever its used - at least that is my impression. I also learned
how to batch edit photos which was especially useful for resizing the file size for web
use. This is set up when opening the files and allows the edits to be taken from one file
and deposited into another without doing so individually. Im sure some people may be
aware of this but I found it saved me a good deal of time.

Media resources in Fitting Fashions

Slide: Welcome: Original logo
Slide: Shaping History: (left to right) 2008-Neanderthal-Male.gif/ Abroad
in the Yard.com http://www.abroadintheyard.com/wp-content/uploads/2008-NeanderthalMale-Female-reconstructions-by-Elisabeth-Dayn%C3%A8s.jpg
egyptian-clothing.gif/ Pure Costumes.com (Egyptian clothing)
http://www.purecostumes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/egyptian-clothing.jpg

Slide:
Slide:
Slide:
Slide:
Slide:
Slide:

Ancient-Asian-clothing.gif/ Wikipedia The

Hwarang: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Dam_yeom_rip_
bon_wang_hee_do%2C_from_Gugong_Bowuguan_China%2C_6th_century.jpg/200pxDam_yeom_rip_bon_wang_hee_do%2C_from_Gugong_Bowuguan_China
%2C_6th_century.jpg
medieval-clothes-edited.gif
Renaissance-clothing.gif/Jacob, P. L., 1806-1884 Published 1874 Publisher New York, D.
Appleton Manners, customs, and dress during the Middle Ages, and during the
Renaissance period,, https://archive.org/details/cu31924014084747;
1771-William-Williams.gif/ 18C American Women.com, http://1.bp.blogspot.com/2PICj9Rc6Vk/TbwaBOWaizI/AAAAAAAAnW0/TRdBBf6jBng/s400/1771%2BWilliam
%2BWilliams%2B%2528American%2Bcolonial%2Bera%2Bartist%252C%2B17271791%2529.%2BThe%2BWiley%2BFamily..jpg
Lilian_Braithwaite_&_Noel_Coward.jpg/ crossref-it.info:, http://crossrefit.info/files/imag
es/Lilian_Braithwaite_&_No%C3%ABl_Coward.jpg
Miroslava_Duma_Shoot-001_4.jpg/ The
Confashionista.com:http://www.theconfashionist.com/2012/10/inspiration-miroslavaduma-on-coveteur.html
Aaron Common 1.jpg/ Unban field
Notes.com/ http://www.urbanfieldnotes.com/2013/11/philadelphia-street-style-aaronwalnut.html
Shaping Apparel:
Garment Shaping: Darts
Dart Shaping
Assignment: Dart Shaping
Finished Draped Dart Products
Further Dart Practice: Original Hexagon Box Template at:
http://www.earthmothercrafts.com/images/HexagonBoxTemplate.jp

References
1. Brown, A., & Green, T. (2006). The essentials of instructional design: Connecting
fundamental principles with process and practice (p. 53). Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.
2. Brown, A., & Green, T. (2006). The essentials of instructional design: Connecting
fundamental principles with process and practice (p. 56). Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.
3. Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. (n.d.). Engaging Students In Active Learning: The Case For
Personalized Multimedia Messages. Journal of Educational Psychology, 724-733.
Retrieved March 28, 2015, from
http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/LCT/HBCU/documents/Moreno_Engaging_Students_in_Ac
tive_Learning.pdf

4. Principle I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation | National Center On Universal

Design for Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from
http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/principle1