Patterned After Me: Your Introduction to Personal Patternmaking

By Adua Celentano and Lolita Johnson

Have you ever shopped for clothes and thought, "Oh, this dress would have been perfect had they not added the trim, ruffles, and pleats" or "If only this skirt had a little more room in the hips. Clothes never fit my unique shape?". Perhaps you love to sew and have purchased patterns that did not quite live up to your level of creativity.

Well, if you like to design your own clothes for yourself and/or others, Patterned After Me: Your Introduction to Personal Patternmaking offers simplified methods to create an infinite number of styles for shirts, skirts, and dresses. Learn the basics of taking measurements and making a personal sloper from which all patterns are created that conforms to your body and no one else's. Even if you have never designed or sewn a garment before, these step-by-step instructions and illustrations will have you creating beautiful patterns in no time. Adua Celentano, professor and entrepreneur, has partnered with former student Lolita Johnson to provide the foundation of basic personal patternmaking. Patterned After Me is written from the student's perspective, based on methods perfected by Adua in her many years as a professor and designer for her own company, Adua Inc., in New York. In essence, it is a peer-to-peer introduction that will prepare you for intermediate and advanced techniques in the future. Experience the amazing feeling when a beautiful design conceptualized by you comes to life through personal patternmaking.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503577558

Adua Celentano

Adua Celentano Adua Guzzardi Celentano was born in the small town of San Demetrio Corone in the southern region of Calabria, Italy which forms the toe of the boot. Calabria is the same region where the famous Italian designer Gianni Versace was born and the famous Pitagora (Pythagoras), the sixth century BC philosopher and mathematician who founded his school, the Pythagoreans. Since she was six years old, her eyes and her mind were always concentrated on fabrics and sketches. She always put together dresses for her dolls in different colors and styles. At ten years old, she learned how to sew by machine. Often, she continuously watched her mother or their dressmaker sew. Finally, she decided to complete the dolls' dresses, even sewing by machine, and she would put the clothes in a beautiful package and tell her younger sisters that they were coming from America. When she was eleven years old, her mother had to go to see her sister Teresa in the city. They had a housekeeper named Antoinette (they called her Donetta). She was six feet two inches tall and husky. Adua decided to make her a dress. She had to climb on top of a chair, and with newspaper, pins, and scissors, she made a pattern. Then she cut the dress on the floor and sewed it on the machine by pedal, because at that time, they did not use electric machines. The fabric was an acetate green pastel color with white flowers. Donetta was very happy with this dress and showed it to everybody. Anyway, Adua studied fashion design in Italy, and at nineteen, she twisted her father's arm to let her come to New York City to study the American style. Here at twenty, she really thought she had conquered the world. Adua loved New York. She loved the people, the work she did, and at twenty-two, she started teaching at the Traphagen School of Fashion, where she taught patternmaking for eight years. Then a student referred her to the French Fashion Academy, where she taught for one year. Yet another student referred her to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where she taught for eight years, followed by Marymount College in Tarrytown, New Jersey, where she taught for seven years. First it was patternmaking, then draping, sewing, grading, and rub-off. Earlier in her career, when cable television first came about, she actually developed and hosted a fashion cable television show twice a week. However, it has been so long that she does not recall the name of the show. In addition to teaching, she was also working as a "custom made" designer, when she opened her own business for fourteen years, Adua Inc., located in New York City. This was the point when she started thinking "Why not write a book on patternmaking, not only for manufacturing, but personal patternmaking?" Years went by, she got married to Aurelio Celentano and had two beautiful children, Concetta (Cetty) and William. However, her wish to write a book never died. She now lives in New Jersey. Lolita Johnson, co-author When Lolita first met Mrs. C, as so many affectionately call her, through her friend Bridgett Fernandez of B. Artise, all she wanted was to learn how to grade garment spec measurements. Before she knew it, she had signed up for a class, followed by three more semesters of advanced patternmaking, draping and sketching. Additionally, she organized a successful fashion show in between. Lolita states, "Mrs. C has such vision, not only for herself, but for her students as well. If you do not dream big enough, she will dream for you and expect nothing less than success." So yet again, when Mrs. C approached her about being her writing partner, Lolita had never even considered the fact that she had not written a book before and agreed immediately. What most attracted Lolita to the project was the fact that it would be written from the student's perspective. The plan was to simply take her class, then transcribe Lolita's notes and technical sketches into the book to make it as easy as possible for you, the personal pattern maker. Well, many years and three computer crashes later, here we are. Lolita has spent over sixteen years in the fashion industry, traveling the world as a brand manager, merchandiser, designer, production and sourcing manager, and yet every time she is in Mrs. C's presence, she always learns something new, whether about fashion or life in general. Lolita concludes, "It has been an absolute honor to take this journey with my friend, Mrs. C, and help her realize her longtime dream of writing this book." For more information, please visit their website http://www.patternedafterme.com/author/

Book preview

PATTERNED

After Me

Your Introduction To

Personal Patternmaking

ADUA CELENTANO

Author, Fashion Design Illustrations

LOLITA JOHNSON

Coauthor, Technical Illustrations

Copyright 2015 by Adua Celentano with Lolita Johnson. 708371

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015909512

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-5035-7754-1

Hardcover 978-1-5035-7753-4

EBook 978-1-5035-7755-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Measurement photos by Darlene Sullivan and Angela Conforti

Cover design by Jeremy Scott Diamond

Front cover photo by Ria Bloss

Back cover photo by Dawn Ann Photography

Rev. date: 12/15/2015

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

Contents

Introductions and Acknowledgments

Dedication

Basic Tools and Materials Needed

Dress Form

Taking Basic Personal Bodice Measurements On Your Model

Front Bodice Measurements

Back Bodice Measurements

Taking Basic Personal Skirt Measurements On Your Model

Taking Basic Personal Sleeve Measurements On Your Model

Chapter 1 Intro to Sloper

Create A Quarter Scale Draft For The Front Of The Skirt Pattern

Create A Quarter Scale Draft For The Back Of The Pattern

Sloper or Pattern Verification

Front Sloper or Pattern

Back Sloper or Pattern

Chapter 2 Create an A-Line Skirt Using the Slash Method

Basic A-Line Skirt

Basic Back of the A-line Skirt

Chapter 3 Create a Modified Flare Skirt Using the Slash Method

Basic Modified Flare Skirt

Basic Back of the Modified Flare Skirt

Chapter 4 Create Princess Line Skirts Using the Slash Method

Basic Princess Line Skirt

Back of Basic Princess Line Skirt

Six-Gored, Flared Princess Line Skirt

Back of the Six-Gored, Flared Princess Line Skirt

Eight-Gored, Flared Princess Line Skirt

Back of the Eight-Gore Skirt

Twelve-Gored, Flared Princess Line Skirt

Back of the Twelve-Gore Skirt

Chapter 5 Create Circular Skirts

Circular Handkerchief Skirt— Using the Full Waist Measurement

Full Circular Skirt—Using the Quarter Waist Measurement

Circular Skirt—Using a Single-Fold, Half-Waist Method with Side Seams

Circular Skirt—Using the Single-Fold Method Option with CBS and No Side Seams

Circular Skirt—Full Waistline with Center Back Seam (1/3 circle skirt)

Chapter 6 Creating Belts for Skirts

Contour Belt

Contour Belt Back

Straight Belt

Chapter 7 Creating the Personal Bodice Sloper

Front Sloper Creation Based On Personal Body Measurements

The Neck

The Apex

The Cap

Shoulder

Shoulder Dart

Side Seam

Armhole

Waist Dart

Back Sloper Creation Based On Personal Body Measurements

Back Neck

Back Shoulder

Back Armhole

Back Apex

Back Shoulder Dart

Back Waist Dart

Complete The Back Pattern Draft Of The Bodice Sloper.

Chapter 8 Create a Personal Bodice Pattern by Maneuvering Darts—Pivot Method

Neckline Darts

Shoulder Darts

Armhole Darts

Multiple Darts

Side Darts

French Darts

Center Front Darts

Chapter 9 Creating Basic Fashion Necklines

Square Neckline

Square Neckline—Back Panels

V-Neckline

V-Neckline—Back Panels

Scoop Neckline

Scoop Neckline—Back Panels

Sweetheart Neckline

Sweetheart Neckline—Back Panels

Boat Neckline

Boat Neckline—Back Panels

Chapter 10 Creating a Basic Sleeve Sloper

Basic Sleeves—Taking Arm Measurements

Chapter 11 Creating Fashionable Sleeves

Basic Sleeve Pattern

Cuff Pattern

Placket Pattern

Bishop Sleeve Pattern

Cuff Pattern with Button Closure

Bell Sleeve Pattern

Peasant Sleeve Pattern

Short Sleeve Flare Pattern

Chapter 12 Creating Dresses—Princess Line and Trapeze

Princess Dress

Back of Straight Princess Dress

Trapeze Dress—Front

Trapeze Dress—Back

Chapter 13 Creating Basic Collars

Peter Pan Collar Using Front And Back Slopers

Convertible Collar

Tab For Shirt Collar

Parrot Collar

Shawl Collar

Fashion Glossary

Introductions and Acknowledgments

Hello,

Let me present myself!

My name is Adua Guzzardi Celentano, I was born in the small town of San Demetrio Corone in the province of Cosenza, located in the southern region of Calabria, Italy. Calabria is the same region where the famous Italian designer Gianni Versace was born and the famous Pitagoria (Pythagoras), the sixth century BC philosopher and mathematician who founded his school, the Pythagoreans.

Since I was six years old, my eyes and my mind were always concentrated on fabrics and sketches. I always put together dresses for my dolls in different colors and styles. At ten years old, I learned how to sew by machine. Often, I continuously watched my mother or our dressmaker sew. Finally, I decided to complete the dolls’ dresses, even sewing by machine, and I would put the clothes in a beautiful package and tell my younger sisters that they were coming from America. When these packages from America were opened, you wouldn’t believe how well they looked.

When I was eleven years old, my mother had to go to see my sister Teresa in the city. We had a housekeeper named Antoinette (we called her Donetta). She was six feet two inches tall and husky. I decided to make her a dress. I had to climb on top of a chair, and with newspaper, pins, and scissors, I made a pattern. Then I cut the dress on the floor and sewed it on the machine by pedal, because at that time, we did not use electric machines. The fabric was an acetate green pastel color with white flowers. Donetta was very happy with this dress and showed it to everybody.

Anyway, I did study fashion design in Italy, and at nineteen, I twisted my father’s arm to let me come to New York City to study the American style.

Here at twenty, I really thought I had conquered the world. I loved New York. I loved the people, the work I did, and at twenty-two, I started teaching at the Traphagen School of Fashion, where I taught patternmaking for eight years. Then a student referred me to the French Fashion Academy, where I taught for one year. Yet another student referred me to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where I taught for eight years, followed by Marymount College in Tarrytown, New Jersey, where I taught for seven years. First it was patternmaking, then draping, sewing, grading, and rub-off. Earlier in my career, when cable television first came about, I actually developed and hosted a fashion cable television show twice a week. However, it has been so long that I do not recall the name of the show. In addition to teaching, I was also working as a custom made designer, when I opened my own business for fourteen years, Adua Inc., located in New York City. This was the point when I started thinking, why not write a book on patternmaking, not only for manufacturing, but personal patternmaking?

Years went by, I got married to Aurelio Celentano and had two beautiful children, Concetta (Cetty) and William. However, my wish to write a book never died. After many years, here I am living in New Jersey.