Stewart Girl's Dress pt. 4

This may be my last or second-to-last post on this subject. I may post some sketches of design ideas that I may want to try this design element - that is if I can work out the construction. Here are some sewn samples from my pattern that may illustrate more clearly my difficulties...

In this first picture you can see how the sample sews up. I am unsure if the dimple at the end of the dart is from my poor sewing or if the dart needs more shaping. I used a poly-cotton broadcloth. The gathers were made by pulling up the bobbin thread.





Here is the pattern with the seam allowances added.









It didn't occur to me until after I sewed up the sample that the skirt below the dart would now have a bias grain and the area above straight. I think a softer fabric, like a rayon, would gather up beautifully. But sewing the bias of the front skirt to the straight grain of the back skirt would cause all kinds of difficulties. I suppose some of the difficulty could be overcome by putting the entire style on the bias - which would fit the style period of the 1910's. The style requires a skilled pattern maker familiar with working on the bias.

As I said before, I would like to meet the original designer to see how she put this dress together.

Stewart Girl's Dress pt. 3

I have made some progress with the pattern. I still believe the greater challenge is coming up with a mass construction technique. No matter how I twist my brain around the style, it still requires hand manipulation of the gathers. So per Kathleen's suggestion, here is what the pattern would look like. I realized after I took the pictures that I had left off the seam allowances for the dart - must add that before sewing up the samples. This is a quick and dirty pattern, and I know it is not production ready. The style is going to work for girl sizes 8-16 and older. Younger sizes do not have (or need) darts in the skirt, although they can be added for a style detail.

This is a basic skirt block for a girl's size 10. A style line is drawn on the pattern where the gather detail is to be placed.








Lines are drawn from the dart point and the style line until they intersect. The skirt is slashed along those lines to the point of intersection. The dart is partially rotated closed. The original style had some fullness in the waist. The dart equivalent fullness only adds about a 1/2" to the waist front. I suspect the original style had more. The original style was probably for an older teenager rather than a young girl. Anyway, slash lines are drawn from the lower dart leg to the hip line (On a full length skirt, the slash lines would go to the hem. For ease, I am only working to the hip line).

Slash the skirt along the new slash lines to the hip and spread to the desired fullness. In this case, I spread for a 2:1 gather ratio. The finished pattern would look something like the one to the left. Like I said, I forget to add seam allowances to the dart opening. If you try this yourself, don't forget to add them.

Fabric samples will have to wait until later - too many pressing projects.

Warning - Taggies Blankets have a patent

You probably have seen them. These blankets are made of two squares of fabric with ribbon loops sandwiched around the edge. I have seen them sold on Ebay, online web sites and demonstrated in blogs and mommy discussion groups. Some well intentioned new designer could find themselves in a heap of trouble if they attempt to sell a similar product.

This is the kind of patent I dislike. The product is so simple. There is nothing unique to the concept other than the brand name. It is easy to copy and reproduce. It would be easy to unintentionally copy the concept. Just attach a ribbon loop to a product, and oops - patent infringement. (This particular patent extends to related products and not just the blankets, and would, of course, have to be tested in a court of law).

This is how the designer intends to treat potential customers and fellow designers. The designer states:

In our appreciation of your notification of any product infringements that you may find, a donation of TAGGIES will be made to a charity. In addition, your first name and state of origin only will appear on our Random Acts of Kindness page as sincere recognition of your efforts.

I think there are better ways to protect your product. Try superior product quality, customer service, shopping experience. Sure, others will copy and imitate, but you can do better in all of those areas. Build loyalty on trust - not threatened action.

Patent protection is only as valuable as the intended enforcement of the patent owner. This designer is actively protecting her patent and products. (They claim copyright protection too, although that claim is rather dubious IMO). Anyway, just a warning to any other designers - stay away from the "Taggies" concept.

[This blog entry has been edited to remove some of my stronger opinions on this subject. If you would like to share your opinion, please leave it in comments.]