This is quite beautiful. I’m interested in if the tessellation was computer generated or something that you did without computer tool(s). Also how do you go about deciding the cuts and layering. I assume that happens in process…
As far as a finished garment, I suppose decisions about how the raw edges would be finished, or not and what kinds of construction–in terms of what gets sewn/attached to what and how much is left loose.
Anyway it’s interesting.
The tessellation was a combination of designed by hand and rendered for laser cutting through Adobe Illustrator. It was a long process to do by hand but i imagine that if someone with computer programming skills took it up it could be generated in a fully automated fashion. The design of the garment itself is determined entirely by the hand of individual designing it, but with the use of 3D modeling software it could be a digital process also.
Problems around finishing the edges and sewing together etc are a work in progress. Aside from using non-wovens and possibly using cloth with polyester so that the edges melt in the laser cutter, there are nto many options. I would aim to develop methods which enable a number of garments to be made from the same pieces a number of times over their life time – but this is a difficult process – any ideas?
On a custom patternmaking listserve/yahoo group I’m part of someone mentioned that some silks/ natural fabrics can be laser cut. I would think that it would depend on the fabric how much it might fray and whether that would be desirable–to leave it unfinished. For some dance costumes once, I painted fray-check on the edges of woven fabric before I cut it so I did not have to finish it in another way. Not the least toxic method though–and probably too time consuming for manufacturing.
As far as making the same garment be able to be re-purposed over it’s life–maybe snaps, hooks, buttons, Velcro (dots) or ties? You’d almost need to have instructions for some folks, who don’t think in conceptual–at least this kind of conceptual terms. For other folks they would probably think of new ways to rework the original garment. I’ve also used stick-on Velcro dots on costume to add a blood stain without permanently marking the shirt.
Trying to imagine all the possibilities of the garment(s) in order to add fastenings would be/could be pretty daunting–maybe thinking in simpler terms–pick a number of possibilities–say five and then work backwards from there.
I think the work you are doing is fascinating in that you have to think about the finished garment at the start–it’s very layered–like playing 3-D chess or maybe in more dimensions.
I’m not sure I’m offering anything you haven’t already pondered–but it’s fun to discuss.
September 13, 2009 at 3:54 am
hollymcquillan
Thanks for the comments. This process has always been imagined as part of a fashion system where by the consumer could return to the maker to have the garment remodeled if they were not sewers or designers. That way the fastenings and designs possible for the piece would not have to be predetermined at the time of sale / design, and designs could be updated / changed on a seasonal basis without the need to use new materials.
So the (less creative) consumer and maker would have an on-going relationship via the garment–interesting.
I have a friend who is a weaver. A consistent problems she sees at handwoven fashion shows is that most of the garments have no shape–are boxy, unbecoming items. I’ll show her the work you and other folks are doing with zero waste because one of the issue for handweavers is using the whole piece of weaving, when making a garment. So patterns for hand weavers would certainly be a possible market. I would guess they would be less inclined to want to change the garment over time–but I will have to ask my friend–or have her comment here.
Informed by weaving , I designed in the 1980′s a collection of diagonally constructed garments that are entirely waste free.
Also, handwoven fabrics needn’t be boxy when drape is designed into the cloth. how warp and weft are balanced or not, influences that.
This is quite beautiful. I’m interested in if the tessellation was computer generated or something that you did without computer tool(s). Also how do you go about deciding the cuts and layering. I assume that happens in process…
As far as a finished garment, I suppose decisions about how the raw edges would be finished, or not and what kinds of construction–in terms of what gets sewn/attached to what and how much is left loose.
Anyway it’s interesting.
September 12, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Thanks for the feedback!
The tessellation was a combination of designed by hand and rendered for laser cutting through Adobe Illustrator. It was a long process to do by hand but i imagine that if someone with computer programming skills took it up it could be generated in a fully automated fashion. The design of the garment itself is determined entirely by the hand of individual designing it, but with the use of 3D modeling software it could be a digital process also.
Problems around finishing the edges and sewing together etc are a work in progress. Aside from using non-wovens and possibly using cloth with polyester so that the edges melt in the laser cutter, there are nto many options. I would aim to develop methods which enable a number of garments to be made from the same pieces a number of times over their life time – but this is a difficult process – any ideas?
September 12, 2009 at 11:24 pm
On a custom patternmaking listserve/yahoo group I’m part of someone mentioned that some silks/ natural fabrics can be laser cut. I would think that it would depend on the fabric how much it might fray and whether that would be desirable–to leave it unfinished. For some dance costumes once, I painted fray-check on the edges of woven fabric before I cut it so I did not have to finish it in another way. Not the least toxic method though–and probably too time consuming for manufacturing.
As far as making the same garment be able to be re-purposed over it’s life–maybe snaps, hooks, buttons, Velcro (dots) or ties? You’d almost need to have instructions for some folks, who don’t think in conceptual–at least this kind of conceptual terms. For other folks they would probably think of new ways to rework the original garment. I’ve also used stick-on Velcro dots on costume to add a blood stain without permanently marking the shirt.
Trying to imagine all the possibilities of the garment(s) in order to add fastenings would be/could be pretty daunting–maybe thinking in simpler terms–pick a number of possibilities–say five and then work backwards from there.
I think the work you are doing is fascinating in that you have to think about the finished garment at the start–it’s very layered–like playing 3-D chess or maybe in more dimensions.
I’m not sure I’m offering anything you haven’t already pondered–but it’s fun to discuss.
September 13, 2009 at 3:54 am
Thanks for the comments. This process has always been imagined as part of a fashion system where by the consumer could return to the maker to have the garment remodeled if they were not sewers or designers. That way the fastenings and designs possible for the piece would not have to be predetermined at the time of sale / design, and designs could be updated / changed on a seasonal basis without the need to use new materials.
September 13, 2009 at 8:24 pm
So the (less creative) consumer and maker would have an on-going relationship via the garment–interesting.
I have a friend who is a weaver. A consistent problems she sees at handwoven fashion shows is that most of the garments have no shape–are boxy, unbecoming items. I’ll show her the work you and other folks are doing with zero waste because one of the issue for handweavers is using the whole piece of weaving, when making a garment. So patterns for hand weavers would certainly be a possible market. I would guess they would be less inclined to want to change the garment over time–but I will have to ask my friend–or have her comment here.
September 14, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Informed by weaving , I designed in the 1980′s a collection of diagonally constructed garments that are entirely waste free.
Also, handwoven fabrics needn’t be boxy when drape is designed into the cloth. how warp and weft are balanced or not, influences that.
August 25, 2012 at 4:48 am