It's Alive!!!
In my computer pattern drafting class we were given the assignment of replicating (Knocking-off) a garment. Because I really love Free People (and they are $$) I copied a sweatshirt I got for my birthday two years ago. The Photo above is the sweatshirt style in question, mine is dark gray, and my copy black.
The pattern drafting (CAD) program we use is Gerber, and I really hate it. I really really hate it! I am a mac person, and this Program pretty much is everything I could possibly hate about PCs crammed into one program, with crack. Unfortunately their doesn't seem to be any industry competition...I'm looking at you adobe...
After I finished making my pattern on the computer, my teacher printed mine and everyone else patterns out on the large scale plotter. While Gerber was having another one of its moods I got to enjoy hearing my teacher curse under her breath, "Work, work you lousy piece of shit." I am SOOOO happy I am not the only one who has this sentiment.
For fabric, I looked on ebay and a few local fabric stores. I was extremely tempted to buy this odd checkered fabric off ebay, but the time it would have taken for it to arrive was problematic (Two week turn around from draft to sewing) also $10 shipping? I ended up getting this black striped cotton from Britex, and some Brass coin buttons and zipper from Stone Mountain and Daughter. Steampunk-ish?
After that it was A LOT of back and forth between my sewing machine and my serger.
The original sweatshirt is designed with all of the edges being raw, because it is knit it fray very slightly/nicely. I kept all of the original design feathers like the edges, tucks, internal tapes, buttons and stitching. I only added one thing, A larger button above the zipper; and I partially botched the buttonhole.
The Finished Sweatshirt:
I am thinking of adding a few more of the smaller buttons to the collar so I can button it up, opinions?
And the Original and the copy of me:
First thing I notice? I accidentally put the zipper slanted to the opposite side! The pieces are asymmetrical, and I clearly wasn't paying enough attention to "This side up" while cutting, Oops!
The rest of the differences I see are mostly in fit, the hips slightly tighter, the sleeves looser. I imagine my measuring of the original was not spot-on (Hello measuring stretch garments!) but I also wonder how much of a difference fabric hand is making? The new fabric is slightly stiff and elastic, the old sweatshirt is like fuzzy butter. The sleeve I can take in later if I want.
Small beans I am calling this success, my teacher better give me a good grade, and if she doesn't I have a new snuggly sweatshirt to comfort me.