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A Subtraction Addition…but not yet

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Julian Roberts’ ‘Smaller Dress’ a free pattern from the Centre for Pattern Design.  I’ll try to explain how this works, but seriously, watch the video here, and just try to imagine it!  Photos don’t really help either, but I’ll bung some in.

Ruth, I blame you for this!

I started by watching several videos where Julian Roberts demonstrates the technique.  I pondered, dug about for fabrics, and chose a gorgeous deep purple linen, mainly because this design demands quite a lot of fabric, and I had 4m.

Now according to Mr R himself in the videos, he doesn’t really ‘do’ numbers, so actual measurements and yardage are irrelevant, so I did my best to go with it.  The positioning of the bodice outlines, and the spacing of the circles you cut out, apparently don’t matter.

I cut about 11′ [couldn’t help doing  a bit of mathematical scaling from the pattern’s 11.5′ suggestion, but it was only rough, honest].  I folded it lengthwise, and sewed a looooong ‘side’ seam.  It won’t stay on the side apparently.

I also sewed the top, which was not needed for this layout, hey ho

I plonked the bodice front and back, on the front and back respectively, and chalked round them.  Following Mr R’s suggestions, I took a breath and placed them deliberately wonky.  I then fiddled about and joined the side seams with random looping curves, and cut away the resulting weird shape.  I then vaguely followed the way the circles are positioned in the pattern diagrams.  Instructions are SPARSE.  If you like your hand held, don’t touch this!  6 large circles swirl down the front and back, numbered in pairs.

I joined the shoulder seams, made the darts, and zigzagged the raw edges as this linen would unravel otherwise!  The dress is meant to be lined, and after following the construction, it is definitely essential for this one if you want to avoid getting lost permanently inside the catacomb-like interior.

I started at the front, cut out the 2 bottom circles made a fold in between them to bring them together, right sides facing, and pinned, trying not to stretch out all those bias edges.  Partway through the pinning, topology rears its head, and you have to faff about to get it to work.  Well I did.  I decided to sew round the circles with the overlocker.

I shook it out to the right side, and it looked fine.  The narrow space between the circles, folded and stitched, produces odd strap-like bits inside-visible on the right of this picture.

Then I repeated for the middle pair of circles, and then the top pair.  Then all the same again for the back.

As each successive pair is stitched, the dress twists and turns and takes on its own life.  Very odd.  I’d numbered the circles, and I was glad I only cut them as I was prepared to sew each pair, it would have been impossible otherwise.

I got all six circles seamed, faffed a bit more to find the top of the dress, and shook it out. And stared.  How the hell am I supposed to get into that?  It looks like something that’s just come out of the washing machine- all mangled, twisted and oddly tubular, like a sock monster of some sort.

I decided to walk away, and try again in the morning!  It’s undoubtedly better to try to get in [and out] of this with some assistance…

********Interlude*********


<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/112637983″>'Reverse Subtraction Cutting' lecture by Julian Roberts</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/subtractioncutting”>julian roberts</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

After a good night’s sleep, I managed to mentally envisage what SHOULD have happened after all the cutting and circle joining.  Try this exercise:

Imagine you are looking up into a cylinder.  Out of one side of the cylinder protrude three loops [like netball hoops].  On the other side of the cylinder are three more.  The six loops  are staggered, so moving up from the bottom you get one on the left, one on the right etc.  They do not touch or link in any way.  This is my eggstand, twist it inside out, and you have the picture lol

That’s what I SHOULD have got, although it’s much harder to see as the fabric collapses and twists and distorts as you go, because the circles are slightly offset, and, well, fabric.

However.  In my attempts to handle and turn the fabric as little as possible, because I don’t want to crush the linen too much, or stretch out the circles, I must have managed to get those loops intertwined.  It’s inextricable as it stands, so I have to unpick [and it’s OVERLOCKED AAARGH] at least some of the circles.  I think the bottom two are fine, they can be laid out ‘flat’ but the rest is such a tangle I can’t fathom it out.  Wish me luck, I’m going in.

Topology is a fascinating mathematical subject, [which nearly killed me at university]…I will defeat this!

 

 

35 thoughts on “A Subtraction Addition…but not yet”

  1. My head was spinning just reading your post (and then the Smaller Dress PDF) but it does look like fun and so not your boring run of the mill High Street RTW. Good luck. I am sure you will end up with a fantastic dress.

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    1. I hope so! I’m certainly not abandoning the luscious fabric…and I have to work out what to do with 12 huge circles of it that have been ‘subtracted’. Cap sleeves, for one….

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  6. Oh my goodness, does this dress ever look difficult to sew, I don’t think I would ever be brave enough or skilled enough to attempt it! You always take on the most amazing projects, and this one definitely looks quite avant-garde! I wish you all the luck in the world with it, and I believe you can do it! You knocked Vogue 8858 out of the ball park and I know you can tame this beast too! 😀 ❤

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      1. Yikes! From the brief glance I took at the instructions, it does looks like a real head scratcher – and I thought that Butterick’s instructions were confusing! Is there any way that the pattern designer can be contacted with questions?

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      2. The instructions are fine [as far as they go] the problem seems to be some combination of my pattern pieces and the angle I positioned them [which is supposed to be random]. I think I’m just unlucky! I’ll salvage something out of it if it kills me!

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      3. That’s really too bad, I’m sure you will be able to salvage it somehow, though. If you were supposed to be able to position the pattern pieces randomly, and that isn’t working out, maybe the instructions were wrong about that? Have you been able to find reviews for the pattern? You might not be the only one who has had these problems. *hug* Good luck!!

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  7. so cool! i’ve looked at j roberts’ videos repeatedly and i’m still kind of stumped. i want to make this too, but the amount of fabric needed is making me hesitate. i think you’re right to try and work it out with the actual material. it’s not really math, it’s geometry and physics right? that’s what manipulating fabric is in the simplest terms. altho’ i suppose there’s math involved in measurements… anyway, do you join the ‘front’ circles to ‘back circles’, or join the pairs that are on the same side (front or back) to pull the length up a bit?? i never figured that out. good luck! thanks for showing us your experiments!! best, cat

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    1. It depends where you put the circles I think. This is the free pattern from Centre for Design, and you put 6 staggered circles on front and back, but it says to label them in pairs doing front and back separately…I think. Lol at least that’s what I did. If you join front to back you definitely HAVE to go through those loops, this way I think it’s optional, and just produces curved pleats basically [plus odd tubes and loops inside which PROBABLY just dangle] I’m baffled at this stage, Maybe it’s a random combination of the larger circles I cut to accommodate my not-model-sized torso? Time to unpick. At worst, I’ll get a very cool skirt. BUT I want a dress. Poop.

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  8. hmmm, i’ll have to go back and re-read the instructions, but that makes sense. maybe i should try this in jersey? but most of j roberts samples look like they use wovens. i feel your frustration, and admire your enthusiasm for trying challenging patterns. the most adventurous i’ve gotten is to size drape drape patterns up to fit my burda #46 body. maybe this would work in jersey? but most of j roberts’ samples look like they use wovens. i think jersey might droop instead of drape… xxcat

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  9. I’ve seen the videos, and until now I assumed that the circle joins just gathered the dress UP. Not that I was supposed to fit THROUGH the holes. I need to pay more attention and stop sewing while watching sewing videos.
    But wait. If this was a SEWING video…I’d have clothing at the end of it.

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    1. he does insist the holes should be big enough for your hips [or widest part] I’ve just watched another one that says you need to step through the holes, then shoe doesn’t and says you can cut the ‘straps’ away if you want. She also started with a much wider ‘tube’. I think. Oh I feel like abandoning it. Work tomorrow, I shall prevail!

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  10. You need to phone a friend. The guy in the demo doesn’t attempt it singlehanded – that’s a clue right there – then you needs a mannequin or a model, (I can’t work out how he is joining pieces, he looks like he’s using his scissors in places too). He’s got the assembly down pat demonstrating alternative ways to put it together for different looks.

    You can totally do this, you’ve thought through the basics, the difficulty, as you say, is handling the piece while keeping it controlled. It would be an idea to try a miniature croquette to get your head around what goes where. Nevertheless it’s worth persisting as you will rock this look. It would look great in jersey and needn’t cost a fortune and would punch well above its weight when done.

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  12. Oh I hope you crack this! Loving reading about it. Seems to me that the body has to go through the holes if you join them front to front. I’m tempted to have a go myself but definitely in jersey.

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    1. Apparently threading yourself through the holes is optional- I would think it would be quite uncomfortable in wovens? Anyway, it’s meant to make the garment have multiple permutations [all 64 of them for this one] It’s also supposed to be lined though, so that would lock it into one shape. Weird

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      1. I’ve been sitting on the bus this evening drawing diagrams of cylinders with handles on to try to figure this out, and I see now that going through the holes is optional. Fascinating stuff.

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      2. Yep- he does mention that very briefly, but from his explanation of the principle, and the size of the holes you need, it seemed to be important…I could have made tiny holes and got the effect without the shrinking. As we have said, in jersey it wouldn’t matter. Topology is amazing! If tomorrow is [as suspected] a snow day here, I will crack on

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  14. Lord have mercy! So glad I only have to deal with brides and miles of tulle and NO CIRCLES! Thinking about watching the video to understand the beginning and end results…what a nightmare for you!

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