Draping these ribbons on the mannequin is much like perspective when painting. This allows you to have great precision in interpreting your design from the drawing or photo. It's all very logical, but also requires sculpting finess and a keen understanding of body and fabric movement. There is a magic that happens when the toile takes the form of your design, when the drape of the toile speaks as beautifully as your minds eye spoke your original idea.

I have three photos of the ribboned mannequin. This is a good frontal view. There wil be many tiny adjustments as I pin the ribbons in place permanently. Pins are placed about 2cm apart to fix the ribbons permenantly.

This view is neck, center front, bust, waist, high hip, full hip, and princess line from the shoulder neck point.



This photo shows the armhole, which is flatter in the back, cut deeper in the front. The side seam is indicated starting with the shoulder line through the armhole directly to the base of the mannequin, then the side piece (petit cote).

This last photo shows the armhole flattened in the back and curved out for the front. I can see that the side piece really needs some adjustment. It's much too curved. The side piece is the place where we can give curve or not in relation to the garment design and the person. We can cheat, and shape the person even if she isn't with this piece! The lines in general on a size 38 mannequin are quite clean and straight, so I'll adjust this piece quite a bit.

The next two days will be dedicated to the creation of the mannequin arm.

I would like to mention that this series has been created for a class I am giving in Ann Arbor Michigan for the Fiber Arts Guild on the 18th and 19th of August. We are still taking inquiries for private sessions on the 20th.