Would you build a house without engineering drawings? Making a template for a seamless felted garment is very much like the engineered drawings of a house. Both are the foundation, both will have a personal influence, and both are simple.
Why do felt makers accept their hand felted garments to have a poor fit? They have great felting skills. They invest an enormous amount of money. They take expensive workshops hoping for the perfect garment. They spend many hours and physical energy making the felt. They use beautiful fabrics and fiber. They have great vision for a beautiful finished garment. Yet in the end the final product does not fit. It is often too big or very tight, big floppy collars, or does not close in the front. Why is this acceptable?
This brings me back to template making. The template is simply a road map of an individuals body. Every person has unique measurements therefore the resulting template is for that person. If I am going to use my time, effort and materials to make a felted garment I want it to fit. I want to show off my feltmaking skills and design ideas with a nicely finished garment. I want to wear it proudly. I want those who see this garment as something other than what not to wear! The custom template is the foundation from which all future design begins.
I wrote the two eBooks called "Seamless Felted Garment" book 1 and 2 simply to help those feltmakers who seek garments that fit! I have used the principals of flat pattern making and applied them to feltmaking. The time invested is well worth the effort!
https://www.kathyhaysdesigns.com
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