Don McCunn's Blog

A Photo Exhibit

I am pleased to announce that some of my photos will be appearing in a group photo exhibit at the Harvey Milk Photo Center in San Francisco. The Harvey Milk Photo Center is a program of the San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department. The photo center has been a cornerstone of arts programming in San Francisco since the 1940s.

The Opening Night for the exhibit is scheduled for December 1st, 2011 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. The center is located at 50 Scott Street in the Harvey Milk Arts Center in Duboce Park. The length the exhibit will be on display is undetermined at this point but I am sure it will be at least a couple of weeks if not longer. The normal hours for the center are Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center is closed Friday, Sunday and Monday.

For those of you not able to come to San Francisco, I am including my photographs that have been selected for this exhibit I have tentatively titled “Escape from the Legacy.” To see a single photo, click on an image. To see a larger version, click on the single photo.

These photos came about because my model Alexandra Matthew had the opportunity to do a corporate event in the Silicon Valley for an organization that wanted an event based on the Walt Disney film Tron: Legacy earlier this year. But she needed a costume for the character Quorra. I was pleased when the producers of the event allowed me to create the costume for Alexandra. I described the design and construction of the costume in my blog Creating a Quorra Costume.

As it turns out I ended up making a Flynn costume for one of the other participants, Michael Ray Wisely, a friend of Alexandra. The event went so well Alexandra and Michael offered to come by to do a special photo shoot so I could have a record of these costumes I had made. As they are both Equity Actors the photo shoot became a very special event for me. It gave me the opportunity to explore my passion for photography in both my indoor studio as well as in the hills around my home in San Francisco. I have more photos from this event including some “backstage shots” on Flickr, Tron Lookalike Costumes.

It gives me great pleasure to share these images with a wider audience through this exhibit at the Harvey Milk Center. I would like to thank Grant Rusk and my classmates in his “Photographic Themes and Direction” class for helping me figure out how I could bring my eclectic interest in imagery into a meaningful form for this exhibit.

As a side note I’d like to congratulate Alexandra on the forthcoming birth of her first child and for starting her business as an English, German, and French speaking voiceover artist.

Creating a Pixie Halloween Costume

A Pixie Costume

My background is costuming. So when I worked with my model Fallon Niedzwiecki on Wed, Oct. 19th and she mentioned she tried to find a pixie costume for Halloween but none fit her–how could I resist? On top of that I had just received an email from Mood Fabrics saying they were running a Halloween Costume Contest. Mood is the fabric store in NY and LA that the designers from the TV show Project Runway go to for their fabric. How could I resist participating in that contest.

The following is a description of the creation of this costume.

The Design Concept
When I work with a model I really like it to be a collaborative process. So the first thing I did was to do some Google image searches for pixies and forest nymphs. I recorded the links I thought looked interesting and asked her to tell me the ones she liked. The image below from Fancie Dress was the one she liked best–except for the color. Fallon wanted forest colors and a shorter hem.

Fortunately, unlike the designers on the TV series Project Runway, I have time to mull on a design before I commit to fabric selection, notions, etc.

One of the key issues was what to do about the wings. When we were talking initially Fallon said she did not want wings because when she went to a party it was too easy to whack someone. On the other hand I was intrigued by the idea of making wings and there were wings in the image we settled on. Making wings is a project I had never undertaken and I was really looked forward to it. So I decided to make her a costume that had interchangeable wings, one for parties and one for photo shoots.

I mulled on several ideas about how to attach removable wings to the costume. Most of the ideas weren’t very good. I’ll spare you the details. Then a light bulb went off and I realized I could leave a long vertical pocket in the corset at center back (down her spine).

The next thing I had to do was to determine what the wings would look like. I did more Google searches and really liked the look of dragonfly wings. Each side has two wings and each wing comes to a single junction where it joins the body. I realized that this type of wing could easily be adjusted after the costume was made. This would give it a lot of flexibility. So it was off to find the fabric.

Finding the Fabric
It is common to find solid colors but I really wanted a variegated green for the dress. I was afraid I was going to need to dye fabric to get the effect I wanted. Fortunately the fabric store I went to had variegated green chiffon. It has been my experience as a costume designer that sometimes you have to do a lot of shopping to find the right fabric. Other times you are walking along and the fabric just jumps off the shelf and into your arms. This was one such occasion.

My second happy fabric search was to find a green organza fabric that was iridescent. Once again there was no choice to make. The idea of having translucent dragonfly wings made my heart sing. The other principle fabric I need was for the corset. But I had made myself some swim trunks out of a crushed brown velvet that had a wonderful tree bark like look. So it was off to start the construction process.

While I was in the store I found some wonderful artifical flowers and a cute butterfly pin. I couldn’t resist.

The Wings
I realized the wings needed to come first. If I couldn’t make the wings I envisioned, then I might need to change my entire design concept. How were the wings going to work with the rest of the costume and I needed to make two different sizes. To create the shape I opted for 14 gauge solid electrical wire. I had printed out an image of dragonfly wings I liked so I knew the shape I wanted to create. I took the wire over to a body double (aka dress form) I had of my model Alex to determine the proportions.

The other decision was how to treat the fabric. Initially I had intended to use a double layer so I could sew the two layers together, turn it and just pull it over the wire frame. But I really liked how fragile the organza as a single layer would work. I felt this was so appropriate for dragon fly wings. Below are the steps I followed to create the wings.

The photos below show the various steps of this process.

The Dress
For the dress I wanted a strapless dress with an uneven hem. I opted for the concept of a handkerchief hem. I figured if I wanted more of a petal effect, I could add it later.

To avoid a closing device I knew I needed to make the center circle larger than the hips so the dress could be pulled on. I could then enclose the waist in elastic to reduce it to the size of Fallon’s above bust dimension. I used the wonderful pattern-making calculator from String Codes to determine the radius I need for the circle from the full hip measurement. I used just the hip measurement because I knew when I added the elastic I would be rolling it to create an even larger circle. If you haven’t tried the String Code calculator, I recommend you do. It is free and does too much for me to describe here.

I cut the center circle and all edges of the fabric with a hot knife working for a freehand jagged around the outside edges. I then used a Swimsuit Edge finish to add the elastic. Fallon is allergic to latex so I was careful to roll the elastic a couple of times.

Checking the Design
About this time I was thinking “Okay enough for the theory. Let’s see if it works.” My model Fallon was out of town on an extended modeling gig. I knew she wouldn’t be back until it was time to shoot her wearing the finished garment. Fortunately I had worked out custom-fitted bodice, skirt, and bra slopers for Fallon so I was able to construct a custom dress form for her as I describe in my book How to Make Sewing Patterns. To keep it simple I just taped this dress form to a stool that was a good height. It took about three hours to make the dress form which I now have to use for other projects. And it saved me a lot of anxiety wondering about whether the costume would fit or not. The photo on the left shows the dress form. On the right you can see how I could check the drape of the dress.

When I saw the dress on the form I realized the front was too long. Fallon wanted it knee length. I think the error I made in my measurements was that I doubled the above bust to knee measurement for the overall length. I forgot to factor in the height of the center circle.

They say there is a silver lining to every cloud if you can find it. I liked the idea of the back hem being longer than the front. So I pulled out my trusty hot knife and shortened the front.

The Corset
The corset was a relatively easy pattern as I already had my fitted slopers for Fallon. So I just traced them to create center front, side front, side back, and center back patterns. I started it just under the bust and carried it three inches below the natural waist. I extended it below the natural waist because that contour of the body makes great support. Particularly because I wanted adequate support for the wings.

For the front lacing I shortened the front pattern by an inch which left a total opening of 2 inches. I first cut the pattern out of some stretch denim I had around the house. When I tried the initial denim on the dress form of Fallon, I felt so secure in the fit that I decided I would only need boning at side back to support the wings and center front to support the lacing. If you haven’t tried lacing, you need the boning or the lacing will squeeze the height of the corset down. The following is the sequence I used to create the corset.

Initially I was considering adding a second skirt to the bottom of the corset. But during the process above I kept checking the corset on the dress form. I liked the simplicity of the single layer of skirt so I abandoned the idea of additional layers.

When I was figuring out the spacing for the grommets I eyeballed how many looked right to me. Six grommets looked right to me so I knew I needed to divide the space equally in fifths. I whipped out my Scale Rule and used the 1/5th scale to establish the distance–no head math or calculator needed. The dimensions are right there in front of your eyes–whew!

Head Band
I thought adding head and arm bands would be nice. It would give me a chance to use the artificial flowers and cute butterfly pin I had found.

I had not measured Fallon’s forehead but I know that head sizes vary between 20 and 22 inches. I figure Fallon had a smallish head so 20″ should work. I used a strip of my Lycra and a band of 1-1/8″ elastic to make the head band.

Arm Bands
I use a palm measurement to verify a sleeve will fit over the hand. I did some testing and determined that the palm measurement would be a good dimension for an arm band. I wanted some of the chiffon at the bottom of the arm band to echo the appearance of the dress and corset. So once again I opted for a handkerchief hem with the 8″ opening. I decided that 3″ was a good length for the short side of the chiffon. So here is how it came together.

Initially I had planned to add elastic to the top and bottom of the armband to further secure the edges. But I found with a trial fitting that the stretch in the Lycra was adequate and no additional elastic was needed.

Conclusion
If this had been a complicated costume to make, I could not have explained the process as easily as I was able to. My wife thought I was crazy to take on this project. But when she saw how quickly I was able to create this costume, she was surprised. I guess this was a big surprise because I spent a full month creating my Quorra costume and I completed this in less than a week from start to finish.

I am pleased to say that when Fallon tried on the costume for the first time, no fitting adjustments were required. She wore it for a full afternoon of photo shoots, dinner at a local restaurant, and she even drove home in it instead of changing back to her street clothes. She said that the corset was the most comfortable corset she had ever worn. I attribute this to the custom fit and minimal use of stays. I also asked her at dinner if the headband she was still wearing was comfortable. She said it fit her so well she didn’t even feel she was wearing it. To me that is one of the goals I pursue for custom-fit clothes. When they fit, they are comfortable and a pleasure to wear.

To see more images, visit my Flickr photos.

If you have any additional questions about how I made this costume, I would be happy to answer them through my Yahoo group How to Make Sewing Patterns.

Creating a Custom Quorra Costume

The movie “TRON: Legacy” (2010) has inspired an interest in the costumes worn by the principle actors. In February of this year I had the opportunity to create a Quorra lookalike costume for an Equity actress I have worked with, Alexandra Matthew. She used the costume for a corporate gig in the Silicon Valley.

When I started researching I was intrigued that the costumes were created using high-tech body scans. Even so Olivia Wilde, who played Quorra, said it took 11 fittings to create a costume that fit her and could do the required stunts. This in itself was enough to make me want too take on the challenge of creating this particular costume.

I knew some adaptation to the costume would be required. Olivia had wardrobe experts to help her into the costume and the batteries that lit the suit lasted only 12 minutes. Alexandra needed a costume that was wearable for at least 4 hours. The first decision the producer and I made was that we would use black light technology for the glow in the dark feature. This was instead of the electro-luminescence technology used in the movie. I also decided to use a combination of pleather, buckram, and Tricot bonded foam to create the “armor” like appearance of the costume. This was instead of the latex foam and spandex used in the movie.

It was extremely tricky to determine the lines of the costume because the movie was so dark. Fortunately, using a Google Image search, I ran across a woman, Briana Lamb, who had seen the movie a number of times and created wonderful annotated line drawings of the costume.

From these drawings I could see a princess line sloper would be the best approach. Fortunately I already had such a sloper for Alexandra. From a pattern perspective there really wasn’t much to do except draw in the design lines on the sloper.

The challenge came in trying to figure out how the costume was to be taken on and off. There was no indication of any opening device. Also the neckline was so close fitting I knew that an over the head pull on would not work. I ended up using hook and eyes and velcro straps on the shoulders and under the arm. It also required a velcro closure at center front to achieve a neckline that was close to the original design–but not exactly the same. During one of the initial fittings we established that some on the closing devices I used could be eliminated.

Then there was wrap around skirt, leggings, and armor for the arms and legs. The final challenge was getting the black light paint to adhere to the pleather. I ended up using an undercoating of acrylic under the black light paint. In retrospect I think a regular paint primer would probably have required fewer coats. I was primarily concerned that the paint would not crack with movement.

The producer purchased the “identity ring” from Toys’R Us and Alexandra purchased the boots and wig.

“X” Back Bikini Top

My model Alex mentioned that she would like a swimsuit that did not have a strap around the neck. The photos below show what I created. The ties go from rings in the front, across the back to the opposite side, then back to tie at the rib cage level at center back. Once we had the elastic adjusted to her preference, I tied the elastic to the rings on the sides. All she has to do to take this top on and off is to tie and untie it at center back.

The top itself is made with velvet Lycra from one of the Fabric Depot Valu-Packs. I used a princess seam for the bikini top for optimum shaping. In this example I used 1/8″ elasticized cord. With the ring design it would be easy to change this to wider straps if so desired. Actually the rings give this particular design a lot of flexibility. The swimsuit rings also came from Fabric Depot.

Birth of a Bandeau Bra

In preparing for my next online patternmaking class Swimsuits, Lingerie, and Empire Dresses I was describing the many different types of garments that can be made using my pattern design system for bikinis, bandeaux, and fitted briefs. The topic of bras came up in my How to Make Sewing Pattern group.

I have been using my bikini pattern to create Bikini Bras for different models up to a “C” cup bra size. But when I started experimenting with larger bust sizes I realized that my bandeau pattern offers a better solution. Good bra engineering for large bust sizes provides support for the bust from the rib cage rather than shoulder straps. The bikini pattern relies on straps tied around the neck. My bandeau pattern on the other hand uses the support provided by the difference between the above bust and the full bust circumferences. My bandeau pattern is not just a straight strip of fabric. It uses a dart between center front and the apex to create the shape of a custom-fit bra cup.

While I have used the bandeau for costumes, gowns, and swimsuits, I had not applied it’s shape to creating a bra. Now I have. It is still in infancy as a bra design but I find the potential very hopeful because these bras are so quick and easy to construct. It can be made from one pattern piece using quality bra making supplies such as Tricot bonded foam, plush back elastic, powernet, and bra back closures. Straps can be added if desired but they are not the primary support structure as can happen too often in commercial bras. This bra does not require underwires and the pattern may be easily adapted for the prosthesis of women who have had radical mastectomies. My next project is to try this bandeau bra on my model who wears a 38DD in a commercial bra.

In the video above you can see my first bandeau bra. I made it from a wonderful powernet like fabric called Rubenesque. Susan of the Fabric Depot has been very supportive of my online classes. When she acquired this fabric as a special purchase, she sent me a sample to see how I would respond to it. I love it. It is one of the friendliest fabrics I have ever worked with. I just regret that when she sells out her current inventory it will no longer be available. Fortunately the bandeau bra can be made from regular powernet as well.

Homage to Heidi Klum and Project Runway

I have been a fan of the TV series Project Runway since the first season. I find the challenges interesting as each designer uses their individual aesthetic to resolve the issues. I also appreciate the fact that this show is encouraging more people, not just the contestants, to explore their creativity through fashion design.

When I started to explore the background of the series I ran across the YouTube videos of Heidi Klum modeling the 11 Million Dollar Bra for Victoria Secret. I immediately knew I had to make a similar garment. I had just completed my eBook How to Make Bikinis and Bandeaux and knew I could use this design system to create my version. When my model Alex agreed to model this garment I went ahead with this project.

While the bra Heidi Klum modeled was made up of diamonds, sapphires, and rubies I did not have the budget to do an exact replica. So my version is made of Swarovski crystals and rhinestones. Still the materials cost over $250 and it took a week of careful hand sewing to complete.

With the introduction of my class Swimsuits, Lingerie, and Empire Dresses which uses this same unique design system I felt the time had come to pay homage to Heidi and Project Runway. Fortunately Alex once again agreed to be my model. So here it is.

I have additional photographs of this garment in my Photo Galleries.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my model Alex for all the wonderful work she has done to make my Online Patternmaking classes possible.

Butterfly Outfit, Sewing

(Click on any of the thumbnails to see a larger image.)

Hi, More on this outfit later. But for now I am posting a quick message to answer a question on the Yahoo Group Sewing Dance Costumes. This is an outfit made from Lycra Velvet. It has a subtle butterfly pattern in it, hence the name. I chose to cut the fabric so that the fibers of the velvet point upwards. This tends to make the garment look darker in photos. If the fibers were pointing down, the pattern would probably be more obvious in photos but the garment would not be as rich in real life. The description of how this garment is sewn is in response to a question that has occurred as to what is the best way to sew trim and straps for swimsuits and this type of garment. I experimented with several techniques for making athletic bras and this is my ultimate solution. One problem I encountered is that some commercial garments I examined combined the straps with the arm opening. When I tried this, the arm openings gaped open. I found combining the straps into the necklines as shown here to be a more effective solution.

Sewing Technique

Cut arm and neck openings with no seam allowances. This will be the finished edge after the trim is applied. Cut trim from fashion fabric 1-1/2″ (cm) wide by slightly longer than the arm opening. Pin the trim to the arm opening along the edge of the arm opening, good sides together. Sew with a 1mm zigzag using a 1/4″ (6mm) seam allowance. Turn the trim to the inside of the garment and baste in place to create a 1/4″ (6mm) trim as seen from the right side. The photo above shows this step from the inside of the garment. From the good side, stitch in the ditch, then trim the excess seam allowance of the trim.	Cut a strip 1-1/2″ (cm) wide by the length of the combined neck openings and shoulder straps plus 1″ (cm) for seam allowances. Cut 1/4″ elastic the same length as the fabric for Step 7. Form a loop of the elastic overlaping the ends by 1″, then zigzag. Form a loop of the fashion fabric from Step 7, good sides together, then sew with a 1/2″ (cm) seam allowance. Zigzag the elastic to the edge of the wrong side edge of the fashion fabric loop. Pin the fashion fabric loop to the body of the garment, right sides together, matching center front, center back, and other sewing notches, see photo above.
Sew the loop to the neckline edges using a 1mm zigzag stitch as shown in the photo above.	Turn the fashion fabric for the neckline trim to the inside of the garment and hand baste in place as described in Step 5, see photo. From the good side, stitch in the ditch around the necklines using a 1mm zigzag. Zigzag around the strap and neckline trim. This is decorative top stitching of your choice. I recommend a wide zigzag or three step zigzag. In Lycra velvet such as this garment, the stitching is virtually invisible. Trim the excess seam allowance from the strap/neckline trim fabric.

Book Review: Chic Chicago

Chic Chicago is an exhibit catalog for garments from the couture collection at the Chicago History Museum. This exhibit runs from September 27, 2008 through July 26, 2009. An earlier version of the exhibit appeared at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York city in 2007 & 2008. If you live in the area or can get there before it closes, I would highly recommend it.

What I find interesting about this catalog and the exhibit is that it shows couture clothes from 1861 through 2008 in the social context of who was actually wearing these garments. When I see these elegant garments I can admire their aesthetic beauty. But this catalog also chronicles the women who purchased them, their social back ground, and where they wore them. For me this takes the appreciation of couture to an entirely new level.

The garments are featured in full color photographs from pages 14 through 133. These photographs feature both full length shots and beautiful closeups that show the immaculate sewing and detail that went into the garments. The photographs are followed by 6 pages that give photographs and brief bios of the 56 high society women who wore the gowns. The final 4 pages include brief descriptions of the 42 designers who created the garments.

Dear to my heart as a pattern maker for custom-fit clothes are the references to the fact that these women would travel 2 or 3 times from Chicago to Europe for fittings to ensure that the garments were correct for their specific bodies.

Amazingly the paper back book comes in a slip cover box that has an embossed sequin pattern from one of the gowns.

I would highly recommend you watch the video that describes how this exhibit came into existence from the curators who conceived it to the interns who worked on it, see the Behind the Scenes video.

Ode to Erte

I’ve got a new model I am working with, Erin Coker. You can see her below in some of the costumes I’ve made that were inspired by the artist Erte. To see a larger version of the pictures, click on an image.

The pictures in order are:

1. The Muff – Erin in this photo is wearing a Bikini I made. But she wanted to work with this muff which has three tails.
2. The Medallion Gown – I was intrigued by this design because it is made from a rectangle of fabric.
3. Scheherezade – This design is actually a bronze sculpture Erte created.
4. The Cage – I’ve used this Cage in a production of the musical “42nd Street” for the Dames production number as well as in my production of “The Fashion Show.”

I have also made the last three designs into Patterns for Fashion Dolls.