From here on in, the going gets rough
The point of creating a prototype is to help iron out some of the problems you may encounter when constructing the finished piece. This allows you to experiment with different construction methods and see what will need to be changed in the final design (it could be pattern, where to sew, where to nail etc.). Here is a rather speeded up step by step on creating the prototype.
1. Mummify the last with masking tape
Et voila the last is mummified.
The point of mummifying the last is so that you can draw your design directly onto the last. The trick is to minimize the air bubbles and to try and make it as flat as possible. You'll see why in a bit.
Here is the design drawn onto the mummified last
From here you cut along the centre line with your knife and peel off the two sides. These you have to stick onto pattern paper and the flatter you were able to tape, the more accurate you can make the pattern. Once stuck to the paper you cut them out and trace them over the top of each other to create an average.
With this average you need to add lasting allowance to the bottom and seam allowance to the back. You extend the toe of the shoe to a point and then create a U-shaped pattern with that.
As I was also making 2 two caps I needed to make patterns for those. I really wanted the shoe to be a little more three dimensional so instead of having one big cap and a small sliver of leather for the piece I created two overlayed caps. This shouldn't be much a of a problem as the leather I'm using is pretty thin (for the toe at least). I also wanted to have raw edges for the toe cap as I prefer that look.
These are effectively my finished patterns. With them I cut out the materials I'll be using for the prototype.
A Saffiano embossed PU upper (I'm using a greeny/turquoise calfskin in the real shoe)
A lining material (Pigskin for the real lining)
and Lambskin toecaps (similar in thinness to the kidskin and lambskin caps I'm using in the real shoe)
Et voila the last is mummified.
The point of mummifying the last is so that you can draw your design directly onto the last. The trick is to minimize the air bubbles and to try and make it as flat as possible. You'll see why in a bit.
Here is the design drawn onto the mummified last
From here you cut along the centre line with your knife and peel off the two sides. These you have to stick onto pattern paper and the flatter you were able to tape, the more accurate you can make the pattern. Once stuck to the paper you cut them out and trace them over the top of each other to create an average.
With this average you need to add lasting allowance to the bottom and seam allowance to the back. You extend the toe of the shoe to a point and then create a U-shaped pattern with that.
As I was also making 2 two caps I needed to make patterns for those. I really wanted the shoe to be a little more three dimensional so instead of having one big cap and a small sliver of leather for the piece I created two overlayed caps. This shouldn't be much a of a problem as the leather I'm using is pretty thin (for the toe at least). I also wanted to have raw edges for the toe cap as I prefer that look.
These are effectively my finished patterns. With them I cut out the materials I'll be using for the prototype.
A Saffiano embossed PU upper (I'm using a greeny/turquoise calfskin in the real shoe)
A lining material (Pigskin for the real lining)
and Lambskin toecaps (similar in thinness to the kidskin and lambskin caps I'm using in the real shoe)
I decided to split the making of the prototype up into two posts as pattern making and cutting your material is a pretty important step. See you on the flip side!
2 comments:
this is so insane! God so much work goes into making a shoe. One day I'm going to sneak into FIT and make you teach me!
xx
Tiffany
Give me another semester and then lets see if I can teach anyone anything haha.
Post a Comment