projects in progress

Kate, do you have any engineering drawing supply places near you? Very often there are places that sell the plotters that will print files to large format plotters for you for a reasonable fee. Even some duplicating houses are offering the service now with the advent of cheap digital cameras and photo editing software and a need for large prints of photographic images.

Can your software save a drawing as a plot file (either .hpl or .plt) or as a Cad format file like .dwg or .dxf? If so one of the places described above should be able to send it to their plotter very easily.

Don't forget that you can always pass on the costs of printing to the customer as they would have to buy a paper pattern anyway if you weren't using the software.

When I am designing my large kites I have to produce 'patterns' too, although we tend to call them 'templates' ;-). I picked up an old, used, large-format dot-matrix printer (the sort that takes the wide, tractor feed computer paper) for very little money and I use that to print out my templates. As the pages are all connected by perforations I just need to tape together long strips instead of individual pages when it comes to the time to stick everything together. The printer is probably 15-20 years old but you can still get ribbons for them as they are still used in a lot of places in industry where multi-copy, pressure sensitive, documents are used as the print head will mark right through to the back copy.

BINGO!!! I *have* a wide-carriage dot matrix printer downstairs, I haven't used in ages, but didn't want to throw away. Now I have a really good reason to get Wild Ginger: I *need* to be able to use that printer! And I can still get the ink cartridges re-inked for almost nothing. ;-)

Thanks!

Beverly

NP ;-)

Your only problem might be getting printer drivers for it (depending on what OS software you use) but there are ways around that.

I have some DOS software that makes a dot-matrix printer 'think' it is an engineering plotter and I use that as an intermediate step between the CAD software and the printed result. I save the drawing as a .plt file and then fire up the DOS application and use that to feed the .plt file to the printer. The only drawback on fine detail work (closer than

1/16" or 1mm) is that because of the way the pins are arranged in the print head it can only approximate curves or diagonal lines. It is more than good enough for my sewing needs though as I tend to use either 1/4" or 5mm sewing allowances (or multiples thereof) on all my work.

Look in thy mirror and tell the face thou viewest.

You are the only one making nasty remarks. I went out of my way to be patient with you when you made spurious accusations in the recent bra thread because I know you are going through a difficult time right now. I even looked back through previous commentaries to see if I'd inadvertently said something to upset you personally. But from what I could see, I've only ever been kind and respectful to you. I can't imagine what it is that makes you react so emotionally to my opinions and questions, Mary, or what it is that causes you to take my comments out of context and make such puerile personal attacks instead of dealing constructively with the topics at hand. It's rare that I encounter such uncommonly bad form in this kind of forum. So I shall henceforth ignore you unless or until you can drop the ad hominems, stay on topic, and be constructive.

I'll have to check out the OS requirements for Wild Ginger. I still have 286 and a 486 box, and I have MS DOS 5.0, Win 3.1, 95, and 98SE. One of those should work. I have the driver disk which came with the Epson printer, too.

Hmmm, much to consider, I'll have to fire up one of those computers and see what I can do.

Beverly

I have a couple of her books and though they are extremely well illustrated, they are definitely best accompanied by some hands-on demonstration from her or another expert. I use them a lot nonetheless.

What we seem to need is a machine that can scan pattern pieces and print out from a continuous roll instead of separate pieces. That way, only the larger pieces would have to be taped or glued and then only on a single vertical axis, usually. That alone would help to move things along a bit. In years gone by, patterns were often published in books at quarter scale IIRC. That would make scanning a lot simpler for sure. I have my doubts that the reduced size pattern pieces on commercial pattern instructions are drawn to scale or those could be used if they were always scaled to a single standard.

Phae

Sounds like a good idea but then how do you store such a thing for future use or are you tracing off on pattern or tracing paper?

Not so. In point of fact you were extremely rude.

I can't

Could it be that you refuse to address me by my proper name, even though I have requested it of you, and even explained the pronunciation?

In any case, if what you want is highly expensive designer fashions, the way to get them is to pay the price - many of them are copyrighted anyway - and have the designer make you a special model. Most of the rest of us either design our own out of our own imagination, or we take ideas from here and there and incorporate them into own designs.

OLWYN Mary New Orleans.

Not all of us have PCs at home as I've noted before, Karen, but sometimes it seems like those who do tend to think everyone is the same. All of the pattern software is Windows based AFAIK. Sorry my questions were too involved. I was just trying to be specific so I could understand what I might expect from the software. Let me ask you this then: Can you use pattern drafting software to _easily_ alter commercial patterns or not and, if so, what kind of process is used? I promise, I won't ask you again. And I would not ask if I wasn't truly interested in the software. But if that is again too much trouble, I understand. I tried to phrase it so a one-sentence answer would suffice.

Our next computer will likely be an Intel Mac which can run Windows for niche software like yours and maybe the equatorial drive on my telescope. But...... how soon we get one depends heavily on whether or not I can see some significant advantage over hand drafting for me personally given my professional experience with both "hand" drafting and CAD. My preference for one over the other logically varies with specific tasks.

Phae

I do have slopers already. I took this ditzy course from that Dusan guy quite a long time ago but it did teach me the basics. I have years of technical drawing experience so that probably helped. Nonetheless, I can see how useful it would be to be able to do new slopers more quickly. However, I have always leaned heavily toward more avant-garde clothing and that's why I'm interested in how to alter the patterns with software. And I have this huge collection of vintage that I like to do up rather frequently as well. Would I be able to do period corsets with Wild Ginger? I sure would not have to worry about taping the pattern pieces together!

That's a relative judgment. I draw very fast and have abundant professional tools. So for me, software must have an extra performance criteria.

I can see where this is a huge advantage for you. But usually, I am making only one size though occasionally my daughter and I like the same style. What about men? I still do shirts for my DH and son. I'd love to use software for that.

Recently, I've started doing a little draping... even got a good book. Tell me, how is the software at handling weird body shapes? Surely you run into all kinds with the kind of work you do. For instance, my daughter has very narrow sloped shoulders, is pigeon breasted, flat-chested otherwise, and one shoulder is a good inch lower than the other. (My daughter was born with cerebral palsy and multiple bone deformities) Her spine is kind of a lateral S-shape so that one hip is noticeably lower than the other. There are other things too so I've been trying to figure out from what you've all been saying if software would help me with her extensive fitting problems. Some draping definitely helps though I usually am working to disguise the problems to make them less noticeable. For instance, I often pad both shoulders but make one thicker than the other. I'd love if software would save me time and actually enable me to spend more time sewing more creatively.

That's it. You have imposed upon my good will for the last time. You're either lying or certifiable and, at this point, I don't particularly care which. I challenge you to cite a single instance where I was ever rude to you personally before you started all this ridiculous nonsense. Quote me and cite the URL. You won't because you can't. You just keep regurgitating one fabrication after another.

So this is the cause for your puerile attacks and enmity? Talk about passive aggressive!! You have never, ever addressed me about such a problem so obviously you have me confused with someone else. I assumed your screen name had your last name first which is not uncommon. All you had to do was *say* something instead of these relentlessly stupid hyperbolic tantrums. What are you--- 3 years old? I agree that you have a problem all right--- YOU! Get some help... take a pill..... talk therapy..... ECT..... whatever it takes. But I'm done trying to reason with you. As you have shown yourself to be thoroughly dishonest, petty and irrational, this conversation is over.

ooooh! Where too? Nosey friends want to know! ;)

Brill! :)

How's the work side of things?

You can choose single sheets. With a big skirt or train I wouldn't bother to print the blank ones, never mind stick 'em together!

Not close enough to make it a viable option, as far as I know. I'm certainly going to check it out. If it was as far away as Chatham, they could post me a roll for not too much.

Not sure of the exact file type, but in theory, yes.

Oh, believe me, I do that! It would probably cost less than the £10-£15 per hour I charge for donkey work!

That's the sort of thing I have in mind, or a 36" laser printer that takes rolls... The problem isn't so much the cost (one good wedding would cover it), but a place to store and use it! We have a small house, mid terrace, and floor space is at a premium. As it is, my cutting table has to be demount- and storable.

Thanks. I just found the OS requirements on the Wild Ginger site. Looks like at a minimum, I'll have to see if the old Pentium II running Win98 2nd edition will have drivers for the Epson wide-carriage dot matrix printer. That would really be slick, and since I *have* the printer, no added expense. If I can print from the demo, I may just have to spring for the full package.

Beverly

Neither: I just use the taped pattern as it is and as I'm usually making one-offs for customers, storage isn't a problem. If someone else later wants that design, or something very similar, I'd print off a new pattern in their size anyway, so once the pattern is used and finished with for that project, it will go in the recycling box along with the daily papers! :) Patterns I make for myself that I want to re-use just get stored like ordinary patterns, in plastic ziplocks in the appropriate one of 12 crates in the loft... Should the original customer want to retain the pattern for possible future use (with a wedding dress??? ;P ) they can take it and store it themselves.

Sure, for future DDs, maybe??? ;->

Actually, I saved the altered pattern for my younger DD's wedding gown, just because I had put soooss much work into it. I know, I'll probably never get it out again, but there you are. I still have the pattern I altered for *my* wedding gown, 45 years ago. And my older DD's gown from '83. And my DSIL's gown from '85... They are historical records. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.

Beverly

There's a costume set coming out this autumn, but as yet no plans for period corsets. Advice from the folk at WG at this time is to make the sloper to fit the corsetted figure of choice. For 17-18th C corsets, Drea Lead's Corset Pattern Generator is good. You ca find it on the Elizabethan Costuming Page.

OK... This is the bit I personally find tedious, but we are all different!

The bloke's tailoring set is what you need for that! :) Covers boxers through to suits. Also some outdoors type styles, I think, but the edit bit will let you play with that side of things.

I should contact WG with this set of questions. As a new user (I've played with it for less than a week!), I'm not sure how it would cope, as I have yet to do that. For jackets and the like for odd shoulders, the padding up will still be necessary to get a good external look and internal fit, but the basic fit issues should be dealt with. For someone noticeably asymetrical you can always draft a different pattern for right and left (as I do by hand anyway for the lop-sided! ;) ). I don't usually do this for coats and jackets as it tends to emphasize the lop-sidedness, and most customers like to disguise that for the wedding photos.

The demo doesn't allow you to save or print, but it does all the design stuff. Have a play, and then someone will help you get that printer up and running. You may just need to do all the designing on one pooter and shove the files to print across to one that does the printing for you. Network the two together, and Robert is the brother of yer aunt!