Help me make my origami top wearable

[Jo]

Hm, will try that. As they are not classic darts I don't think there would be much of a problem if they extended just a little bit higher than my actual bust apex.

[Jo]

I think I've found my answer while looking for something else entirely. I was reading Gertie's "Blog for better sewing", and she used rigeline to keep the shape of similar pleats. Don't have any rigeline at the moment, but will order some and see how it goes.

[Ohsewsimple]

If I'd known what I was talking about that's what I would have said.  Thank you for articulating my muddled thinking Oss.  I saw it on the Sewing Bee. 

For a non dressmaker I think you put it pretty well. 
I often can't the of the words I need and I get quite annoyed.  I could show someone with ease but......

[Missie]

I've just watched a tutorial on how to make the pattern for this and I'm really wanting to have a go!

[Ohsewsimple]

I have the book Missie.....in Japanese as it wasn't printed in English at the time.  I'd like to have a go sometime.  It would never suit me  but love the challenge of the cut. 
Can you put a link to the video?

[Jo]

Ohsewsimple, are you talking about the Pattern Magic book? Because those instructions are a bit rubbish, imho. There's a rather good tutorial by Shingo Sato on youtube, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARk-S4QdAuU
Pattern is not that hard to make, and it really helps if you color the darts.

[Efemera]

Looks interesting, though those students haven't got much room!

[wrenkins]

I take up more room than that on my own!!!! There's arm waving and fabric swishing.... the swearing takes up a good 2ft! 

[Missie]

There's a rather good tutorial by Shingo Sato on youtube, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARk-S4QdAuU

Yep, that's the one I watched!

[Jo]

I would really, really love if someone else would give it a try. I've taken a few pictures of my trial version today. It's made out of a stiff-ish cotton.
As you can see, doesn't look too bad:
http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy269/iepurica/Camera/20170628_163004.jpg
After putting it on, holding my breath and arraging the folds, it looks like this:
http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy269/iepurica/Camera/20170628_163237.jpg
After moving around a little:
http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy269/iepurica/Camera/20170628_163328_001.jpg
There are about 2 cm of ease, so it's not too tight. Maybe it only works for people with a B cup?

[justpottering]

It's a great design- but not for scuba.  I think that anything origami inspired needs to be made in a  crisp fabric, so that the folds, tucks, pleats etc are cleanly made, and the shadows work best if it's all white.  Scuba is too spongy.  I mean, you wouldn't try to do origami using wallpaper...

Totally agree the fabric is the problem and I'm not sure its fixable anything you try wouldn't work well in this style I would take it apart and see if I could salvage enough fabric to make something else   
Interesting that there's no pics of it being worn anywhere I wonder how people wear it? The black and white dress was runner up in dressmaker of the year competition with ready to wear  she made it to show students about dart manipulation in form and function and was judged on a manikin so who knows maybe its not wearable? The article I read said she is 'especially fond of the understitching' which might hold a clue?

[Jo]

Justpottering, the pictures in my last post are with a crisp cotton, problem's the same

[Missie]

What are you using for your base pattern and how does that fit you?

But looking at the tutorial video, the darts are more folds than sharp creases.  Have you tried ironing out the creases to that they are looser folds?

[charlotte]

I am planning to make this! Unfortunately all sewing is on hold and fabric is being carefully packed away whilst operation mouse hunt is underway in our flat. 

[Jo]

Missie, the pattern is made from a customized sloper that fits very well. If they are looser folds there's just too much ease above the bust. Someone on facebook mentioned it's a good example of a "dress form design" that doesn't really work on moving, breathing people.
I've thought about it some more and the best solution would be to make pleats that extend all the way and use boning to make sure they hold shape. But that's a whole new pattern I might tackle some other time, as frustration levels are already too high
Charlotte, so sorry to hear that I had a runaway hamster at some point, and to find him we used this strategy:
- close all the doors
- put food in every closed off room and sprinkle some flour around (you can use paper underneath so it won't make a mess)
- check the food to see in which room the mouse resides
After that there are two options: humane and not so humane. It does narrow down the area to search tho.