Croquis References and Notes from June meeting

Good References for Making and Using a Croquis

Martha and Ginny’s Class for Sew Incredibles, August and September 2009

Jenny's Class for City-Wide Couture,  June 2011

• Discover the Best Proportions and Styles for You.  Nancy Shriber. Threads Magazine:  June/July 2006, pp 51-55.
• Fantastic Fit for Everybody.  Rodale Press, by Gale Grigg Hazen, 1998. pp 15 – 27.
• Test Style and Fit Before You Sew.  Gale Grigg Hazen. Threads Magazine; June/July 1996, pp 52-56.
• Fashion Sketching for Untrained Artists.   Jennifer Sauer.  Threads Magazine; February/March 2003, pp 54-55.
• Flatter Your Figure. Prentice Hall Press, by Jan Larkey, 1991.
• Figure Flattery.  Jan Larkey.  Threads Magazine:  April/May 1991, pp 44-47.
• The Long and Short of Flattering Neckline Choices. Jan Larkey. Threads Magazine: December 1993 /January 1994, pp 44-47.
• The Golden Rule of Proportions.  Sandra Ericson.  Threads Magazine:  February/March 2009,  pp 37 – 41.
• The Triumph of Individual Style.  Timeless Editions, by Carla Mason Mathis and Helen Villa Connor, 1993.

Make a Terrific Croquis! It’s Your Personal Fashion Tool

Notes from Jenny

Your croquis is a terrific sewing tool allowing you to see how the proportions of a pattern fit and flatter your body before you ever sew a seam. To get good results when shooting your picture for a croquis, here are a few tips.

Croquis Do’s	Croquis Don’t
Wear close fitting clothes that don’t alter your shape.	Avoid shape wear, panty lines, panty hose and other clothing that compress your body.
Wear a scoop neck top and pull long hair up so you can clearly see your neck and shoulders.	Avoid obscuring any part of your body or masking your true proportions.
Use a white background to create contrast behind you and underneath your feet.	Avoid anything in the background that will make it difficult to copy and trace your silhouette.
Put a tape mark parallel to your vertical backdrop on the floor, align your heels to it and keep your body parallel to the camera.	Don’t lead with your dominant side. It makes you look heavier on one side.
Hold your arms away from your body so you can clearly see a space between your torso and arms.	Don’t hold your arms too close to your body. It makes tracing your image much more difficult.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart.	Don’t stand with your heels too close together or you will lose insight into your leg proportions.
Mind your posture!	Don’t slouch or stand stiffly erect.
Smile! In this day and age of digital images, you’ll be able to have a higher resolution croquis if you choose.	Let how much you hate having your picture taken in your underwear show. You want to be attracted to your croquis so you can get the most value out of it.
Put a mirror across the room when you shoot your croquis so you can see your pose.
Check your lighting so you don’t get shadows around your body. Light from the top, sides and back if you can.	Don’t add visual pounds by allowing shadows to creep into your picture.
Shoot several shots so you can choose the best one.	Don’t try to get it right in one take. If you can view your images on a computer after you shoot them, you’ll be able to make adjustments for the best croquis.