Patterning is the construction, fabrication, or assembling of an object by cutting (and sometimes bending or folding) two-dimensional surfaces according to a pattern or template, and then attaching the edges of these surfaces together to make a three-dimensional object.
Patterning techniques for props come from several crafts and industries. Costume and fashion have methods for patterning with fabric and textiles to make clothes and accessories. Sheet metal workers have methods for drafting and cutting flat patterns into steel to fold and bend into all sorts of tubes, duct work, and other shapes. Geometric solids can be represented by flat patterns. The packaging industry uses dielines to create templates for cutting and scoring sheets of cardstock and plastic that are folded into boxes and other packages. Paper crafts develop a number of ways to fold paper to create complex shapes. We can use all these means and methods separately—using costume design techniques to make things from fabric and sheet metal techniques to make things in metal—but the real breakthroughs happen when you combine these various techniques and use them for all sorts of materials.
Fabric is unique with pattern making because it is not rigid like other materials. When a fabric object is constructed, it will not hold a specific shape unless it is stiffened or completely stuffed, as in upholstered cushions. Most fabric items are designed to move in a certain way and to change depending on the underlying structure. Clothing, for instance, is designed to let your arms and legs move while remaining close so that it does not fall off or drag on the ground. The pattern for a burlap sack is designed so that when you throw a severed head inside, the inside can expand to accommodate the head, and the sack can be carried so that the head does not roll out of the opening.
Pattern-makers use two main methods to create shapes from fabric: the seam and the dart. A seam is where two pieces of fabric are stitched together to create a single piece (see Chapter 12 for a discussion of various seams). A dart is created when you remove part of a piece of fabric and sew it back together to create a new shape. If you cut a pie-shaped piece from a circle to make a Pac-Man shape, and sew it back together, you create a cone. You do not always need to cut the dart out; sometimes, you can simply pull the fabric closer together and stitch the fold shut.
Further ways to shape fabric are gussets and folds. A gusset is a small piece of fabric added into a seam to expand the fabric; it is typically shaped like a diamond or triangle. Sewing folds in place creates pleats, tucks, or gathers (see Chapter 12).
Take a look at existing fabric bags and accessories to see what individual pieces are used and how they come together. If possible, rip the seams and disassemble the piece; you can use the individual parts to trace your own pattern (known as “reverse engineering”).
With just a few basic patterns for bags, sacks, pillowcases, and pouches, you can adapt them to make countless different props. It is helpful to develop your ability to see a pattern not as a specific thing, but as a collection of shapes that can be altered to create different shapes. For instance, a pattern for a gunny sack can easily be scaled down and flipped over to make a black hood for a Guantanamo prisoner.
You can find many ready-made patterns, which shortens your experimentation time. Sewing centers and fabric stores have loads of pattern books for draperies, backpacks, animals, and doll bodies (which can be scaled up to human size). Searching online will lead to many more patterns, both for sale and for free; historical reenactors will often post patterns for period-accurate satchels, pouches, accessories. Stuffed animals can sometimes be adapted to real dead animal shapes.
The fabric “hand,” or “handle,” is how a fabric feels to the touch.
When working with a limited or expensive fabric, you can refine the pattern by constructing the piece out of muslin first. You can see if all the pieces line up correctly and that you get the shape you want. You can make small changes or even start over completely without wasting any of your real fabric.
When you are satisfied with your piece, lay these fabric pieces onto paper, and trace the shape. You can note on the paper the directions of the grain lines, notches for lining up two pieces, and seam and hem allowances. Use rulers and drafting curves (such as hip curves and French curves) to clean up your drawings and make smooth lines. The patterns can now be traced onto the correct fabric.
The final fabric hand, the thickness and stiffness of the fabric, and the weave or knit will affect how it drapes and patterns. Making a pattern out of muslin for a fabric that is very different from muslin may be problematic. Sometimes it is necessary to pattern directly with your real fabric.
Soft sculpture is the use of non-rigid, aka “soft,” materials to create a three-dimensional shape. You cut pieces of fabric into different shapes, sew them together, and when you fill it, the fabric takes on a three-dimensional shape. Soft sculpture is usually filled with stuffing or foam, but some pieces use beans or sand. You can use soft sculpture to create objects like pillow cushions, stuffed animals, or even realistic-looking animal carcasses.
The easiest way to create a symmetrical piece is to trace the side view of the shape you wish to replicate. Cut two pieces of fabric from this pattern. Sew them together, adding stuffing before you completely close it up.
Computers can automate much of the patterning process. Starting with a three-dimensional model, a program can flatten all the surfaces and break it apart into individual pieces that you can print out and trace or transfer to your flat materials. Programs that develop pattern pieces for fabric can factor in the stretch and sag of fabric, the compression and extension of fabric over complex shapes, and other distortion of fabric. Some programs deal with stretchy fabrics and can calculate what shapes various pieces create when under tension.
Complicated patterns can be simplified by breaking them down into more basic geometric solids. A geometric solid is formed when a two-dimensional shape such as a square or circle is given three-dimensional form. Geometric solids fall into several basic categories: cube, cone, cylinder, prism, tetrahedron, pyramid, polyhedron, and sphere.
The net of a geometric solid is the arrangement of its surfaces in a single plane (or a flat piece of paper), joined along their edges so that they can be folded into the faces of that solid. Most polyhedra can have several possible nets depending on which edges you wish to be folded and which you wish to join.
Many shapes can be made through a combination of the basic geometric solids. More shapes can be made by truncating, or cutting off, a portion of the shape.
Developing a three-dimensional object into a template is useful if your piece needs to be hollow or open to show the inside, or if it is made out of a transparent material that would reveal any structure on the inside. Open boxes, buckets, and megaphones all benefit by being built out of a flat piece of material that is folded or rolled into a geometric solid.
A dieline is a line drawing of all the folds and cuts used to turn a flat piece of cardstock or paper into packaging and containers. They also include tabs which overlap the joints to help glue pieces together.
You can include a dieline in a computer file so you can lay out all the graphics and text that get printed onto your packaging material. This lets you fold and assemble various boxes, envelopes, and cartons without needing to add stickers or paint afterward.
Paper craft is the collection of techniques that involve cutting and folding designs onto paper, cardstock, or any laminar (flat) material that can be folded.
Do not confuse paper craft with origami, which is the Japanese art of folding a design from a single piece of paper (or kirigami—like origami but involving cutting and/or gluing the paper as well). In origami, portions of the paper overlap each other. Of course, the skills of origami can be very useful for a props artisan in various situations, but they will not be discussed here.
Thick materials such as corrugated cardboard, foam core, or heavy cardstock may need to be scored at the folds to give a clean bend. Convex folds and seams will have visible gaps. To avoid gaps, the seams can be cut at a beveled angle, covered with tape, or filled with putty.
The Japanese term for paper craft, pepakura, has been popularized with the spread of computer programs that will automatically create a pattern from a three-dimensional computer model. These complex paper models are a far cry from the simple blocky shapes whose patterns were found on the backs of cereal and cookie cartons during the mid-twentieth century.
Pepakura hobbyists use a number of methods for stiffening these paper objects into sturdy props. First, the seams on the outside are sealed with tape, resin, or glue. Then the inside surfaces are coated. Again, resin or glues work best. Mâché or fiberglass can be used for extra durability. Water-based materials can warp the paper, so seal it with PVA glue or shellac before using them.
The outside surface of the paper can then be coated. Thin coats are used to keep all the details of the folded paper. Thicker coatings are useful to hide the folds and make more of a curved surface (a lot of sanding and filling is in your future if you build props like this).
In the terminology of the sheet metal industry, you develop the surfaces of a three-dimensional shape to create a flat template to construct it from scratch. These patterns are known as developments, or sometimes stretchouts.
A sheet metal pattern will show fold lines, cut lines, tabbed edges, and tab fold lines. When you bend sheet metal, the bends will have a slight radius. The thicker the metal, the greater the radius will be.
The edges of a sheet metal piece are often rolled or folded over since it can be sharp, no matter how much you sand and file it.
Some computer programs (like Autodesk Inventor) can take a 3D model and make a flat pattern for sheet metal.
Soft foam and foam rubber are often patterned and assembled to create three-dimensional shapes. Thin foam rubber, like XLPE and EVA foam, has been used as a material for flat patterning just like paper and sheet metal. The patterns are typically created on paper, and then traced to the foam and assembled.
Pieces can be attached together with hot melt glue. If the foam is thick enough, you can glue end-to-end without needing any overlapping tabs. Convex joints will have gaps unless the edges are beveled or filled. If you want the piece to remain flexible, use a flexible filler, like paintable silicone caulk.
Puppet makers often work with soft polyurethane rubber, nicknamed polyfoam (similar to upholstery foam). Polyfoam can be even thicker than EVA foam, which introduces some additional techniques for shaping and patterning it.
It can be helpful to attach a knit fabric with spray adhesive on the unseen portion of the foam to give it reinforcement, particularly when using stitching to create shapes.
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