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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Plan pattern development
   • Confirm costume design requirements and materials to be used in consultation with relevant personnel
   • Conduct research to assist with interpreting costume designs and identifying design elements or components
   • Record relevant historical aspects of costume designs
   • Take, record and analyse performer’s measurements as the basis for customising proportioning of costume designs
   • Identify special costume requirements of performers and performances, and consider the most effective way to achieve creative outcomes
   • Document costume specifications
   • Produce a plan of action for developing patterns to meet production deadlines
2. Prepare for draping
   • Prepare dress form or dressmaker’s dummy for draping
   • Map costume design proportions on a dress stand
   • Select or construct required underpinnings for the dress form
   • Determine which parts of the costume design will be draped and which parts will be flat pattern made
   • Check size and proportioning of prepared dress form in relation to performer’s size and costume design
3. Complete draping
   • Select draping fabrics that have similar characteristics to final costume fabrics
   • Cut and drape parts of costumes safely, commencing from under-layers and working outwards
   • Combine all parts of costumes into test toiles
   • Conduct test toile trials and fittings on performers and make adjustments as required
   • Use appropriate protocols and seek approvals from costume designers
   • Engineer and finalise patterns in line with production schedules
4. Compile components for costume construction
   • Calculate and record accurate quantities of fabric and notions using test toile, patterns and design specifications
   • Source fabric, accessories and other requirements for costume components
   • Lay fabrics
   • Transfer markings and shapes of patterns or deconstructed toile onto fabrics and cut
   • Compile cut pieces and components ready for construction
   • Develop a sequence of operations for construction of complex period costumes
   • Provide instructions to relevant personnel on construction procedures and timelines

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

research historical periods relevant to costume design requirements and apply to interpretation of costume designs

use cutting and draping techniques for complex period costumes that reflect costume design requirements, fit performers and meet production requirements

construct patterns, using a combination of flat pattern making and pattern draping

prepare and use a dress form that matches measurements of performers to test aspects of designs

prepare costume construction documentation

work collaboratively with performers and others involved in costume construction to meet production deadlines.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

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Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

outline roles and responsibilities of personnel involved in constructing costumes, and protocols to be observed in the workplace

describe the relationship between costume designs and test toiles

explain how design of costumes can dictate the type of fabric to be used

explain principles and techniques of pattern cutting, pattern engineering and costume construction

identify typical problems that arise in context of cutting and draping complex period costumes and briefly describe solutions

describe safety procedures that apply to using equipment and materials to make patterns.

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