Capturing ideas and inspiration

Sketching my sewing plans and visually capturing my ideas is a fairly recent activity for me. I've never considered myself to be good at drawing and shied away from picking up a pencil. This has changed recently and I thought it might be fun to share the insides of my sketchbooks.  

I've recently started to fill the books for a number of reasons. Primarily, it is not easy to draft a pattern without having some sort of visual reference to refer back to. Sketching out your design will not only help you think about where the seam lines go but also how to get an item on and show how it will hang on the body. I find it useful for planning the finer details such as what techniques I want to use and any changes I plan to make to a bought pattern. It helps to ensure I don't miss anything which is a big task because you can guarantee that I will forget at least one thing per project. 

The first book I have is for capturing ideas, inspiration or anything that springs to mind. It is purely experimental - a place where my ideas can crystallise or lay in wait until the right project comes along. The images are for my own designs, tweaking bought patterns or projects that I am collaborating on. The sketches are not perfect, are often off scale and the colouring is wobbly in places but the point is to capture the spirit of the design rather than create a masterpiece on every page. 

Once I have decided to make a particular piece, I transfer the sketches to my Fashionary. I love this book - the preprinted figure on each page is such a useful tool. It is here where the finished item is captured with concise notes about the design, construction and fabric. I like to keep the page as clear as possible and only colour the item to be made - this helps me to see the design clearly. 

I'm enjoying using my sketch books. It feels great to be building up a bank of ideas for future projects or to flick through when I need a little inspiration. I would love to improve my skills and will be on the look on for tutorials or tips. Do sketch your ideas? If so, I'd love to hear your tips.