Costume "Shouyiren" A Beautiful Costume Has Begun To Take Shape From Here

In the workshop of Beijing Opera Decoration Factory, Tian Chaohui, a technician, is making a Taoist temple. A blue silk is embroidered with pink lotus flowers and green lotus leaves. The gold thread on the edge is shining in the light. She spread the cloth on the workbench, first pasted the lining on the back, then cut it into diamond shaped pieces along the line, and then spliced the pieces of different colors together. A beautiful costume took shape.

Undertaking is a process in the production of costumes. In addition to sewing the cut pieces into clothes, it also includes such links as hem, button and button. One needle, one ruler, one sewing machine... Since entering the factory 14 years ago, Tian Chaohui has constantly improved his manufacturing skills by virtue of his steadfast, hardworking and studious spirit, and has produced pieces of high-quality costumes, playing a key role in the inheritance of costume manufacturing skills.

　　 Start from scratch and practice hard

Tian Chaohui loved sewing and mending when he was young. He began to help adults with sewing when he was a teenager. At the age of 18, Tian Chaohui came to Beijing Drama Costume Factory to learn how to make costumes with his master. The first thing she learned was to pedal the sewing machine. The master gave her a piece of waste cloth and asked her to practice sewing a straight line. "The sewing machine is electric, and the switch is controlled by the foot. Only with the tacit cooperation of hands and feet can we sew beautiful stitches." Tian Chaohui said that once, due to her own misoperation, the needle of the sewing machine deeply pierced her finger. She endured pain and secretly pulled out the needle, wrapped the wound and continued to practice.

The kung fu pays off. Tian Chaohui can make costumes independently half a year later. Start with simple styles and gradually increase the difficulty. When he first made a female recliner with complicated style, Tian Chaohui was very excited. "The cloth is embroidered with patterns. If I cut it wrong with the scissors, I will be in trouble." So Tian Chaohui did every step carefully, and consulted his master if he was unsure.

Under the guidance of his master, Tian Chaohui, who was down-to-earth, hardworking and inquisitive, made rapid progress. He not only learned the cutting and sewing techniques of traditional clothing, but also improved his artistic aesthetic ability.

　　 Perfect reproduction of cultural relics in the Forbidden City by innovative methods

In 2020, Tian Chaohui and his colleagues received the task of copying the saddle mat used by the Qing emperor in the Palace Museum. The saddle pad is about 70cm long and 38cm wide, and is filled with cotton. The silk and cotton fabrics are embroidered with exquisite patterns, but after a long time of placement, the fabric has been seriously aged and damaged, revealing the material inside, and most of the gold thread and embroidery thread have also fallen off.

"I touched it gently and felt deeply regretful. How many ancient people's wisdom crystals gradually declined or even disappeared with the changes of the times. I was determined to copy this saddle mat, so that modern people can see the pursuit and wisdom of the ancients in life, culture and other aspects." Tian Chaohui said.

The shape of the saddle pad is an irregular arc. In order to accurately duplicate the patterns and shapes, Tian Chaohui and his colleagues thought of many methods. We first took photos and measured the size in an all-round way, then covered it with transparent paper to determine the position of the pattern. Finally, we filled a small amount of cotton for many times, adjusted the shape while making, and finally presented a perfect effect.

　　 Learning modern clothing production to expand business capability

While mastering the production skills of traditional drama costumes, Tian Chaohui also actively learned the production technology of modern costumes to further improve his business ability.

"There is a big difference in the tailoring between traditional costumes and modern costumes: traditional costumes usually adopt a plane tailoring method, focusing on two-dimensional effects, and pursuing loose, dignified and elegant costumes; modern costumes pursue novelty and fit in design, especially western costumes pay more attention to vertical tailoring, highlighting the figure of the wearer," Tian Chaohui said, Only by mastering the characteristics of modern clothing can we achieve customer satisfaction.

One year, the Beijing Drama Costume Factory received a batch of orders for clothes for modern drama, which needed to be cut and made by western style clothes. Because it is different from the style system of traditional clothes, customers require samples first, and then batch production can be carried out after satisfaction. In order to complete the task with quality and quantity guaranteed, Tian Chaohui quickly put himself into the intense work under the condition of short construction period and heavy task. After repeated modifications, he finally rushed to produce the sample clothes approved by the customer's designer, and finally signed the business order to deliver the products on schedule.

Recently, Tian Chaohui is learning embroidery in his spare time to master various common stitches. "This is an era of information diversity, and people's mentality is inevitably impetuous. I want to tell young people that whatever they do, they should be down-to-earth, work hard to learn new knowledge, and have the courage to try new things." Tian Chaohui said.

(Source: Dongcheng, Beijing)