Week 14

This week:

I've been preparing for my presentation that is coming up. I plan to bring (if not wear) my sweater and show picture of what I've made.

Last thoughts:

This project is officially drawing to a close. I'm not where I wanted to be at the beginning of the project, but I have learned many things. I started out as an amateur, and I am now less of an amateur. In terms of construction, I learned how to mark and cut fabric as well as how to sew different pieces of fabric together. In addition, I used many different fabrics, from denim to cotton. In terms of design, I learned how to draw fashion figures, and I experimented with different design ideas.

Here are some of my favorite pieces:

Week 13

Sweater weather:

Last week I got the fabric to make a sweater, and this week, I completed it. Construction is getting easier, but it still takes a long time.

Future Plans:

I will keep working on my PowerPoint presentation, which is coming up very soon. I might have time to make another piece, but that depends on when I present.

How I'm Feeling:

I'm happy with this sweater. I absolutely love the color and I love how soft it is. I'm a little disappointed that I will probably not have enough time to make the dress I planned to make at the beginning of the project; however, I've made many other things I like. I've learned how to cut and sew clothes during this project, which are vital skills if I decide to pursue this further.

Week 12

This week:

I decided to make a sweater. I went out and got some fabrics this week. At this moment, I think I will use this:

Although the picture doesn't show it, the fabric is light blue and is very soft, which is perfect for a sweater.

Future Plans:

Next week, I will begin to cut and sew the sweater. The presentation is coming up in early December, so I will start preparing for that.

How I'm feeling:

I'm excited to make the sweater. I think it will look very nice with this fabric. Moreover, it will be comfortable because of how soft the fabric is. I'm a little concerned with the upcoming December presentation since that officially ends the project. I don't know where I will go from there yet.

Week 11

Skirt:

I finished the skirt this week (finally!). Unlike other times when I started from fabrics, I began with some old jeans. I did not fully deconstruct them, and I kept the waistline. To be honest, I don't really like how this skirt turned out. It would have been better had I fully deconstructed the jeans. That way, I would be able to create my own waistline. I really enjoyed using denim, though. Its sturdiness is wonderful to work with, and I enjoyed using a fabric I'd never used before.

Future Plans:

In the future, I plan to make a long sleeve top. I will try to incorporate more of my own designs in it as well. Research continues.

How I'm feeling:

I'm not a fan of this skirt, but it was good practice working with denim. It's a very versatile material and I wonder what else I could make with it. I realized that I won't like everything I make, especially at the beginning stages when I'm still experimenting.

Week 10

Designing:

This week, I practiced sketching fashion figures. They are very basic, and I definitely need a lot more practice before I can really begin to effectively put my ideas on paper. I began on the skirt construction, but I am not yet finished. The pieces are all cut, but I still need to sew them together.

Future Plans:

I plan to finally finish the skirt next week, although it’ll be a busy week. I will continue to practice drawing fashion figures.

How I’m Feeling:

With whatever minuscule time I have to ponder my feelings, I have conflicting feelings. This project takes more time than I originally thought. Despite this, I am still as excited as I was in the beginning of the project and I plan to continue improving.

Week 9

Update:

The skirt is still elusive. I changed my idea for the skirt from a free flowing one to one that is little more structured. As a result, I’ll need to buy a zipper so that the skirt will properly fit. Without it, the skirt would either have to be held up by an elastic band (unstructured) or there would be no way to wear it.

Future Plans:

I plan to make the skirt out of deconstructed jeans from my closet. I haven’t found an appropriate fabric at Hobby Lobby, and reusing jeans will be perfect. In the future, I want to explore different fabric stores other than Hobby Lobby. I also want to move from purely construction to designing in the coming weeks.

How I'm feeling:

I don’t feel great about this project. Fabrics are expensive and this project requires a lot of time; however, I will make it work.

Week 8

Halloween:

I originally planned to make a skirt this week, but I did not have the materials I wanted, so that'll have to wait. I'm running low on fabrics and I plan on getting some more this week. Talking about this week, it's almost Halloween! For the last few years, I've made my own costumes and this year will be no different.

I am thinking about creating a costume inspired by the work of one of my favorite artists, Yayoi Kusama. Born in Japan in 1929, she has been associated with many movements and her work has many classifications from Surrealism and Minimalism to Eccentric Abstraction and Feminist Art. Kusama's symbol  - if there is one - is the polka dot, which appears in many of her pieces. The story goes that when she was young, she observed a flower with circular petals. When she looked up, Kusama saw those circles everywhere: the sun, the moon, the earth. One of her most interesting projects is when she painted polka dots on volunteers to show that everything will eventually self-obliterate into its original form. These occurrences were called "happenings" (1965):

Although she is in a mental hospital, Kusama continues to create art. The following is from her exhibit titled "I pray with all of my love for tulips" (2012):

I hope to incorporate some of her ideas not only into my Halloween costume, but any future clothing pieces I make.

How I feel:

I'm a bit frustrated with how little time I have between school assignments and college applications, and I wish I could have constructed something this week (but que sera, sera). I'm still excited about this project, and I'm especially happy that I have an inspiration for my future pieces.

Future Plans:

After buying more fabric, I plan to make the skirt that I could not make this week. At the same time, I plan to continue researching about all aspects of this project.

Week 7

Junior's Top:
This week I made a junior's top. This one was fun to make. I didn't start with a concrete design, but I pictured it as I was making it. This allowed me to adapt to limitations or even mistakes. Things do not always go as planned; however, sometimes mistakes can be the impetus of a new idea. When I accidentally sewed a little off to the side, I actually liked the sewing better than what I originally had in my mind. Here is the piece I made this week... voila!

How I feel:
Although the top isn't perfect by any means, it's a good start. I didn't do much research this week because I spent my time making the top. I think one of the best ways to get into this project is just to keep making clothing. Research is important too, but making clothing is more important. In about a month and a half, I will be giving my final presentation, reflecting on this project. By then, I hope to have made many other pieces of clothing. It is unlikely I will be able to accomplish what I originally planned in the remaining weeks and open an online clothing store, but I hope to have mastered the basics of making clothes by the time of the presentation. I haven't completely given up on my idea (second semester project extension, perhaps?). I'm happy with what I did this week and I'm excited for next week.

Future Plans:
I will keep working on construction. Each week from now on, I plan to create a different piece. Next week I will create a skirt at home and use the In-Class time to research how to make one.

Week 6

Progress:
The more I research, the more I am realizing how little I know. This week, I explored color mixing, which is an important part of any outfit.

Complimentary Colors:
First, there's the mixing of colors within an outfit. This includes patterns and how colors are best combined. Loud patterns generally go best with neutral tones; however, clashing patterns can also look spectacular. Complimentary colors usually "compliment" each other. On the color wheel, complimentary colors are located opposite from each other:

Value Contrast:
Then, there's a color contrast between an outfit and a person, called value contrast. The value scale was developed by Albert Munsell, who also pioneered much of the visual color theory we use today. He ranked dark to light on a scale of 1-10. Often this is used in hairdressing where 1 is black hair dye and 8 is blonde. The value contrast is the difference between our lightest and darkest features. A high contrast individual looks best in high contrast clothing. Likewise, a person with low color contrast between his or her hair, eyes, and skin looks best in clothing that is also low contrast.

Future Plans:
I will continue to research all aspects of clothing design and construction (surprise, surprise). This part of the project is fascinating because there are so many different points of view in fashion. It's important for me to explore everything I can so that I have a working knowledge when I begin designing. This week I focused a lot on ideas and stylistic conventions; next week, I will focus more on the constructive side of design.

Quick Note:
In the fashion arena, there's the new and the old, the feminine and the masculine, or the scandalous and the boring. Right and wrong? That doesn't really exist. Some designers aim to create art through clothing, and in doing so, ignore all conventional guidelines of form and line in order to convey an emotion or idea. Other designers seek to make clothes that is most flattering. Even between contrasting concepts such as new and old, designers will try to avoid being dated. For example, Jean Paul Gaultier challenged traditional feminine and masculine clothing by making androgynous outfits:

In other words, there is no "right" or "wrong" when it comes to fashion. Everyone has their own unique style and their own preferences. For the purposes of this project, I will continue researching conventional rules so that I have a working knowledge of design basics. These guidelines are generalizations of what clothes look best on people. I will keep these guidelines in mind, although I probably won't follow it all the time as I explore how to design and make clothes.

Week 5

Research, research, research!

This week I continued researching. I learned about different types of collars:

• a Peter Pan Collar, which is a type of "roll" collar 
• a convertible collar, which can be worn either opened or closed 
• a sailor collar, which is usually found in childrenswear 

YouTube Videos:
I also found some helpful YouTube videos that explain how to draw fashion figures very clearly. I watched a couple of ten-minute videos by Gloria titled "Fashion Design...Everything Starts with a Sketch." They explained how to begin by drawing lines for shoulders and hips as well as a central vertical line that captures the form. If the shoulder is shifted, so is the hip; however, if the shoulder is slanted, the hip is slanted the opposite way. These tips help me draw fashion figures more accurately.

Book Resource:
I looked through a book called Construction: Basics Fashion Design by Anette Fischer, which also contained information about drawing fashion figures. Another interesting thing I found in the book was fashion silhouettes through the ages.

Future Plans:
Next week, I will continue to explore this book as well as other resources to learn more about designing clothes.

How I feel:
I feel content with my project so far. I'm learning a lot about fashion design, although there is still a lot more to discover. One concern I have is that not all resources have the same information. Yes, that's the case for any subject on the internet, but it is especially true for clothing design. Everyone has their own perspectives on how a process should be done or how a piece should be made. There is not much of a standard, which is partly due to the vast number of amateurs who dabble in clothes making. As one of those amateurs, I have many options to choose from and try.

Week 4

Research:
My focus this week was on research. One website I looked at was the Savannah College of Arts & Design's website (www.scad.edu/academics/programs/fashion). I watched their latest fashion show. I also signed up for the University of Fashion, an online university that offers free courses in design. I have a free membership, which allows me to access many video tutorials about draping, sewing, pattern making, fashion art, fashion business connections, and product development. Not all of these apply to me, but I can definitely use some help on draping, sewing, and pattern making. I have yet to start watching the videos. If you are interested in making an account, here the link: www.universityoffashion.com.

Mentor:
I'm excited that I officially have a mentor! Her name is Lyndonia McKenzie and she has her own clothing line. I met her over the summer and she has agreed to help me in my endeavor.

Project Runway:
This week I also watched many episodes of Project Runway, a competition TV show featuring emerging designers. When I watched it years ago, I did not realize how much work the designers had to put into each design. They make it look so easy. More and More, I am gaining a new found appreciation for the contenders on that show.

Future Plans:
Next week I plan to watch some videos on the University of Fashion website relating to pattern making. I will continue researching on some other sites as well. Last week, I wanted to start designing a junior's top, but I will need more knowledge (aka research) before I do that.

Week 3

Sewing:
This week I made a simple dress. It wasn't hard since I only had to sew two lines. The struggle was in changing my dress idea. At first, I wanted to do a full-length, halterneck dress, but I realized that I did not have enough fabric to make it the length I wanted. The type of fabric also did not go well with this idea since the fabric was more breezy and fun than refined and elegant. In the end, I made a small, strapless dress. To make the full-length, halterneck dress, I need a different fabric (perhaps a future project?).

New Materials:
Unlike last week when it was hard to keep track of what to cut without marking on the clothes with marker, I used chalk this week. It's a huge improvement since I no longer have to worry about making permanent marks on the fabric. Also, I learned how to take measurements and apply them to deciding where to cut.

Learning:
A large part of my project is designing clothes, which means I need to learn how to draw fashion figures. I found a great website for this: www.collegefashion.net/college-life/how-to-make-fashion-sketches. Following the website's instructions, I drew some sketches this week.

How I'm Feeling:
I'm beginning to realize more and more that this project is a huge time commitment. Even a simple dress like the one I made this week will take hours. Although it is a lot of work, I am enjoying this project. Being able to make my own dresses is very satisfying.

Next Week:
For the upcoming week, I plan to begin designing a junior's top. I will need to do a lot of research before deciding on one design I like. As always, I will continue learning about designing clothes and sewing them.

Week 2

This week: Last week, I started a T-shirt and this week, I finished it. I dabbled in sewing, which is relatively straightforward and easy... if you don't get the line tangled. If you get the line tangled, as I learned, sewing can be a mess.

Plans: For a little while, I will be practicing how to cut and sew clothes. None of these clothes will be a part of the final project: the online store. I will spend a few more weeks learning the basics of making clothes. That way, I will have a good base to work from. Then, I will focus more on experimenting with different techniques. All throughout this project, I will continue to gain new knowledge about designing and making clothes. This journey has certainly just begun!

How I'm feeling: This project is a bit overwhelming at the moment. I'm beginning to realized just how much work this project is. One of the greatest challenges I will face is measurements. Before cutting out the clothes, I will need to make sure the proportions are right. This might be easier if I had drafting paper that I could trace shapes on or a mannequin that I can drape cloth over. For now, I will just be using an dry erase board to mark shapes and lines. Despite these issues, I still feel quite optimistic about the project. Now that I know more about cutting and sewing clothes, I feel like I am beginning to gain the skills necessary to complete the project. An online clothing store isn't some random dream anymore, but a possibility (even if it requires a bit of work).

Next week: I will try to find a mentor. I'm considering someone I met over the summer who has her own clothing line. Also, I will continue researching. This time, I'll be focusing on making a skirt or dress.

Week 1

Last week I planned to make a T-Shirt... It turns out T-Shirts are one of the harder things to make because of the number of seams there are. There's the collar to consider as well as the sleeves (which have to be curved just right). As a result, I couldn't finish the whole shirt but I did manage to cut out the pieces necessary. This shirt is for my brother so I based the structure on one of his favorite T's and used the fabric from a T-shirt I won't wear again. Right now, I'm definitely still at the beginning stages of what is appearing to be a giant project. I'm learning the basics of designing and sewing. Next week, my goal is to finish sewing the pieces together.

At the Start

For my 20% Time Project, I decided to try something I've always wanted to try but never had the time (insert cliched complaint about junior year). My goal is to open an online clothing shop. I will design and hand make all the pieces. My mother sews at home sometimes the way she can turn ordinary pieces of fabric into something beautiful is inspiring. It's a little daunting, but what good project isn't at the beginning? This week, I began collecting supplies, bought some fabric, and watched a few videos on designing basics. I am completely new to this so next week will be dedicated to making one of the simplest pieces in any wardrobe: the t-shirt. Wish me luck!

Exploring Fabrics - Black/White Stripes

Exploring Fabrics - White Lace

Exploring Fabrics - Flowy Turquoise

Exploring Fabrics - Blue/White Polka Dots

Setting Up

Gathering Supplies