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.