Creative Fashion Design Class Spring 2012 - Final Project

one-shoulder summer maxi dress

Here's the final project for my Creative Fashion Design class at MassArt this spring.  Challenge was to design a garment inspired by a fabric selection and have the garment maximize the fabric's properties.

When I saw these two fabrics,  especially the splotchy print, I thought of summer evening parties, when your body is warm from being in the sun all day and the air is cool.  I wanted a elegant dress that would show off a little skin, move in the evening breezes, and be cool while covering.

I was also inspired by current summer trends of maxi dresses and print mixing.  I LOVE both these very bold prints and wanted to find a way to combine them in a single dress. Love the throwback to the 60s/70s, too -- Prints make me think of Mad Men.

sleeve detail

The fabric is rayon challis, an absolute dream to work with.  The pleated insets were remarkably easy to make (many thanks to teacher Donna-Marie Cecere for the technique), very responsive to a good press.  The sleeve pleat came out perfectly - it opens with movement, then closes up again on its own ... like buttah.  The longer front pleat is a little more recalcitrant and will probably benefit by top stitching on either side of the opening to give it some more support on its long run to the floor.

This was the first time I had ever taken a garment from concept to sketch, through modifying a sloper to final garment.  I've worked from commercial patterns my entire sewing career.  I feel really good about the result and can't wait to do more.  Going back in September for Pattern Drafting and maybe, later this summer for Fashion Illustration.

Sad news with a bright finish

I am sad to learn that FiberARTS, a magazine of contemporary textile art and craft that's been published since 1975 has just distributed its last issue.  I'm glad to have a good library of back issues that will continue to inspire and stretch my creativity. 

The bright note is finding that good friend Merill Comeau is one of the four emerging artists featured in this last issue, Summer 2011 on newstands June 21.  See her work on page 21, or better, visit her website, merillcomeau.com

Wound Warp: Rigid, Relaxed, Rigid again

I'm in the warping stage of the Turned Twill Scarf and I'm thinking about the stages of the warp's evolution from balls of yarn to the cloth's foundation on the loom. I'm especially struck by the alternation between taut, ordered lines when the warp is on the board and loom and relaxed (but still ordered) in the middle stage between wound warp and warp on the loom. The relaxed stage hints at what the scarf may look and feel like when woven and off the loom, days from now. Now it is mostly a rigid thing and will be for awhile.

Turned Twill Scarf - Early steps

Step 1 ~~ Get to the studio. Last week I began a new practice, getting to my studio first thing in the morning. This practice came about from a laser coaching session from Jane Pollak, 2009 Woman of Distinction, at the NEWBO Quest Awards. I'm now getting up at 5 am, quick face wash, breakfast and into the studio with tea by 5:30. Spend two hours or so and spend the rest of the day happy and productive on work and the rest of my life. Step 1? Begin my day with my art.

Day 1: Winding off the skeins into manageable balls ~~ One of my early loom lessons, back in Y2K, was that you don't warp from skeins, unless you want a tangled mess to deal with. Here are my twelve yarns, mostly rayon/linen and two cotton/rayon (in back, left) that will be my turned twill scarf. These are hand-dyed, from my friend Jean Theurkauf's fiber studio, Thread Gardens.

Days 2 and 3: Sampling via wraps ~~ I usually avoid this step, but I'm pleased that I took the time. I feel like I explored some options, got more familiar with the colors I'm working with, came up with some more complete designs for the warp. I'm conscious of why I'm making design choices, having spent the time wrapping and laying out the warp in this fashion. Here are the wraps, in the sequence I did them, bottom to top. The top wrap represents about two-thirds of the warp I'm now winding.