Productivity.

I spent a good chunk of time in the sewing lab today.  Hunkering down for the long haul….Two weeks left until the show, AND the building is going to be closed Thursday to Monday because of Easter.  *Le sigh*

I managed to draft a pattern, and get a chunk of it sewn today.  The fabric is a gorgeous (but slightly scratchy) wool handwoven from Donegal, Ireland.  It was given to me by my co-worker DeSales.  (I secretly aspire to be her when I grow up)

I'm thinking about adding some pearls or something to embellish. Also, note the fact that it is nighttime in this picture, as opposed to the one below. lol

I also forgot how much easier It is to work when I’m working alone in the sewing lab.   I feel quite accomplished, and actually still have energy.

Just when I thought I was out of tailoring class, pad stitching returns to haunt me.  Pad stitching is a tailoring technique used to make collars roll nicely.  It is just simply tedious, but the results will be well worth it.

for a tutorial on pad stitching and useful sewing techniques, check out the blog,  Gertie’s Blog for Better Sewing.

Continue reading

Cuppycake :3

Our resident baking expert Helene made up a bunch of cupcake trials to see which to serve to our VIPs at the fashion show.

Personally, I think they’re too pretty to eat! 🙂

Puff Sleeves

So I was draping this jacket pattern on Friday, and had a wonderful blast from the flat pattern class when I decided to make puff sleeves.  I figured that I’d demonstrate the joy of sleeve drafting! whee!

I’m paraphrasing the instructions from the wonderfully informative book Principles of Flat Pattern Design fourth ed.  by Nora M. MacDonald. Click on the title to check it out on Amazon.  It’s a great investment.

• Trace out a basic sleeve sloper.  Draw dotted slash lines 1 inch apart and parallel to the grainline.
  
• Cut out pattern, and cut the slash lines (and grainline) from top, but not totally through the bottom edge.  Spread slashes 1.5 inches.

• Draw a new capline and grainline.  Measure up 1.5 to 2 inches on extended grainline.  Draw a curved line from the marked point on grainline to corners of outer slashes.Sleeves always look so gigantic as pattern pieces.  This is how my sleeve turned out. Pretty nifty.

Exactly one month left till our fashion show! eep!

Continue reading

Knit a Poem

This isn’t necessarily fashion, or capstone related, but i’m dead chuffed about it.  In my creative writing class, I always knit.  Joyce and I got into the phrase “knit a poem”.  She handed me a poem she wrote that included the lines “How does one knit a poem/When unravelling a poet must do?”  I, being a smartass, actually knit her a poem over break.

Apologies in advance for the terrible picture.

How does one knit

a poem?

By twisting loops of stitches into

A fabric of words.

I get to turn it in on Tuesday.  Hope she likes it. 🙂

Playing Hooky

I’m playing hooky from the sewing lab for the first time since spring break started.

It feels weird.

Shenanigans

Hair Chalking

An interesting way to temporarily dye hair.

Obligatory Corset Innards Pictures

I’m also adding studs to the outer bodice, as soon as they come in the mail 🙂