Mesa College Students are prepping for the Golden Scissor Fashion Show

It is that time of year again! Our Fashion Program fashion show is one week away.
The 29th annual Golden Scissor show takes place next Saturday, May 8th, at the Westin (Horton Plaza).

Yesterday, all the garments came in, and we were crazy busy with fittings, organizing, etc.

Here you can see some of the many activities that go on, a week before the show. This includes creating all the published materials (program, invitation, Save the Date card, etc.), as well as line-up lists, fittings, etc.)

Submitting a hat (from the Millinery class) and a garment.

Final sewing on a garment to be turned in.

A rack of clothing.

And.. a couple of garments, original designs by our students. Aren't they great?

Street Art

Yesterday in the North Park area of San Diego, I came across this bit of Street Art. I just love it when you day is brightened by an unexpected thing.

Happiness is....

I have decided that I am happiest when I am creating something. Look at the time, it is midnight, and I'm not even tired (which I will pay for in the morning when I have to get up to get to work).

I have been working on multiple creative projects. Most currently, I am juggling between a few;
1. Creating a skirt for the Instructor's Exhibit at Convergence, an International Weaving/Dyeing/Spinning and Fiberarts conference that takes place in late July 2010.
2. Developing patterns for garments for a Design Challenge I am involved in (for the same show). I have been paired with a weaver (I am the designer), and together we are creating the fabric and garments using yarn that was provided. I cannot post or talk about the details, as this is a "top-secret" challenge, and all things are to be kept under wraps.
3. Writing an article for Threads magazine. This involves sewing and testing ideas I have viewed on ready-to-wear clothing in store windows.

Tonight I worked on a pattern using Garment Designer, and listened to Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto, and his Fifth Symphony. It doesn't get much better than that.

Project: Creating the Shawl..

Last January, I bought a dress in Verona, to wear at a black-tie event here in San Diego. I was to be honored as "Educator of the Year" by the Fashion Group of San Diego. Check my blog dated January 15th, and you will see the dress I purchase. Then, you will see the fabric I purchased to make a shawl to wear with the dress.

The main fabric is an off-white wool boucle (slightly felted). I purchased black silk organza to use as a backing fabric, and to make a ruffle.

Here you can see the final result, the night of the event.

So, how did I make the shawl?

I started by calculating the size of the basic shawl. This was 20" by 54". Then, I cut the same size of the silk organza.

I then experimented with figuring out how deep I wanted the ruffle to be, and I cut and experimented with a sample. I decided that the selvage was 'nice enough' and that I would simply let that be the edge, thus eliminating the need to hem the organza.

After a little 'futzing' with gathering on the sewing machine, I thought I would give my serger a try. So, a quick Internet search took to to a site that had great visuals.
http://everythingyourmamamade.com/2008/03/04/gathering-with-a-serger-sewing-machines-too/


Once I had joined the long pieces and then let my serger do all the work of gathering it, I laid the ruffle on the right side of the wool, and pinned it in place on three of the four sides. I did not want a ruffle on the shoulder edge of the shawl.


Then, I basted the ruffle onto the wool with my Brother machine. I used a longer basting stitch, which is one of the features I love about the machine.

Next, I laid the lining silk organza on top of the entire shawl, and stitched it around all four sides, leaving an opening so that i could turn the piece inside out.

Here you see me wearing the shawl, posing with some of my students from Mesa College.

My sons flew in for the occasion. Below you can see Blake and Danny, plus Danny's girlfriend Isabelle.


It was a lovely evening. I love my new shawl, with its Italian fabric origins.

New Design Tool: Half-Scale Dress Form

Spring Break is here (and almost over), and I've been enjoying my new design tool. It is a one-half scale dress form.

Garment Designer is able to print my patterns out in half-scale, and I am able to test prototype ideas out in half-scale, prior to cutting in fashion fabric.

I am in the midst of designing a skirt for the Handweaving Guild of America Teacher's Exhibit. So, here you see my initial ideas working.

I purchased this form in New Zealand. What I like about is that you can pin straight into it. This works well for draping projects, etc.