Denim Reconstruction

Last weekend, I went to Los Angeles to the Fashion Symposium to cheer my students on. A team of three participated in a denim deconstruction contest. They began with a pair of white denim jeans and a bag full of 'stuff'. They are given 30 minutes to recreate a garment.

Here is Eva, coming down the runway wearing the team's adorable jacket, and carrying a purse that they created by weaving cut strips of the denim cloth.

Behind her is a bathing suit combo created by another community college.

Art Wear in Milan

I am in Italy with our 18 fashion students from our college. Yesterday, we saw a special exhibit called Capi d'Opera at Palazzo Moranda. Various artisans were at work. Amongst other things we saw amazing fashion by haute couture designers, including garments made of silk, wool felt and other materials.















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First Project .... done.

The first step to designing is learning how to put clothes together. Our students must take Fashion 130: Construction.

Here are some of my construction students, proudly holding the 'child's dress' they sew as a first project.

The dress is no a small feat; they learn how to do the following:

Hong kong, clean finish and overlocked seam finishes

Zipper

Facing

Collar

Puffed sleeves

Yoke with gathered skirt

Elastic casings

Machine-Stitched Hems.

Mesa Students at Photoshoot

A few weeks ago, I took my Photoshop class to a local photo studio DK3 Studios, here in San Diego. We shot images of the students posing, so that we could use them in Photoshop. Thanks to Dave King for his generous spirit with our students.





Below you can see a few of their poses. Needless to say, we had fun. I'll have to post a few of the Photoshop images, once the students pull the pose off of the photo.

Student Collections at Mesa College

Every spring at Mesa College, Andrea Marx teaches the Advanced Design Class. In this class, students learn how to plan, develop, execute and create a collection of garments. These are then featured at our Golden Scissors Fashion Show.

To the left here, you can see the line-up, of various student collections in the Dressing Room the night of our show.








Below you can see a few of the collections as shown at this year's show.

Keeter.... (Keeter is on the left)

Gladys... (Gladys is on the lower left)

Megan... (Megan is on the right)

Fashion History Through Doll-Making

In this image, you can see what my Fashion History students do (in lieu of writing a paper). I give them the option to create a marionette doll and clothe her/him in period style.

Here you see Taylor, one of my students, helping me set up a display of the dolls.

Nearly half of my class were non-fashion students (as Fashion History is now offered as a General Education course). I loved to see students from Math, Business, Political Science, Nutrition, Child Development, etc., attempt the needle and thread. I think they did great!

I generally suggest that if they haven't sewn much, that they choose the Egyptian, Greek or Roman time periods, as not much structuring of patterns happened back then either. Rather, cloth was generally wrapped and girdled on the body.

Runway: San Diego Mesa College Golden Scissors Show

Below, find various images taken of the runway fashions at San Diego Mesa College, 29th Annual Golden Scissors fashion show.

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?

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.

Mesa College: Courteney Fox's Project

Take a look at what one of my student's, Courteney Fox, did for her first project in Adobe Illustrator.

http://courteneyfox.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-illustrator-project.html

The link will take you to her Blog where you can read more.

Courteney Fox: Done!

Courteney Fox is a student of mine at Mesa College. Many of my students are aware of the "Done" projects I am working on, and some of them have jumped on the band wagon to finish up projects of their own. Below you can see one of Courteney's projects. This is called the Miss Royalty Coat.




Courteney is a blogger here as well, so go check out her site.
http://courteneyfox.blogspot.com/2009/11/miss-royalty-coat.html