Plaid!

The best way to start is with a photo of a shirt I made!

Currently I’m taking DS 154 which is a continuation of the class I took last year. One of the first assignments (if you couldn’t guess already) was to make a plaid t-shirt. The objectives of this assignment were to learn how to match plaid (relative to all nap fabrics), attach a two piece collar, use bias, and apply pockets, button holes, and buttons.

I already had experience with attaching a two piece collar, working with bias, and applying a buttons because of the jacket and Skirt we made in the previous class. So for me, the big take away message from this assignment was matching.

We did not draft the pattern ourselves, so I feel it necessary to give credit to the pattern: Simplicity 7030. I did alter the pattern a little bit with respect to the front placket. In the pattern, the edge of the side front pieces are rolled under to become the placket. This would have made the place where the buttons go a continuation of the sides (horizontal lines). That would have been okay, but I wanted to add more visual interest. So (as you can see from the plethora of pictures) I cut the pattern to have the placket be on bias (diagonal lines).

I know for sure that I’m going to make many more of these shirts over the summer. The techniques are great for practice, and I don’t look bad when I wear the shirt! With that said, the one thing I’m changing is the hem line; it’s way too long!

Interesting story:
My shopping experience for this project was not positive. I wanted to save money, but all of the good [aesthetically pleasing] fabrics were $5-$13/yd. Normally, that’s a good price range, but I didn’t want to spend over $20 on a t-shirt; most of my own t-shirts are less than $10! So I was literally searching the store for a good 2 hours before I just gave up and chose the fabric you see above. Alone, the fabric was the grossest thing in the world. It was a salmon-orange color with black and red lines. Halloween anyone? I wanted to puke. The only thing that made me slightly happy was the fact that the fabric was $3.25/yd and the buttons were really cool (they looked like jewels). Interestingly, everyone in the class (and some of my other friends) were like, “Ooo, Burberry, Burberry!” And I was like, “Burberry, who? You can have this junk.” (Side note: don’t worry, I’ve done my research, I know who/what Burberry is). HOWEVER, by the end of the shirt I was super proud! The shirt looks really great and I can wear it outside without blinding people. The fabric actually looks good! So lesson number two: a well made garment can make gross fabric look awesome.

(And as a bonus I got a 97%).

The person in the above picture is AWESOME!!!!! Her name is Hana, and she took the pictures of me. I did not make her shirt.

Videos!

I initially wanted to post this up on Dec 31, 2010, but my internet connection got in the way of uploading videos (you'll see in a moment). Thankfully there are pubic libraries with free internet for all to use! Like Arthur always says, "having fun isn't hard, when you've got a library card!" So use yours today, and ALWAYS pay your fees so that we can all enjoy free internet!

Enough of the library plug, let's get back to my story:

So this past semester I took 4 classes Bio 151, Econ 101, DS 120, and DS 501. In terms of load, it was not very heavy. In fact, the classes were well balanced, I was able to eat and sleep, and I was able to boost my GPA. Wa-laa, a great semester.

...

The only problem is that I feel like I'm moving at a slug's pace.

Most of this has to do with the fact that I didn't learn any new sewing techniques. DS 120 taught design fundamentals (principles and elements), but our projects were only 2D. DS 501 was a class where we basically enhanced fabrics. Again, 2D (mostly). I'm not saying that I didn't learn anything. In fact, i learned a TON in those classes. The issue has to do with the fact that I still can't just make a dress (well, I can, but it would just be a tube with a couple of darts).

Sad thing is that by the end of next semester I still won't be able to make one of my own creation. I will just be able to make one heck of a gown based on an already existing pattern. Woooo....

I think I'm just going to take a pattern making class this summer in my community. That way I will not have to wait for my school.

On the bright side, my parents and I are on the same page again. Basically the only way this happiness is possible is if I major in something business related. Not to worry, the business thing was my idea. I realized that the Apparel major in my school is a bit to artsy for me. I do see how the art is helpful, but at this time I think I need more backbone in the business side of things. I'm just unsure what that means; there no intermediate to business and apparel. The closest thing is retailing... I'm not really sure what that means, either. My plan was to figure everything by now, especially because we've been on winter break for a good week. However, the websites are not really helping me. I really need to put my foot into it and give it a try. And that's what I'm going to do! This next semester I WILL figure out what I'm going to major in.

So, now to prove what I learned/did this last semester. Frankly there are too many bite-sized projects to just post up as pictures. Fortunately, the final project for my DS 120 class was to make a video of design elements and principles. This video had to include the four other big projects from that class, too. The best way to show you what I did in that class is to simply show you the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M136tIQMrG4

Just for clarification: we had to take pictures of our surroundings and describe the element/principles in the image. I decided to take a very fun spin on it... landed me an A!

I thought making a video for my DS 501 class would be an easy way to do things, too. So here's another video (less fabulous, though):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_e6x7uWjao

NOTE: Funny story, so the first video uses music that was obviously not mine. Hence, it's been banned from Germany....