Fall 2010 | Project 4 - Jeans

The Apparel I students have just completed the jeans project. They began by tracing off a pattern sloper, laying out the denim fabric, cutting out the pieces, and practicing each seam and seam finish on samples. Jeans require durable stitches, such as the flat fell seam, that each student has to master. Some struggled with this seam and some really impressed me with their sewing skills. Overall I have to say that I am extremely proud of this class, but there is an important lesson I want them to take away from this project and course: when trying a sewing technique for the first time, don't be afraid to throw yourself into it and practice on a few samples, the sheer repetition will be a more valuable learning experience than slowly trying to get the first one right. This semester started out slow and I was worried about them being able to handle an advanced project like jeans, but every student was able to complete their jeans project and I am very proud, especially of the creativity in their back pocket designs which included original embellishments and stitching. I hope everyone continues to practice their sewing skills and has a nice holiday break.

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Jeans Inspiration Board



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Irene





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Lilia





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Liz





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Alexandra





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Candace





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Bobbie





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Melanie





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Sarah





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Nickie





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Kinnie





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Helen





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Jennifer





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Cristal





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Erika

Fall 2010 | Project 3 - Fur Vest with Lining

Working with fur can be difficult. The furry pile moves around making handling tricky, and when a slippery lining is added the level of difficulty goes up. The students were able to handle this challenge although there were a few problem areas around the curvy armholes and necklines. This project began by tracing pattern blocks, adding a seam allowance, and labeling the pattern to identify each piece. After cutting the pieces out they practiced sewing seams on samples, mostly using an industrial sewing machine. An industrial machine can stitch an average of 4500 stitches per minute, and most of the students need a bit more practice controlling the speed of these machines, though I am very pleased with their effort. The craftsmanship was very good and I think this was collectively the students' best work so far this semester. The next project will require the use of industrial machinery again, and I am confident the students are gaining the skills necessary to master it.

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Nickie



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Bobbie



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Alexandra



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Cristal



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Lilia



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Liz



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Sara



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Irene



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Kinnie



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Jennifer



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Melanie



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Candace



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Helen



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Erika

Fall 2010 | Project 2 - Bias Skirt

The Bias Skirt Project is aimed at teaching the students how to work with woven fabric grain lines. We began this project by creating a pattern from a basic block, then added seam allowance and pattern labeling. The next step was important for this skirt. We found the bias grain line on the fabric before pinning and cutting the patterns by pulling a crosswise thread through the top of the fabric. The students tried seams and seam finishes that are more intermediate, such as the french seam, and they learned how to create a ruffle, flounce and spiral flounce. Each student used these techniques to create an original look to their skirt. This class is still going slow and we had to extend the deadline for this project, so we need to pick up the pace a little for this next project. In school as in the apparel industry, time is of the essence.

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Lilia



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Alexandra




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Jennifer



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Kinnie



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Irene




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Candace



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Liz



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Melanie



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Erika



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Helen




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Crystal




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Nickie



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Sara



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Bobbie