My Year in Review — Part 2

The Collections class (all of us designers)  met with the Production class (the class who planned the actual show—promotional stuff, booked the venue, etc.) on January 24 to show them our illustrations, explain our themes and lines, and talk about styling (how we wanted to do hair, makeup, etc.) At that time the teacher, Heidi, asked if we could each have at least three looks finished by February 14 so they could use them in a photo shoot for promoting the show. So just as the semester was starting I was in a panic to try to complete three of my dresses. This was going on at the same time as my Public Speaking class. That was a fun class, but I was taking an accelerated version which meant that I had two major assignments due each week of the class—an outline for a speech and then the speech itself. I also took my Portfolio class this last semester; it was a good class but we had tons of homework. So in-between researching, writing, rehearsing and giving speeches, and building my portfolio, I worked into the wee, small hours of every night this semester.

This is the introduction page to my portfolio (only the real thing doesn't have a white border). This represents many hours and days of work at the computer.

There was some drama in the Collections class about getting those three outfits finished by Feb. 14, and about having them sort of on display before the show, and about who did or didn't want pictures done... Eventually the production crew decided to not use any of our pieces for the photo shoot, so I was sort of off the hook for that rushed sewing job (although I got close to finishing). Instead of using any of our pieces, the production crew went to a Persian rug shop in town and took some really cool pictures using clothes from the collections of past graduates. Then they Photoshopped them into something really ghoulish; I didn't care for the promotional postcards.

I sewed through February and through March, staying up until midnight or later every night, waking up between 5 and 6 a.m. every morning (gotta love my fantastic body clock!), and still with the nagging worry over whether I'd get models to fit the dresses or whether I'd have to do ten million alterations. I decided to not quite finish the dresses—I got them all put together but didn't line them, put in zippers, or hem them. That way the alterations would be part of fitting instead of my having to tear apart a completely finished piece to make it fit.

one dress in production

On March 28 Productions had a model-casting—models were invited to come and audition for the production crew and for the designers so that they could choose models. Not a lot of people showed up for the casting calls, but those who did show up were told they would be notified within the week if they were chosen to be in the show. Yay! I'd be getting models in a week! Or so I thought.

Lindsey was going to model a dress for me. This is her bodice being draped.

It took about two-and-a-half weeks before I got my model list, and then it was about three more days before I met with my first model. So I was starting the alterations and finish-work on April 14, with just shy of three weeks to get all the work done. Besides the sewing I was still doing illustration and computer work for Portfolio, and I had to make an ad-board to display at the show on May 2.

This is my adboard (look familiar?). Now it's going to hang in my sewing room or in the hall right outside the sewing room.

In the middle of all the sewing and print-making madness, a lot of my cohorts were talking about the photo-shoots they were doing. They arranged fabulous places, models, makeup artists, and photographers to get pictures of their designs. Way back when Productions decided to not shoot our pieces I had thought that I'd like to arrange a photo shoot for my things. Then when the sewing got hectic, hairy, and harassing I decided I wouldn't do one after all—or I'd do it after the show. But when we met in class to show our adboards my friends were all talking about how much fun their photo shoots were, and how great the pictures were, and I wanted to do one after all. So on a Friday (April 11) I contacted Hillary (a fellow-student who is also a model, knows people, and has some experience) and asked her to help me arrange a photo shoot. She told me to find a place to do the pics and she'd arrange everything else—for the following Tuesday (April 15)! I had errands to run for my family, and more zippers, thread, etc. to buy, so I wasted a day looking at local recital halls to try and find a place.

This was my best bet on the recital halls and I wasn't thrilled with it.

We decided to push the shoot to Tuesday, April 22 (one week later) so I'd have time to actually finish some dresses. On Wednesday, April 16  I met the lovely Rio Van Zant (a model) who said she would pose in some of the dresses for my intended photo shoot, but Hillary and I had lost contact somehow.  So Rio called Alex Weisman—a photographer friend of hers—to see if he could do the shoot and he said he would. But a couple days later I realized I had just way too much work to do, and wouldn't have enough done by the 22nd.

During the week of April 21 I met most of my models, had them try on dresses, and pinned in the alterations I'd have to make. Fortunately most of them fit really well and didn't require much work—except for the linings, zippers and hems that I'd put off doing.  And that would be a lot of work. :-/

OK. So when I was looking for photo-shoot places I'd put out a question on facebook: Does anyone know of someone who has a fabulous home with a grand piano in it?  It turns out that my cousin Wendy's neighbor Lori had one and was willing to let us shoot there, but she felt like her room was too small to do a photo-shoot. So she called her friend Cathy who also has a grand piano to see if we could do it at her house. On Friday, April 25 (one week before the show) Cathy called me and said I'd be welcome to go use her house; she even emailed me photos of her piano room (which is beautiful).

Much nicer, don't you think?

So I contacted Rio, she contacted Alex and a makeup artist, and the photo shoot was back on, scheduled for Wednesday April 30—two days before the show. And now I was really scrambling to get things done!

It was probably a really bad idea to take a day off from sewing and do that photo shoot, but it was a lot of fun (and a much-needed break). Cathy was really excited to have us at her house and see the dresses and help out in any way she could—she even made us some lunch! Sophie did a beautiful job on the makeup. (Michael would disagree because the makeup has to be so heavy for a shoot like this.) Rio modeled most of the dresses and she was amazing. Lindsey modeled her dress, and Alex did a great job helping Lindsey get good poses and looks, and was just all-around great.

watching Rio get her makeup done

Lindsey in the makeup chair

Lindsey in full makeup

There's Cathy, our hostess 

and Alex starts shooting

I was really impressed with the way Rio could get into a pose and stay put—I swear she was only balanced on her left cheek and it was only her tightened leg and tummy muscles keeping her up on that piano.

Lindsey fixes her hair

and her earrings

I really like this picture. :-)

Rio dramatically plays "Families Can Be Together Forever."

There's Rio doing another amazing balancing act.

Michael holds the light card

And this is the last dress that Rio modeled for me that day (you can almost see it in this photo).

So the photo shoot really was fun; in hindsight I am super glad we did it. Actually, I was glad then. (And it would be fun to do another one and shoot the rest of my dresses!) But it did add a lot of stress to the sewing that still needed to be done.

And that's enough for this post. When I get my pictures from Alex, I'll post them. And I'll tell about the final week before the show and the show itself on the next post. :-)

My Year in Review

I've tried to write this post a couple times now, but how do you sum up a year like the one I just had? Do I start at the beginning, or begin with the end and move backward?

I suppose I'll start by saying that the fashion show Facade —Shadows of Illusion was a big success. (Although I think my friend Cherylene stole the show with her Steampunk Circus collection!)

Cherylene's Steampunk Circus — you don't see the Strongman, the Lion-Tamer, or "Big Top" here, but it was all pretty amazing! Cherylene is an incredible costume-designer and a very talented seamstress.

But now, back to me:

So, it all started in August of 2013 when I went back to school for fall semester and my final year in school. (Yaaayyy!!) I had signed up for the Collections class knowing full-well that I'd be assigned a theme and required to make seven outfits (looks) to show in the student show, Raw Couture, at the end of the year. What a surprise to discover that this year we got to choose our own themes and we had to make ten looks!
Well back in August I figured I could easily sew ten outfits in nine months, but having the theme wide, wide open made things a little difficult—how, amongst all the thousands of cool things in the world, do you choose one inspiration for your line?

After three weeks of drawing different designs and researching ideas from flowers to stained glass, I decided to base my line on an old illustration of mine; the dress I've called my "piano dress." Once that was decided, the name of my line just popped right up: Pianoforte. (The original name of the piano; it means soft-strong. ) Now I just had to come up with ten designs. I got the first six or seven sketched out in about a week; the last ones took a little more thought. Here are the original designs that I quick-sketched and then colored on the computer:

The first six designs; piano-harps and keyboards. :-)

And the last four sketches.

Once I had my designs in mind I had to start making patterns. My goal (my very ambitious goal) was to have all the patterns drafted before we went on our fabric-buying trip to L.A. on October 19. That way I could measure patterns and know exactly how much fabric to buy. I didn't even get close. So I just bought yards and yards of anything I thought I could use. (I still have lots of black taffeta and satin left.)

I used my mathematical prowess ;-) to make these paper-dolls so I could decide just how full to make those black and white pleated skirts. I decided on the 3/8-circle.

When I got back from L.A. I got right back to making patterns and sewing muslin mock-ups so I could test the patterns for errors and for fit.The whole idea of fitting was a nightmare for me. I knew I could get the gowns to fit the dress-form; I knew I could get them to fit my models too. But I didn't have my models, and was guaranteed not to have them until the end of March. There was a good chance my muslins that fit the dressform perfectly would not translate into gowns that fit the models perfectly. That was a stressful thought. Nevertheless, I had eight patterns made and six muslins complete, and three more muslins close to finished before Christmas. (And by then I was sick to death of muslin!)

This is the very first muslin I made for my collection. The pins show where I need to adjust the pattern for fit. If you look carefully you can see lines that I penciled in to show where I wanted to piece together the different colors.

Here is the same pattern, remade in muslin and the remains of a blue sheet. On the top right the line of pins shows an adjustment I wanted to make on that line.

More muslins; more marking for color-blocking. I don't know if you can see it, but the top left dress is pinned on the front right seam (your right). That is where I intended to put the zipper. I was a little leery of putting a zipper on the princess seam because of all the curves I'd need to work around, but the idea was to put an exposed gold zipper (something else I'd never done before) on that seamline to mimic the look of a piano hinge.

The last dress I worked on before Christmas underwent major changes. I made the pattern and the muslin, but I couldn't figure out how to put in the darts for a fabulous fit without destroying the look of the dress. So it went from this:

the original drawing that started it all

to this

this was an immediate change—I wanted to go more formal/elegant, and I really like the fullness at the hem

to this.

I had this on the dress form so I could drape the straps, so you get to see an actual photo! . 

See? There's the strap, all draped and ready to pattern.

Now, this looks like I just kept working on like a steady little bee. But, you may recall, we had some major home construction over the Christmas break, so everything just sat in my school bags for nearly eight weeks before I could get back to it. There just wasn't any space—certainly no clean space—for sewing. By the time my house was my own again I had practically forgotten what all my pinnings and markings meant and had to take everything back to school, back to the dressforms, and figure out what I was doing all over again.

It wasn't until late January that I started sewing in earnest, and working like a steady little bee. (So those last pictures of the gold and white dress actually didn't get taken until late February.)

Ooooh! Red! Not muslin!

I've posted this picture before–either here or on facebook. If you paid attention you might have seen a sneak preview of my designs.

As I finished each dress I also did a final illustration of it. So here are my illustrations:

Aria

Allemande

Valse Brilliante

Prelude

Rondeau

Intermezzo

Polonaise

Sonata

Nocturne

Sarabande

OK. They were named completely after the fact—just now, to be honest. But all of the names are names—or forms, actually—of classical music. And that is all I am writing on this post because it's getting really long, and it's already a week later than I wanted it to be. So stay tuned to hear all about getting ready for the big show!

Only in the Fashion Industry

Bruce has been laughing at me these past two weeks because suddenly I'm glued to my cell phone and texting people like crazy. This morning when he left for work he handed me the phone so that I could "text beautiful women and invite them over to get undressed for [me]."  And, yeah, that's what's been happening around here.

I've met all of my models but one (she's coming this afternoon). They are lovely women in every way–they are all super nice and helpful. And they have no problem stripping down and changing clothes in front of me. Of course, it is their job. But I could never do it. I guess that's why I am not a model. That, and I'm short and overweight.

Anyway, it's been really cool to see my dresses come to life–there's a HUGE difference between a dress being worked on or hanging in the closet, and the same dress on a real live person. I have to say they look really fantastic!

Well, I must go work, work, work! The show is this Friday. Come, come, come!

Some sneak peeks:

What could this possibly be?

A scary monster?

detail you might not catch when it's on the runway,
but it's there.

Easter Bake Sale!

It's back! Lindsey is having an Easter bake sale to raise funds for end-of-school activities and . . .
college admissions/registration (am I that old?).

The bake sale will be Saturday, April 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at our house (5743 West 4360 South).

And, of course, we will have lots of fabulous treats for your enjoyment. :-)
Please order pies and cakes by Wednesday, April 16. (You can order rolls ahead of time too—we won't complain. Just leave a comment here or on my facebook page. Or call, if you know my number.)

This time we are featuring:

Fresh Strawberry Pie — $14
2 1/2 lbs. of fresh strawberries in a delicious glaze and topped with freshly whipped cream. Need I say more?
Fresh. Strawberry. Pie

Coconut Cream Pie — $10
Made with coconut milk, piled with toasted coconut, and topped with fresh whipped cream—a coconut lover's dream!

Chocolate Cream Pie—$10
To die for!

Banana Cream Pie — $10
Rich, creamy filling studded with perfectly ripe bananas and topped with fresh whipped cream.
(Lindsey not included)

Angel Food Cake — $7
Widely acclaimed as the best angel-food-cake ever (at least my friends say so)! ;-)

Our pies and cakes are as delicious as they are beautiful! Order by Wednesday, April 16 to be sure you get what you want!

We will also have delicious Cinnamon Rolls, slathered in cream cheese frosting —$4.50 a plate 

And Orange Rolls (also slathered with cream cheese frosting) — $4.50 a plate

And Dinner Rolls for your Easter dinner —$4.50 a dozen.

Leave a comment here or on my facebook page to order your pies by Wedenesday, April 16.

And stop by with a friend on Saturday, April 19, support Lindsey, and get some delicious treats.
See you then!