The Start Of Something Beautiful

Shirt from Mast General Store

Shoes and Belt from Lucky Penny- Boone, NC

Oh, this skirt? Yeah, I made it!

This skirt is the reason I am pursuing a degree in Apparel and Textiles.  

Clemson was always and forever my first choice in schools.  If I went to Clemson, I would get a degree in Health Science and go on to be a world-renowned chiropractor.  If for some reason, pigs flew, hell froze over, and I didn't get into Clemson, I would go to AppState and be an Apparel and Textiles major--something that would come naturally and that I would have a lot of fun doing, to compensate for not being at my first choice school.  Well I didn't see any flying pigs, but on Valentines Day 2009 I got a rejection letter from Clemson...... to say I was crushed would be an understatement.  I came to AppState and decided to be an Exercise Science major because I would have a lot more job opportunities than an Apparel and Textiles major.  Yeah, I chickened out.  It took me 1 1/2 years to figure out I wasn't too good at science and if "science" was part of "exercise science," I better get out while I can.  Second semester of sophomore year, I had an "exploratory semester" and took Jogging, Chinese Medicine, Sociology and Apparel Construction.  I really wanted to explore all my options since I was back at square one.  Our first real project in Apparel Construction was to make a skirt.  I bet it took me an hour and a half in the fabric store to pick out my pattern and fabric; because if MY name was on it, I wanted it to be the best one in the class.  After countless hours, lots of coffee breaks, ripping stitches, resewing, and alterations... I can't think of many things I've ever been more proud of.  It definitely wasn't the most complicated one in the class, but I was more than pleased with how it turned out.  After that, it was a no-brainer; I was meant to be an Apparel and Textiles major.  The only time I can recall that I have been more proud, besides completing my first garment, is when I gathered the courage to go declare my major.... knowing that I am going to put my heart and soul into my work and probably get criticized and turn down a lot in the next few years, but eventually I'll be where I want to be. Cheesy.... but true.

PS: Exercise Science is for the birds.