"S" is for.....

A sketch. A skirt. Stress. Set-backs. Struggling. Showcase. And finally..... success.

For my Flat Pattern class, we had to make a skirt.... any old skirt.  

This is what I dreamed up.

AKA What I did instead of pay attention in Marketing that day.

And I was determined to execute my plan.

I showed Ms. Ray my sketch, and she suggested that I do a gathered top, and I was pretty upset because that is not what I envisioned.

But then my roommate-to-be, Ryan, helped me drape the pleats on a dress form.

I don't know if you can tell, but the pleats looked great on one side, and NOT-so-great on the other side.

BUT it was enough to show Ms. Ray what I really wanted.

So she suggested that I use [what felt like] a jillion separate strips to created the pleated look.

So I did.....

 And it turned out pretty well....

Then I draped some muslin underneath the top skirt to get gathered look I was after.

I thought it looked so good that I didn't want to make it a high-low skirt (or mullet skirt, as I call it) anymore.  The pleats were enough drama.

So I cut out all the pleat pieces again, in my for-real fabric.

(Which was a lycra-sateen and lovely to work with).

Then I draped my for-real bottom skirt fabric on the dress form to see how it would look together....

.....and I didn't like it.  

But lucky for me, we have a bunch of old prom dresses in the closet of our apparel lab and Ms. Ray agreed to let me use one of them.

So I cut the skirt off and hand stitched it to my top skirt....

....but then the frontal-wedgie (as shown) was the least of my problems.

It looked like Susie had fallen and scraped her knee at prom.....

See the scratch?  

Ms. Ray tried to tell me it had to be a design element because the lines were too perfect... but my perfectionism couldn't handle it.  

(As I was ripping the stitches out I hear Ms. Ray say "Are you struggling?  I love to see you struggle!"

It really put salt in my wound at the time, but I can say I learned from it now. Cliche, right?)

I had to find a new fabric for my bottom skirt.

Again.

 So luckily, I got to go home and mom helped me get some new fabric.

Notice I still got to use the lining from the prom dress (luckily), and found a new blue fabric for the outside.  

 And finally the day of showcase.....

I think it turned out beautifully.

I made the cowl-neck to match, for showcase.

(Flower bobby pins from Charming Charlie)

Close up! (Bracelet also from Charming Charlie)

Back view.

I was happy to have my parents, boyfriend, and two friends come support me at showcase!

 I was also lucky to have two lovely models: Abby and Paige.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures with Paige....

.....but meet Abby! She was a trooper through long rehearsals.... and has perfect hair for a fishtail braid, don't you think?

She's modeling the vest I made... and I have to brag that I cut all the fringe.  

(Thanks to Rachel for letting me use her rotary cutter!)

It was extremely tedious.

Also, special thanks for a Easter bunny named Colleen--- all those pins and that corner turner came in handy with the vest!

Pictures of the top I featured in showcase are to come!