Sew Thus is Life...

I won't waste too much time explaining my collection, as you can read all the background here . But for recap's sake this is the final incarnation of my final senior collection/ capstone project at PhilaU. It's titled "Grandstand Diva" and is supposed to invoke the feeling of a day at the races, namely the Triple Crown. All the constructed dresses were named after one of the tracks, and the accessories created in my elective course reflect the horse than won a race there. I now present "Grandstand Diva" The Collection Pimlico- Pimlico (named for the Preakness Stakes) is a 3/4 sleeve peplum cocktail dress featuring a low scoop back, ruched side skirt and an exposed zipper back. Dress front with belt Side; with skirt ruching detail Dress Back with back ruching and zipper Exposed zipper detail Churchill Downs-  Churchill Downs, home to the famous Kentucky Derby, served at the inspiration for this fitted sweetheart neckline sheath

 This post is very seriously delayed. I am proud to announce that after 4 and a half years (9 semesters, countless months, probably over a $100K in tuition and another $50K due in loan interest...) I am a graduate of Philadelphia University (formerly the College of Science and Textiles). This post is late because I have spent every day since last Friday making up for all the lost sleep. Now that I'm refreshed, I can finally update all on my life. This post will also be split. (I've decided to allow my fashion-y things have its own spotlight.) Looking back, this semester was TOUGH. Tough financially (for my dad). Tough socially (the first semester without half my friends on campus, and most of my core girls gone). Tough on my boyfriend (he had a hard time as to why he couldn't visit... one day he'll understand and appreciate.) Tough academically (balancing a 3 day/ 24 hour a week internship and 3 classes.) But by the grace of God I finished on top. My cumulat

This is my last week of college. EVER. (hopefully). I'm so stressed that I broke out into hives last night. It's BAD. Add to that the stress of packing to move home and finding a job since it doesn't look like my internship is going to come through for me, despite a positive general review and glowing praise from one of my favorite teams. (At least that's how I feel, one of the managers isn't happy about that either.) A job I applied for last Saturday back in Maryland is already rubbing me the wrong way and upon some research I almost feel this is not where I need to be. It's too much uncertainty pushed into a small window with very little hope. I honestly just want to be done. I just want to sleep.

So when I started my collection I asked a few of my peers (and my very out-there work study supervisor) how they felt about a purse made of lacquered feathers. It was met first by confusion, then intrigue, then finally after some thought, a hearty "Yes! Do it!" So I embarked on stalking eBay for bird feathers. I decided on macaw parrots as they naturally have the greens and blues so prevalent in my collection. I found a great deal on sets of 50 (thanks to kcvpjulie ) and set out to make a feathered bag. I already had hollow clamshell purse frames in my possession and I also needed to make the "shells". My professor suggested using buckram (a glue-covered woven fabric that's used in hat-making  to create the shape of my bag. I found buckram alone to be too flimsy- but backed with oak tag (a heavy paperboard) I found the shape and sturdiness to be quite pleasing. It ended up looking like this: buckram frame from the inside From there I had to practice my

Recently an old girlfriend of mine reached out to me and asked me to make a video for her kids through Teach for America (shes a Physics teacher in Jackson, MS-- a LONG cry from Gettysburg or Philadelphia). In it she wanted me to profile how I got interested in fashion design, what my job is like, the ups and downs of the field, my educational background and quick advice. Whatever I could cram into 5 minutes or less. Naturally I obliged, but with my nutso schedule what was supposed to be delivered in  a couple days took 2 weeks. (oops!) Anyhow I got a spark and got it turned around and finally made and edited yesterday. So I present: Le Video. If you are interested in broadening the horizons of high school students, my friends name is Veronica Keefer and she is always looking for new material for her students. Email me or her if interested, This is a great way to expose kids to professions they ordinarily wouldn't know about, or may not understand. Shes also looking for more

Dying the ground color of my fabric. The sateen was stark white and my professor wasn't super excited about the shade. So I coffee dyed it, 3 pots and a million and a half grounds later I got a shade I like but unfortunately I followed ill advice (durn internet) and put the grounds in with the dye solution, so it could continue to "steep" or "brew" if you will. Bad, BAD idea. I had to put the fabric in the washing machine and hope the spin cycle can toss the few straggling grains out of the fabric. I'm a little concerned too now that the finish wasn't quite strong enough and since I hadn't dried (aka heat set) it yet the color will continue to leech out. That's the problem with using homemade and natural dyes. I'll post pictures of the painting process as I go through it tomorrow. You can see the color (before the 4th wash) below. WELL. That was sometime last week. FAIL . However, I made up for lost posting time by being super productive.

I promised a new post and here it is! So much has developed with Collection/ Accessory design and I'm super excited today. In fact just this weekend I bought material for my first two dresses AND the leather I need to make my first bag and a matching belt for the first dress. FOR LESS THAN $80! Super proud. Thats not all I accomplished. I've taken to naming my pieces, like many of the stores do and came up with a great back story. We have to do a minimum of three pieces, and there are 3 races in the Triple Crown (If I had truly started planning over the summer I would've done 4 and named the last after the Royal Ascot). So my 3 dresses are named Pimlico, Belmont and Churchill Downs. We also have to do 3 accessories that I'm coordinating as total looks. I paired them by naming the coordinating accessory after the horse that won the respective race in an important year in my life. The Pimlico dress is complemented by the "I'll Have Another (2012)" clutch,

I seriously have alot to tell you guys! I also have pictures to go with and its been a chore trying to get them off my phone. Check back either later today or tomorrow! In the meantime listen to this song- I love John Legend and his new(ish) song Tonight (Best You Ever Had) has me OBSESSED. Its sexy as my friend Laura put it.

I just got great inside scoop on something I know you were all DYING to know! THE ANNUAL FASHION SHOW IS APRIL 27, 2013. Here's to hoping this last semester goes swimmingly and that my stuff gets in. (Even though I do think that the niche factor my collection has I should get in regardless. But I'll try to make it perfect.) PUT IT ON YO CALENDAR! This is the LAST fashion show I'd be eligible for at PhilaU, even thought I'm done academically in December. (Commencement, if you care to know, is May 12, 2013)

HELP! So as usual I have to come up with a title for my collection and I'm failing horrendously this time. The general inspiration is taken from the style at the British and American grand horse races- The Kentucky Derby and the Royal Ascot. So we're talking horses, garden party dresses and BIG CRAZY HATS. In addition I'm connecting Accessory design with Collection so I have to design cute handbgs to coordinate. Here's where you all come in, I'm doing a poll for names I've come up with... and feel free to comment with your own suggestions. The poll will run to Monday morning (since my board and concept presentations are on Tuesday.) The poll is located in my sidebar to the left. So VOTE VOTE VOTE! when Ascot attacks! -xo

What does and  and  have in common? My Collection! (tentatively).  Ta Da! It is revealed. I'm planning to focus my collection on the plus size market, with the concept being based on the grand races- Kentucky Derby if you're American or the Royal Ascot, if you fancy the Brits. I respect the gall of some British folk, they wear hats still, similar in the tradition of Christian Black American women. Personally I love hats, but I see them as a rite of passage, a fully fledged woman can wear a badass hat. My mom is a "hatlady" as we call them in church circles and shes also plus sized. I have friends and co-workers that are plus sized. I just want to create some daytime opulence to make my girls feel pretty, and know that no matter what size you are, whether its a 6, 12, or 24; that you don't have to be dowdy or wear the same thing "because it works". I want to take certain styles out of the box and elevate them. Something other than the stan