Summer 2014 DW Fashion Design Challenge: Entry #25: Intermediate

Monday, September 1, 2014

Entry #25: Intermediate

Entrant Category: Intermediate

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Task #1: Concept

Maya needed something to wear on her first day of sixth grade. However, it needed to be practical and functional because she likes to walk to school. I wanted to make her a new schoolbag, but wanted it to be simple and classy. Maya is a bit preppy, but her tomboyish attitude reflects in her style. Maya’s (all girls) school has a strict dress code, requiring students to wear long-ish skirts, sneakers, and ID cards. Although most of the student body despises wearing their IDs, Maya secretly likes wearing hers. It makes her feel professional and grown-up. I wanted her to wear a layered sleeve, but making two shirts would cause the look to appear bulky on the torso. So I decided to try making a layered double sleeve. I also chose to make a simple gathered skirt out of an old dress that I saved from when I was younger. I also chose to upcycle an old pair of pants and a striped shirt that looked to be a great scale for 18-inch dolls. The teal knit I used for the torso was a remnant I found at the fabric store.

*The shirt and skirt are knits, and the bag is twill.

Task #2:

I used a free Liberty Jane pattern which I modified to lengthen the sleeves. For the skirt, I used an existing gather from the dress and sewed up the side. I then used a zig-zag stitch to attach the elastic. I later hemmed the skirt. For the lanyard, I strung (with much effort) a jewelry clasp onto a piece of hollow scoubidou. After I braided half of the lanyard, I pushed the jewelry clasp taut to the braid and continued braiding until I finished off the lanyard. I ended up stretching it out by attaching my keys to the jewelry clasp (and eventually attaching my combination lock to my keys). For the messenger bag, I drafted a pattern after tracing a doll-size folder. I’ve sewed a bag before, so I used the simple “box” construction. I cut the front flap on a slight angle, and hemmed. I measured how long I wanted the strap against the doll, then sewed it up.