FIDM Student Blog: Adelle Burda

Class Project: Organza Wrap Skirt

This week we finished up the “organza asymmetrical front wrap skirt with volume.”  Whew! That’s a long one!  Organza is not an easy fabric to work with.  One of the things I found bothersome was that the edges fray quickly and you end up having to snip a lot of excess threads sticking out.  This also made the edges get a little wonky, if over time you keep snipping, you change the shape of the line.  I’m really happy that I went to draping labs; this was not a project to be tackled at home with no assistance.  Thank goodness for teachers! 

We had to pick a photo for our inspiration and I picked lava bubbles when they have already burst and hardened.  When I was thinking of volume that might be interesting to interpret a couple of things came to mind initially.  Mostly I thought of gourds and topiary.  Then after working with the organza I thought it might be fun to add the volume with attached pieces.  This got me thinking about lava for some reason, watching it bubble and explodes; I just think it looks cool.   Adding my exploded lava bursts ended up being the most enjoyable part of the project.  We were provided with a white organza but I bought gray organza to add color and better represent the lava.  I mixed the two and played around with molding free form shapes to stitch onto my skirt.  In the end, I was really pleased with how it came out.  The pictures are below.  The first one is the skirt in the beginning stage.  The brown thread you see was basted in to show where my seam allowance would be.  I was still playing around with the placement of burst too.  In the end, I had the gray and white organza mixed with a gray waistband, and binding around the hem.  I added iridescent snaps for the closure on the wrap. 

This week we are draping a cowl neck tank top out of knit jersey, yeah for knits!  I’m going to look at the scholarship store to see what I can find.  Look for pictures of that project to come soon.

 

 

Class Projects in Fashion Knitwear Design

For my class Draping and Garment Construction I, our first assignment was draping a dress on the bias using seersucker fabric.  We did our first drape out of muslin and then made the pattern from that for the seersucker.  If you placed your pattern properly on the fabric you get a chevron where the side seams meet.  This was my first time draping a garment and then making a pattern and dress, so I kept my inspiration to a simple, clean silhouette.  I was thinking Jackie O. walking on the beach.  Here is what I came up with…

Doing the French bias binding on the neck and armholes was a little hard on my eyes but I think it looks nice as compared to the single bias binding.  I don’t like seeing the stitch line on the front of the garment.  I also did a rolled hem for the first time and I think it went okay, the end result didn’t pucker or twist so I must have done it correctly. 

Next assignment is draping an asymmetrical front wrap skirt with volume.  We have to find an inspirational photo to do the drape off of.  I’ll be working on that in a lab on Monday, so I’ll take pictures to show you what I come up with.  We are working with organza fabric, so that will also be a first for me!

Adelle's Photos from Creating Fabric Structures Class

    The quarter is winding down and the workload is growing.  I have so many projects to complete and now it feels like I need another two weeks to get it all done.  I always wonder if I can finish everything in time and somehow it always comes together, sometimes even up to the last possible minute.  For my class Creating Fabric Structures I have to finish hand knitting & crocheting a sweater for my final project as well as put headers on all the woven swatches from the loom.  Below are pictures of a couple of my swatches before being cut from the loom.  So many little details to remember right now, I have a very long to-do list done in order of priority.

            While getting ready for all my finals I have started a mental to-do list of what I want to accomplish during the break.  I’m sure like me, all of you are ready for it.  One of my goals is to work on my sketching.  Another is to get into a work out routine.  It is too hard for me to get into a work out routine while the quarter is in progress, feels too overwhelming.  But I know that regular exercise will make me a healthier and more productive student.  So wish me luck with that!!! 

            My final project for Pattern Drafting Essentials is to draft an original pattern and sew a sample garment using the pattern.  I just got some very cute fabric and a kit to make my own fabric buttons.  I’m so excited for this one; I’ll definitely post pictures.  I will really miss that class, Mr. Via is a great teacher, and he’s very encouraging, patient and really wants to see his students do the best they possibly can. 
            I have to get back to my homework.  Lots of reading to do before I go to bed.  Hang in there everyone; break is just around the corner!
-Adelle

Adelle's Photos from Pattern Drafting Essentials Class

As promised, here are photos from my Pattern Drafting Essentials class, starting with the first assignment to the most recent.
 


Armhole Princess Style Lines
 


Mandarin Collar and Princess Style Lines
 


Shawl Collar Jacket
 


Yoke Style Line
I figured out the buttonhole maker on my machine finally!

Basic A-Line Skirt

 


Dirndl Skirt
This one is almost done; it just needs buttons and a finished hem.
 
Only a couple more weeks left in the quarter!
--Adelle

Fashion Knitwear Design Project: Out West

I wanted to follow up on my post about my Line Development Class (For Fashion Knitwear).  My inspiration was Georgia O’Keeffe and her artwork.  I named the collection Out West and within it were three “groups” named Taos, Abiquiu and Montecito.  Each group had it’s own particular inspiration, look and technique. 

            For the first group, Taos, I looked to O’Keeffe’s paintings of bones on the dry New Mexico landscape. I thought about the colors used, space depicted and the feelings I had when studying them.  I think it is important to not be too literal in interpretations but instead to let you study something deeply and then in a way, let it go.  The art is still there swimming in your conscious but leaves plenty room for exploration and reaching beyond the obvious choices.  Often the first swatches I knit are just warm ups, getting my feet wet.  I made many swatches that never ended up being used but often they led me in the right direction.  I keep those first swatches as reminders of the creative process.   The Taos group used primarily a hand weaving technique with bead appliqué in desert colors like bone, pale pink, rusty brown and turquoise blue.  The vest I made is from the Taos group.

            Abiquiu is the second group and I found inspiration from her paintings of trees and buildings dotting the landscape.  I also looked to the artwork and people of the Pueblo Indian Tribe.  This group used much brighter colors and a lot of pattern.  I used triangle repeats and patterns reminiscent of the ones used by Native Americans.  Abiquiu was an interesting group to work on and was one of the most spontaneous when it came to swatch making. I remember having this one day in the knit room where ideas wouldn’t stop coming to me and I just knit and knit.  I wish I had some of these swatches made into full size cozy sweaters.  I love the patterns.  My other sweater in the window display is from this group.

            The last group, Montecito, was inspired by O’Keeffe’s incredible oversize floral paintings.  I love the color combinations.  I hand-painted the swatches from this group.  This tie-dye technique really helped me go for the abstract interpretations of the floral paintings.  I love hand painting the knitted swatches and hope I can explore that more in the future.  It was like a surprise to rinse each swatch out and see what happened. 

            The class was very challenging and very rewarding.  I can’t wait to see what will happen this quarter.

-Adelle

I survived finals.

In my last post I was writing about the panic and exhaustion that comes during finals.  During the actual last week of finals though I somehow morphed into something else: driven.  I just had so much to do that I became very focused and would not let myself be swayed or distracted.  It worked, and now I feel calm, relaxed and pretty okay with how everything turned out.  Here is a picture of one of my knit garments; the vest though still has some tweaking before I can show you the final product.  I have time over the break to do that and also to do a of couple illustrations for the window display next quarter of the final knit garments. 

The break so far is already going so fast.  This past weekend I was so excited to read a book for pleasure I read it in two days (The Kite Runner by Khaled Hoseini) and now I’m looking for the next one.  Any suggestions?  We also got our Christmas tree and finally did a little shopping.  This week I’ve started knitting a vest on my knitting machine at home, a long sleeve boyfriend-style cardigan that buttons up the front.  I’ve wanted a versatile layering piece for school as the temperature can vary from room to room.  I’ll let you know how it goes.   For now, I’m going to enjoy my coffee with eggnog and finish up wrapping the gifts. 

 

So Close! The Quarter Is Nearing An End...

       Panic.  Stress.  Lack of sleep.  Pushing myself.  No time to waste.  This is what is constantly going through my mind.  I’m almost done with the quarter and I feel so overwhelmed by the workload.  I honestly don’t know how it will all get done?  Will it all get done?  Last night I had a dream where all I did was about knitting homework.  I woke up so tired.  Learning illustrator to draw my garments has been such a challenge for me; I feel like I’ve got a boulder strapped to my back, my progress is so slow.  Keep plugging away, that’s what I keep telling myself.

Putting together a “portfolio worthy” collection kinda makes me want to cry, because I want it to be so amazing and I can’t even tell if I like any of it anymore.  Last night I realized I put in close to 15 hours over the weekend working on the finishing of my first garment.  Not the making, but the finishing!!!  The vest is patchwork and I have to weave in so many yarn ends and then seam each piece together on the machine, and then I still have to make belt loops, attach them and then add a border finish to the whole garment.  Did I mention the panic?  This is not even including all the other homework I have.  Oh dear.  My second garment is going to be significantly simpler because I just don’t have the time.  I love how it is coming along so far.  I’ve included a picture of the front.  It is still missing sleeves, a back and a rib trim bottom. I’m hoping to get a lot of that done tonight.  Today is so busy with computer homework in the morning, dye lab in the afternoon and a knitting lab tonight!  Okay, gotta run, I’ve lots precious minutes.

Class Project: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

 One of my classes this quarter is Line Development for Fashion Knitwear and it really started out with a bang!  We had to design a nine-piece collection with the theme Recycle as our first assignment.  Part of the assignment was to find an already existing designer who recycles or does “green” design and come up with a collection to sell to them for Fall 2010.  I chose local designer (and FIDM Alumna) Claudia Grau. She specializes in one-of-a-kind hand crafted pieces that are unique, a little wacky, and overall very creative. Claudia reuses cashmere sweaters, men’s shirts, etc., cuts them up and sews them into new designs.  I was really inspired when I saw her pieces so I knew this would be a good match for me.  Here is her website so you can take a peek for yourself.  

Grau Design

            The first thing was deciding an inspiration for the collection.  I chose Autumn being that it is my favorite time of year.  After that, the ideas for my swatches came pretty quickly as I find autumn leaves so inspiring and the colors so vibrant and cozy.  Since this project involved recycling I named the collection, Autumn Salvage.  The collection was divided into three categories: Silhouette, Pattern & Color, and Stitch Manipulation.  I named each group after a tree that changes color: Hickory, Poplar and Sumac.  Then I made a trip to The Goodwill and found all sorts of gems.  I picked up a whole bag full of sweaters, a corduroy jacket, and a tie and wool skirt.  The colors were primarily brown, orange, red, green, golden and blue (pretty easy to find this time of year).

             My first group, Hickory, was made from a mixture of pieces I knit and parts that I cut up from the store buys.  I used my sewing machine for some of them and hand stitched others.

            My second group, Poplar, had a running theme of reused denim in each swatch.  These denim pieces are ones I already had at home from jeans that became cut-off shorts. I had saved the denim hoping someday to have a chance to use it, and this was the perfect opportunity! I knit little pieces, sewed them to the denim, designed and crocheted leaves, and I created a jacquard pattern that is done in two color ways then sewn as patchwork with a flower mixed with the men’s tie and denim.

            My third group, Sumac, was made up of intarsia patterns.  To sell it to my client I would say that the yarn was unraveled from sweaters, washed and re-knit into the patterns.  I added embroidery and hand stitching to group.
            In all, I learned a lot about designing a collection under time and material constraints.  It teaches you to buckle down and quickly focus (it also makes you think more creatively).  The late nights all paid off and I’m so happy with the collection of work just from this one assignment. I’m grateful for this time in my life to explore and learn (fail & succeed) full time.  Next on my agenda, you hear about MY collection. That is exciting…. please stay tuned. --Adelle
           

The Latest Update from FIDM Knitwear Design Student

Quarter break is finally here and I feel like I am just starting to relax.  Finals were the most intense two weeks I’ve ever experienced to date here at FIDM.  I slept so little and was working, working, and working all day and all night.  I have heard from previous Knitwear Design students that this past quarter is the hardest of the program.   Well, I wholeheartedly agree!  I hope what they say is true because I don’t know if I can do what I did another time around.  In the end, I somehow still managed to make honor roll and I’m pleased with the final projects I turned in.

The photos in this post are from one of my final projects, I crocheted 9 different motifs and then color matched all 27 of the yarns used with oil pastels, watercolor pencils, colored pencils and markers to make paper flowers to match each motif.  Phew! It was a lot of work and my husband and our little pets seemed rather worried about me once 3am rolled around.  Like I said, I am just starting to relax.  It always takes me about a week to recover and then I have one week to enjoy and do all the fun stuff that gets put off during the quarter.  I’ll let you know what I have planned and what I have already done soon enough.  For now I must de-pile my house and put away the last quarters homework strewn all about every room.

--Adelle

Little Joy

For my Shape & Detail For Fashion Knitwear class we have to design and knit four “mini” versions of full-scale size sweaters. These sweaters are 3/4 scale of the actual measurements. They are knit in a smaller scale and front pieces only as they will be mounted on a board for display purposes and also so we can learn how to design and make the sweaters in a reasonable time and use less yarn. The sweater samples are a nice size for our portfolios as well. 

This process has really got me thinking about how I want to achieve a look or a concept through patternmaking. Sometimes the sweater design will change as I work out the pattern in full scale on graph paper. You have to adapt as you go along if your original idea doesn’t translate the way you originally intended. The process can be challenging, but it is a challenge I end up appreciating in the end; to have more than one idea, to think in a limited time frame how to edit and make necessary changes.  This is good practice for the “real world”.  You always need a back up route to your destination. 

A thought floating in my mind these days is to not let myself feel precious about my designs. I have to be ready to accept that someone may dislike my ideas all together (even if at that moment I think they are marvelous) and keep pushing my creative brain to find new ideas. If you only have one great design, well, how good are you?  I struggle with the concept of feeling “proud” of what I’ve done. To be honest, I never feel truly satisfied. I know in my soul that I’m following a path that feels authentic and… right, but that doesn’t mean I’m familiar with feeling content. I itch for more, it keeps me going. 

 --Adelle