Day 2: Friday September 26th 2008, Passion for Fashion Sewing Challenge, American Sewing Expo, Novi, MI

Finally, we get our challenge:

2008 BabyLock Passion for Fashion Scenario

This year's challenge is to create an outfit the goes from the work place to an evening event. You will be asked to explain "who she is", where she works and what the evening event is. You must also base your outfit on one of the following four elements of nature; earth, wind, fire or water. You have 30 minutes to sketch and or select a Simplicity pattern (optional) for your sloper (remember this must be your design).

Next, starting at 9:00AM you will have 1 hour and $100 to shop for your project. You must return with receipts.

After shopping you will return to the BabyLock Passion for Fashion Sewing Arena to create your challenge garment.

Your mentors are award winning fashion designer, Kayla Kennington and her assistant Becky Fulgoni, the second place winner of the 2007 BabyLock Passion for Fashion. For assistance with the sewing machines and sergers Christine Tryon from BabyLock will be in the Arena.

ASE will provide a box linch for each contestant that will arrive in the Arena around noon on both Friday and Saturday.

Good Luck!!

So in the 1/2 hour before we went shopping, a couple things happened to me. I got stuck on a reversible jacket, earth, and brown. Then we got to see the patterns we could use. There were 5 or 6 I chose 3 of them (Simplicity 2933,2801 and 2951).



Unfortunately, there were no jacket patterns, I'm pretty sure they were all dresses with empire waists of something going on in the front. I chose three and hoped to use them as a sloper. I can draft patterns, but it is very hard for me. I'm a seamstress #1 (but you can bet after this, I'll be spending more time with the patterndrafting books!)

Now time to shop, they weren't really holding us to a 1 hour only shopping time, and we were going to be allowed to pick up something extra if we needed it.

I stalked the aisles searching for fabric stalls, many of the stalls contained beautiful fabric, but at a higher price point than was possible for building an entire outfit. I knew I needed something snazzy for the evening side of the jacket, but I still needed to decide on fabric for the jacket and skirt, and see what I had left over.

Then I found Vogue Fabrics. Jackpot! Tons of quality fabrics for 3.99 and 5.99 a yard! (I'd guess most of the contestants bought at least some fabric here!) I was still wanting a wool blend because I wanted the stability, but I did have to adjust my plan, for the first time of many, and settled for a really great rayon with weight. I got 5yards at 3.99. I do have to add here though that Becky gave me a little push to get started, I was spending too much time trying to make what I have in my head somehow appear in the bolts.

I wanted something shiny for the inside, I had seen shiny and stable at Stitch in Time (281 265 2515), and wandered back over there for a look. The Burma Silk caught my eye, because it was stable, shiny and $32 for 3 3/4 of a yard, sold in little packs. With the help of the patient woman who worked there, I chose a bright color(outside my comfort zone) with subtle streaks of brown in the mix to make it a match.

One more stop to Haberman Fabrics for a bit of 7.99 brown silk I spotted in the sale aisle. I bought 3 yards because I was going to make the sleeveless top on Simplicity 2933, but again ended up changing my mind.

I spent the morning working on a jacket sloper. I was using the sleeves from 2951, I thought I wanted puffy sleeves, and sleeves and arm holes are particularly difficult for me. My cousin stopped by around noon and I had nothing to show for the day, so I decided to switch gears and actually accomplish something.

I used the neckline and arm holes from Simplicity 2933 to draft my tank top. I used two layers because the fabric was sheer. It is self faced and the hems are finished with a rolled hem and slightly longer underneath.

I got attatched to the idea of flounces at about this time and made a little bias skirt with an 8 inch flounce (flounces are found on pg. 173 of Connie Crawford's Patternmaking Made Easy book, I could not have managed to create an outfit without this book)
Skirts I can draft, and I'm fond of bias for a number of reasons. I'm not sure what time it was after all this, but finally I was confident that my dear model wouldn't have to go down the aisle in "the emperor's new clothes"! I was also very pleased with how these first garments had turned out.

Back to the jacket.....

I got help from Becky again and fixed the side seam, but the shoulder slope was still wrong. I needed to have something to show for the day so I cut out the jacket, using as little fabric as was humanly possible and put the parts together so I had something to think about. I decided I didn't like the puffy sleeves too....

This was the end of the day on Friday, Day 2:
Dress forms generously provided by Dritz!