Student Info
Name: Kathryn Allen
Term: Spring
Credits: 16
Title: Sustainability in Textile Production and Design
Contact Info
Contract mode: 2 Credit Internship, 14 Credit Indepedent
Sponsor name: Sarah Williams
Internship Info:
Internship hours/wk: 5
Internship credits: 2
Academic credits: 14
Field Supervisor
Field supervisor: Lynn Lipski
Title: Owner/Operator
Organization: Olympic Yarn & Fiber
Program Description
“Sustainability in Textile Production & Clothing Design” is a continuation of the student’s research in the practice and sustainability of textile production. For this quarter, the student will complete hands on research in three different methods of textile production on three different scales. The first focus will be on the milling of animal fibers into yarn and textile. This will be examined through an internship at Olympic Yarn and Fiber – a small scale alpaca farm and textile mill. Through the course of the internship, the student will learn skills in both fiber mill operation and animal husbandry with the goal of understanding ‘how farm to cloth production’ impacts the sustainability of a business through an environmental, social, and economic point of view. The second focus will be on small scale flax cultivation and linen production. This will be examined through flax cultivation on Evergreen’s organic farm for the purpose of processing into linen. Over the course of this task, the student will analyze the work and resources that go into turning flax seeds into a finished piece of linen and how best to retain accountability in every step of the process. The third and final focus will be on the practice of upcycling textiles. This will be centered around an independent clothing design project in which the student will repurpose used materials to create an entirely new piece of clothing that reflects the student’s commitment to sustainability as well as unique self-expression through design. The goal for this project will be to style the pieces together in a way that exhibits the student’s proficiency in elements of design and sustainable sourcing. Through these three areas of focus, the student will gain a well-rounded knowledge of the multiple different methods employed in the business of sustainable clothing production and will be able to draw conclusions on best practices for small businesses to make a living off of the art of clothing. At the end of the quarter, the student should have familiarized themselves with the main modes of clothing production and design – new animal fiber, new plant fiber, and used textile. The purpose of this is to equip the student with the experience necessary to accurately weigh the pro’s and con’s of sustainability in these areas as well as to judge which practices are necessary for revolutionizing the current model of production.
| Learning objective | Activity | Deliverable |
| Learn the process of small scale mill production for textiles made of animal fibers. How does mill production differ in sustainability and productivity from hand spinning/weaving? | The student will intern at Olympic Yarn and Fiber one day a week and learn the day to day activities of the business. This will be completed alongside relevant readings including Fibre Production in South American Camelids and other Fibre Animals by Ma Angeles Perez-Cabal. | An evaluation written by Lynn, the owner and operator of Olympic Yarn and Fiber as well as notes taken in the student’s field guide and in their ePortfolio through WordPress. |
| Learn about and analyze the sustainability of the practice of small-scale flax cultivation for the purpose of textile production. How do flax crops compare to conventional cotton in issues of sustainability and productivity? | The student will cultivate flax on Evergreen’s organic farm. This objective will follow through into Summer quarter when the flax will be processed into textile. This will be completed alongside relevant readings including Linen from the Raw Material to the Finished Product by Alfred Stewart Moore and Growing Flax: Production, Management, & Diagnostic Guide by the Flax Council of Canada | The student will document the cultivation process and will provide weekly photos and reflections on their ePortfolio. |
| Learn about and analyze the sustainability of repurposing textile through the practice of upcycling. How accessible is repurposed clothing for artists to make a living from? How accessible is it for lower income populations to shop sustainably through upcycling? | The student will create their own upcycled pieces that form together into one ‘outfit’ with the goal of creating an entirely new look from repurposed clothing. This will be completed alongside related readings including Fashion Ethics by Sue Thomas, Visual Design in Dress by Marian L. Davis, and Zero Waste Fashion Design by Timo Rissanen and Holly McQuillan | A documented portfolio of before and after photos of each of the pieces designed as well as an analysis of resources used/saved through the process of upcycling. |
Evaluation of Work:
The student will complete all assignments as described on the syllabus, including weekly documentation of the ePortfolio on the Project pages of the SOS: Food and Ag program website. Required components of the ePortfolio, as templated, include: approved ILC description; weekly post; log of activities and hours; map; image gallery, and bibliography. Because the student’s in-program ILC project requires–or would benefit from–a field supervisor (required for internships), subcontractor (required for upper division science credit), or mentor, the student should provide the faculty with a field supervisor, subcontractor, or mentor’s descriptive assessment of in-program ILC work completed with their guidance, expertise, or supervision by Thursday noon of week 10. This assessment should be discussed between the student and the field supervisor, subcontractor, or mentor, then provided on professional letterhead as an attached .doc file with current contact information directly to the appropriate faculty sponsor through email (williasa@evergreen.edu or muehleisen@evergreen.edu ). The student should complete comprehensive mid-quarter and final narrative self-evaluations and submit them to faculty at mid-quarter and prior to their final, end of quarter student-faculty conference. For the final presentation each student will post and, when possible, present in class on Tuesday of week 10, a ten-minute PowerPoint (Keynote, Google Slides) presentation of 10-15 slides with text that demonstrates the highlights of the student’s in-program ILC Project. Note: As a “best of the student’s ePortfolio” this presentation should not be about the creation of new material, but rather the final presentation should assemble and tell the story of existing material regarding the student’s in-program ILC project. All students must update their Academic Statement yearly; graduating seniors are encouraged to work on revisions to their final Academic Statement with faculty prior to the final evaluation conference.