As with most Week 1’s for independent projects, this week was centered around formulating and finalizing a plan for this quarter’s SOS. I am intending this quarter to be much more hands-on and less researched based than the last quarter. So, I set about solidifying all of the different sectors of my work.
First, I began to plan for my independent upcycling project. I recently sourced a used, raw silk vest that is a lovely herringbone tweed and I am intending on using that as my first design. I have been reading different books on design and repurposing fabric to gain some inspiration on different ways to make a somewhat boring piece of clothing into something beautiful and unique. Tweed is actually a pretty commonly upcycled textile, since it adds a good deal of character to any more bland colors. I am, however, particularly pleased with the particular textile that I found since I believe it is a pretty special piece of cloth. The vest is 100% raw silk, something that is notably difficult to source nowadays. The herringbone pattern is very muted, it doesn’t scream ‘tweed,’ rather, adds texture to the garment on first glance. The way raw silk falls is effortless, allowing for a good deal of grace when it comes to alterations, so I am excited to see what I can do with it. As I was looking into design ideas for brown herringbone, I came across a lot of upcycled lace combinations and was originally inspired by that. But, as I started to consider my own taste and design style, I have come to decide that I’d like to keep the piece as simple as possible since the textile speaks so loudly. I plan to alter the shape of the garment to be more fitted, remove the collar, and change out the fastenings. If I feel it is lacking in its own originality, I may add a touch of lace or perhaps some embroidery. But, I do think there is a beauty in keeping the design simple and the hours of labor on the lower end. This, in theory, allows for a beautiful garment to be created at a low cost to both the maker and the buyer. Photos and more detailed explanations on this process can be found under my ‘upcycling’ category on this ePortfolio.
I also completed my first day interning at Olympic Yarn & Fiber and learned about safe alpaca handling, nail trimming, and fleece sourcing. More details about that particular portion of my study can be found in the ‘internship’ category.