Week 14- Full collection completed!

Hi everyone!

This is my last blog post because I have finished the collection and you get to see my full collection which is on display now! This capstone collection turned out to be everything I had hoped for it to be when I started planning it last year.

Through out this semester, there were many long and late nights spent working on this collection but all of them were worth it! I am very proud of this 6 look collection! In the photos, it shows how I organized them. I really wanted to make sure the fabrics and colors were mixed around to make the collection very cohesive looking.

I can not wait to see these looks on the runway this coming April! It will be very fun to see these looks on models and in motion! Until then, I will be looking for the models and finding songs that match the feeling I was going for in the creation of this collection.

Thanks to everyone that has followed along with this blog this semester. You all got to see the behind the scenes making of the collection. I've had fun writing these post and updating everyone on my progress.

Thank You! - Ashley Danner

Week 13- Almost finished!

Hi Everyone!

There is officially less than four days left until I present my collection! I have gotten a lot done over this past week! I finished my ruffle top except for the hem, which should be done tonight. I have finished my layered, high neckline dress except for the hem and beading. Also, I have sewn the jumpsuit pants and I am currently working on finishing the top. I have gotten lots done but still have lots to complete in the next few days!

In the next few days, I will be completing any of the hems left. Also, I will be completing beading that is left on some of the looks. After all the actual garments are completed, I plan on finishing all of the illustrations and my senior capstone banner.

Stay tuned for my final post next week for a look of the collection as a whole! I am excited to see all the pieces displayed together. I truly believe this collection showcases what I wanted it to be and I am very proud of it! Next weeks post will most likely be posted on Friday as I am presenting on Thursday morning!

Until next week,
Ashley Danner

Almost Done!!

Only a few more weeks to wrap up my collection, and I'm almost done! I have completed 2 full looks already and this week I'll be finishing up the rest. The looks I have completed are a legging/sport bra combo and a t shirt, quarter sleeve shirt, and skort combo. It's exciting to see the collection come together in physical form, rather than flats on my computer.

I also received the first custom knit pieces for my collection! They are leg warmers to go over a pair of leggings. Later this week I'll also be receiving a few pieces to go on a jacket. Not all of the knit pieces could be completed for the end of the semester, so I will have 2 more pieces coming before the fashion show in April, a sweater and a jumpsuit!

Week 12- Samples done!

Hi everyone!

This last week I've been working and keeping busy! I have finished all of my samples and have marked parts that need to be fixed before working on final fabrics. I have finished my striped, cropped pants. They are tight fitting capris that will be paired with a white/ blue chambray ruffled shirt. 

I also have been working on more beading. I have gotten 3/4 of the beading along the neckline of the romper finished. That beading alone has taken over 5 hours! 

I am so happy how everything is coming along and this next week should be exciting as many of the final pieces I have left start getting completed! I have a week and a half to completely finish everything, so I will be busy sewing for the majority of this next couple weeks! 

Can't wait to show some final looks next week and the collection as a whole the week after! 

Until next week, Ashley Danner

I'm back from China!

I'm finally back from China (still on China time though.) It's back to work on my capstone collection! Before I left I died my yellow polka dot fabric using a dye resist. The resist didn't hold up that well so I went back through this week with a sponge and some fabric paint to add the polka dots all over again! They look great, exactly what I was going for, so I can't complain!

While I was gone, my collaborator has been working on some custom knits for the collection! She has finished the leg warmers and is moving onto a jacket next. Can't wait to share more with you next week. For now, I'll be sewing like the wind!

Week 11- Patterns and Samples!

Hi everyone!

This past week has been very productive! I have 3 looks to completely finish and I focused mainly on the patterns this week. I have finished all my patterns except for my jumpsuit top which should be patterned later this evening.

Among patterning all of these looks, I started constructing the samples for my garments. I finished samples for a pair of pants and a shirt. Also, I am about halfway finished with a sample for a short, two- layered dress.

I am very happy with the amount of work that I completed this past week! This next week I have lots more to do though. I hope to complete another final look (look for a glimpse of it next week!), complete the sample of my dress, cut out final fabrics for the sampled dress, and start making my jumpsuit. Also, I have some beading I hope to get done this next week! Check in next week for an update!

Thanks,
Ashley Danner

Week 10- Look 3 all sewn!

Hi Everyone!

This week has been another busy week! I finished sewing my third look. This third look has a lining in the top. The neckline has a white ruffle that will eventually have a line of navy beading along it. The edges were finished neatly using white bias tape. I love the gathering that happened while attaching the shorts to the top. Originally while constructing the sample, I did not make the shorts as wide as I liked to, which did not allow for as much gathering as I wanted. I fixed that problem before moving into the final. I love how the fit turned out for this romper and I feel like this look goes very well with my concept for this collection. I brought in 3 different fabrics from my collection into this look to allow the collection to be more cohesive. I love how the plaid belt looks with the blue chambray fabric and white fabric.

This next week, I plan on finishing my patterns for my last 3 looks, so after that I can move on to making samples. This semester is in its last month and I have a feeling it will be going by very fast because I will be very busy! It is so surreal that I am finally in my last month of college but I feel like this senior collection is a great way to end!

I look forward to sharing with you all my progress in this upcoming week!
Until next week,
Ashley Danner

Week 9- Sneak Peek at look 2!

Hi Everyone!

This last week has been a busy one but that is great because it means I got a lot of work done! I started the week by working on the final look for my second capstone look which is the first photo attached. It is a long, button up dress with a blue pinstriped fabric. I chose to have the stripes go different ways, so the stripes are horizontal on the top and vertical on the bottom. On most of the pieces in my collection, I am wanting to incorporate nice finishing's. In this dress, I added a facing to all the edges, french seams for all the seams on the inside, and I did some chain stitches for the belt loops. I also wanted to tie another fabric from the collection into this look, so I chose to use my white fabric for the belt to bring the fit in at the waist. I absolutely love the dark blue buttons that draw in the dark blue color from my plaid pants!

I have a extra surprise for you all this week! I mentioned above it has been a busy week and that is because I have been hard at work on my third capstone look. This third look is a romper that is made with a blue chambray fabric and accented with a white ruffle. It is very fitted and then the shorts that have to be attached are very loose. I have finished the patterns and sample during this past week. Yesterday, I started working on the final fabric of this look and the fit of this outfit is so good! I'm planning on going back to working on this right after publishing this post but I am so happy with the amount I have completed this week! I have attached a sneak peek of what I have completed of the third look also on this blog!

Lets hope this next week is as successful as this past week!

- Ashley Danner

Week 8- Look 2 sample finished!

Hi everyone!

This week I am giving you all a sneak peek of my second capstone look sample!

This past week I made great progress with my second look! I started by cutting out my sample fabric and moved on to sewing the full look. I am really happy on how this look went together. All of my pattern pieces were done great because while I was putting it together, everything seemed to go together very well! That makes the sewing process go a little faster and that very much was the case for this dress.

I think doing a sample can be very beneficial most times because during the process you can take note of some parts that you would like to change to make the final product even better. I took note of some changes during construction that I will incorporate into the final look.

I am very happy with the silhouette and look of this dress. I feel like it is very much the aesthetic I was going for in this collection. I can not wait to see it in the light blue, pinstriped fabric. I cut out my final fabric yesterday and after this blog is posted, I plan on starting to sew the final look. My goal is to have it sewn completely by tomorrow, so be sure to look for a glimpse of it next week!

Until next week, Ashley Danner

Week 7- Look 2 patterns done!

Happy Sunday!

Wow, another week has went by!

This past week I have been working on my pattern for my button up, pinstripe dress. I finished it this weekend and I am super excited to start working on constructing it. As soon as this is posted, I plan on getting back to work and cutting it out of the sample fabric. Once that is done, I will start sewing it and making sure I have the order of operations correct before starting to construct it in my final fabric.

This next week,  I plan on constructing the sample of look 2, along with getting more patterns of a couple of my extra looks finished. Once those extra looks are patterned, I plan on making samples for those also.

Lets hope this is a very productive week! Check back next week to see how the fitting for Look 2 turned out!

Until next time, Ashley Danner

Week 7 - Patterns are complete!

Week 6 - Knit Samples!

As of week 6, I am officially over half-way done with my patterns! Woohoo! (That's assuming I'll be making all 8 of my looks, but I'm looking to narrow it down to possibly 6. Making a collection is a lot of work.)

I have not mentioned this exciting news yet, but I am working on a collaboration to include some custom knits in my collection! I'm hoping this will break up the flat colors, and add some excitement to the collection!
 

Week 6- Look 2 Illustration!

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone had a great week! I can not believe this was the sixth week of the semester already!

It feels really great to start working on the second look, as I have started to do this last week. Among the second look, I also have started working on a few of my extra looks because I want a 6 ensemble collection by the end of this semester.

This next graded look is one of my favorites in my collection. I can't wait to start making it in the final fabric I have picked out and to see how it looks! My photo for this week is a illustration of the next look! It is a long, button up lightweight dress that is a blue pinstriped fabric. I feel like this dress goes very well with my inspiration for the collection! Also, I really like constructing dresses so that makes this ensemble more exciting for me!

For this next week, I plan on working a lot on the pattern and a few of the extra looks patterns. After I have the patterns done, I will be making a sample out of my test fabric. This allows me to look at how the fit is before moving into my final fabric. It will be a busy next week but I have a feeling that is how it will be for the final two months of the semester!

Have a great next week!
- Ashley Danner

Week 5- Look one constructed!

Hi everyone!

I am so happy to say that my first look is finally all constructed and sewn! My blouse is made with a layer of silk chiffon and I quickly remembered what it is like working with that material! It is very slippery and can easily get dirty, so I spent a lot of time being very careful with it. I had to go run to the fabrics store to get a thin needle that is specifically for very delicate and fine fabrics. This needle was a life saver and made my seams turn out beautifully all over!

I really love this blouse because of the two layers. Using two layers on this top made it so it has really great weight when you hold it. At the moment, it doesn't have the beading on it because I am still searching for the beading I want. I found a few options that I really like. The pants are really fun and I feel like the shape of the pants go really well with the fun pattern!

Now that this look is finished, I can move on to patterning the next few looks. I am excited to move on to the next one because it is a long, pinstriped dress. I tend to really enjoy constructing dresses!

Stay tune for next week to see my progress on the next few looks!

- Ashley Danner

Week 5 - I'm Back!

It's been a busy few weeks to say the least! I got a good start at the beginning of the semester, and now the work is starting to pile up.

I have decided to take a different route while producing my collection. I began the semester by making a pattern, then the sample. But since I know all my slopers fit well, I'll be completing all my patterns first, and then moving onto muslin samples, and final pieces.

One of the reasons behind this decision is because I need to piece dye some of my fabric. I decided to add a print to the collection. I'll be using a dye resist to make a yellow polka dot print! The easiest way to do this will be piece dying after all the patterns are cut out, rather than dying all of the yardage and making extra polka dots that won't be used.

I am also collaborating with a local knitter to create a custom knit for my collection! My samples should be here this week, and I can't wait to share them!

Week 4 Progress

Hi everyone, it has been one busy week!

This last week I started on my final version of my first look! Before I could start cutting out my final fabric, I had a few pieces to finish on my sample and alterations to be made on the paper pattern.

In the beginning of this last week, I finished the waistband on the pants sample and the collar on the blouse sample. After that I went to my patterns for both pieces and made the changes that I took note of during my fit test.

Later in the week, I started cutting my final fabrics. Let me tell you, silk chiffon is very difficult to cut out! It loves to slide around, so I made sure to take my time on my 2- layer blouse. I finished cutting fabric out yesterday morning and ever since then I've been sewing! Matter of fact, that is what I am going to get right back to after writing this post!

This next week, my goal is to have my first look completely sewn by Thursday! After it is sewn, it will be time to add some beading on it! I enjoy doing beading and embroidery, so I'm looking forward to doing that!

Have a great next week!

- Ashley Danner

Look 1 Progress!

Hi Everyone, hope you've had a great week!

This week I've started sewing and prototyping my first look! Before you make your garment out of the final fabrics, you usually make a sample out of a fabric that is much cheaper. This is done so you can fix any fit problems and adjust as you'd like.

I finished most of my sample of look 1 with only a few finishing pieces to attach and closures to finish. I am happy with how it turned out and I only have to make a couple fit adjustments on my pattern pieces before cutting out my final fabrics from Mood Fabrics! 

This next week, I plan on fixing the fit on my blouse to be more flowy. After that, I plan to cut out my final fabrics and start sewing my actual garments! I'm excited to see how this looks with my chosen material. The first look has a two layered blouse with silk chiffon and beading. The first look's pants have a fun plaid pattern!

Stay tune, next week there might be a sneak peek of my first look!

- Ashley Danner

Week 2- Patterning Look 1

Hey Everyone!

In this past week, I have made some progress! It is so exciting to see my collection starting to come along! I started patterning my first look earlier this week and had it finished on Thursday. The first look I am creating consist of a tie collared blouse and a fun pair of plaid pants. 

Also, I had a very exciting package delivered, which was my fabrics! It is cool to see all your fabrics you've seen as swatches in yardage form! I am very happy with all the fabrics and can't wait to see what my pieces look like using those fabrics! I have just one fabric left to be ordered from Mood Fabrics and that order will be placed in the next couple of weeks. 

This next week, I will be focusing on creating my muslin sample of the first look. I already have it all cut out, all that's left is sewing it together. Also, I will continue to create the set of patterns for my second look. 

Check back in next week to get a glimpse of the sample of my first full look! 

Ashley

Week Two - A Good Week

Happy Friday! I've been in the sewing lab for about 5 hours already today, and I plan on being here for 5 more. What a day.

This week has been very productive (let's hope that continues over the semester.) I completed 3 sets of patterns, constructed 3 garments for fit tests, and I'm currently working on a fourth. I just started my sweatshirt pattern because the sewing lab is freezing so the quicker I make the sample, the quicker I can wear it. Maybe I should make some gloves while I'm at it.

More exciting things! 3 of my fabrics came in yesterday! The "navy" fabric looked purple to me, and according to the Instagram poll I posted 5 hours ago, 99% of you agree that it is in fact purple, not navy. So I guess next week will consist of dying some swatches.

I'm enjoying the beginning of the semester, the lab is empty and I can spread my things out across TWO WHOLE TABLES. For those of you that don't know, we are usually cramped to 3-4 people per table, so this is a big deal.

Thank you for reading, tune in again next week and you might see a finished, final fabric garment?! (If we're lucky.)

Nicole

Week One - A New Beginning

Can you believe this is my last semester of college?? I sure can't. As a high school senior, my plan was to attend a 4-year college on a softball scholarship with a physical therapy major. 5 years later, here I am as a Fashion Studies student. Sports were my first true passion in life. I was never much of an artist growing up, but after 3 years at KCAD, I have learned how to combine my passions, new and old, to make something worth-while. In my final semester, I plan to make an athletic wear collection inspired by my time as an athlete. This week was spent organizing my thoughts and finalizing sketches. Here's your first look at my collection, Good Sport:

Dedicated to past, present, and future athletes.

This collection is inspired by the journey every athlete goes through. We play for the love of the game. We work against the odds to improve and extend our careers, knowing the end is coming too soon. But no matter how long or short, that career is not a waste. Athletes learn hard work, dedication, perseverance, and leadership. We use these skills to pursue our passions. On and off the field, be a Good Sport.

The Beginning of my Capstone!

Hi Everyone!

Here it goes! I am starting my last semester of college and creating my senior collection! I am excited to put all of my skills I've learned throughout college to use. This fall semester I will be creating my capstone collection, Serenity. Serenity is inspired by the water, beach, and lake life. I wanted to create a collection that could relate back to my childhood. I grew up surrounded by this environment and Michigan beaches are like a second home. When I am near the water, I find a sense of calmness overwhelm me and that is a feeling I want to portray. For this collection, I am also drawing from the physical environment, textures, and patterns that can be seen at the lake. When my collection is finished, I hope you can see the serenity that I feel at my happy place through my line.

This summer I traveled to a variety of Michigan beaches to find more inspiration. Our Michigan beaches are beautiful and I specifically liked the rocks I found while walking the shoreline of a beach in Petoskey, MI. A few others I've visited would be Ludington, Pentwater, Old Mission State Park, Manistee, and the place my collection took most inspiration from which is Grand Haven.

This week I narrowed my collection from my original 8 looks to a final total of 6 ensembles. I ordered most of my fabrics from Mood Fabrics and I am excited for that arrival this coming week. I am planning to get started with the patternmaking of the first two ensembles!

Check back next week to see my progress!

Thanks, Ashley Danner

Done! - Show in 3 days!

I finished my extra look, which makes five looks that I will have walk in the show on Wednesday. I’m very happy with what I have accomplished, and cannot wait for the show!

Beauty and the Beast inspired my extra look. It featured the “Be Our Guest” jacket and the Lumiere Varsity Sweater Dress. One of the newest things in Disney stores are the spirit jerseys. This inspired me to take a slightly different approach. I like the idea of a slightly oversized sweater dress. With the textile, stripe, and colors it reminded me of an older fashion varsity sweater.

            The surprise on the runway will be the jacket and when the jacket comes off and the embroidery of Lumiere is revealed. Lumiere was done with two fabrics. I embroidered all the lines and details with black crotchet thread. I appliqued him onto the back of the dress using a blanket stitch the same way I did with Ariel. I used yellow bead to fill in the flames of him, to make them catch the light, and glow like fire

            The show is in a few days! Though it’s stressful, I am so excited to see my collection come together!

See you next Wednesday_

It is hard to believe the show is next Wednesday! I am finishing up some final details for my collection, mostly how I want to style my garments and how my models will walk. I had a walk through with my models today to make sure there isn’t anything I need to adjust.

Today is our last model fitting for the undergrad garments for the show. We will be putting in some long hours to finalize everything this weekend.

Behind the scenes 

I am so excited to see everything come together! My classmates and I have worked very hard to make this show happen. This year’s show is sold out and will be the largest capstone fashion show yet!

Can’t wait to see you there,

Mackenzie Santamour

Almost there!

I’m almost there! I have completed my third look, which is the last one I have to complete for a grade. However, I am working on an extra look to make a total of five ensembles that will be walking in the capstone show on April 25^th.

This extra look is the Beauty and the Beast inspired look and consists of the Lumiere sweater dress, and the “Be Our Guest” jacket. The jacket is rather simple when it comes to silhouette and construction, but is covered in the flowers from the spacer mesh. It’s done in the same way as the shorts, with several flowers on each garment piece. The back also says “Be Our Guest,” which is one of the most iconic Disney songs. On the front and back of the jacket I am also incorporating some more Danielle Nicole patches, to add extra characters and sparkle.