No restrictions

I had gotten the latest email blast from Coletterie and I just had to smirk a bit. Not that it was bad or I was being especially snotty or anything but it was about a little trip to NYC and different fabric stores. One of which was Mood. Then they described this draping class that was being taught there and this beautiful piece was made.

This is what made me smirk. Of course it is gorgeous but also how many yards of fabric do you think it took to make this? My rough estimate with those wide pleats would be somewhere between 15-20 yards. That is also not muslin which makes a large difference as well. Even muslin at Mood prices for that much yardage it would be about $120. It just amazes me how unrealistic some of these things are that they present to people as options. I guess they can get away with that in NYC but you would find yourself hard pressed to get someone in Columbus to shell out the class price with an additional couple hundred in just draping supplies.  I would know, I teach draping in the summer at CCAD.

I dream of the day when I have copious amounts of money or means to drape amazing unrestricted garments but alas, I must work with what I have and be conservative with each piece. Once upon a time in college I was able to do this regardless of cost, not because I had the money but because I was an oblivious youth with big dreams and very supportive parents. The last time I gave myself unrestricted allowance for fabric was my wedding dress. That took about 8 yards of silk organza because of all the pleats.

 Well anyways that was just my little two cents on that post from Coletterie and their trip to NYC and Mood. It is hard to be a designer without any support and income and especially harder if you are an adult with an interest in it and looking to take classes. Fashion design is not cheap nor is it easy. I try to be as sympathetic as possible to my students pocket books but I feel their pain between the creative expression and the reality of the situation you live in.

Best of luck my friends and don't be discouraged by your resources. Continue to create and learn and be happy in what you are doing for yourself.
Cheers!

Oh the stress!

 

This orangutan perfectly encompasses how I feel right now.  

I am stressed and done and don't feel quite like dealing with anything right now.  The wedding is taking it's toll on my creativity and when things are out of my hands I am not a happy camper. Yesterday was a bit tumultuous in regards to wedding stuff BUT good things happen as well. I'm happy to say that I have my organist that I wanted and many friends are super supportive.  I know nothing goes perfectly for any wedding that is just the nature of them.

 What I can do is keep on trucking along and get the other things in my life taken care of. Classes are in full swing for me at CCAD.  Another Summer of Draping into Pattern and Pattern Drafting and Construction.  I was a little slumped at the beginning of last semester but this semester feels so much better.  It has been a little over 3 years of me teaching Pattern Drafting and Construction for the Continuing Education and the longer I do it the more I feel like I have gained great experience.  I have found what does and does not work, learned to changed things up depending on the overall skill level of the class, where and when to take the extra time with a student or even if it is necessary.  

Teaching has helped me a great deal to read people and the way they act, I only have a limited time so I need to know where and how to spend that.  Most of my people are fantastic but sometimes there are people who just don't want to listen and can't be helped, in those cases I have learned to gracefully point out they need to sort themselves out a bit before taking up my class time.  

The other important thing is how to keep this curriculum refreshing to me even though it is basically the same lesson repeated every semester.  Little things like choosing different fabrics to do my demo on or switching up the order of the demos, making conversation and connecting with the students.  Another great thing is asking them to participate during the demo, for example I would sew up one side of the invisible zipper and let someone else try to sew in the second part.

I can with confidence still say that teaching is one of my favorite jobs.  I am dedicated to not becoming a broken or bitter teacher.  If for some reason teaching is no longer fun then you should not be doing it, it is a horrible thing to see someone's negativity crush an aspiring mind.

My Advice to other teachers is to not be afraid to voice your unhappiness.  Do not dwell in it.  Perhaps evaluate what you like and don't like about your class or what you are teaching.  Most importantly do not be afraid to make changes. 

Hello monday!

Good Monday!  Usually I hate mondays but this is the start to a new week that is very exciting for me.  It's the start to the new semester for Continuing Education at Columbus College of Art and Design.  The first day is always so exciting because I have all new students to meet and projects to help them come up with and finish which in turn could be very inspiring to me.

Some people wonder if it get's boring teaching the same lesson semester after semester but I can honestly say that it isn't boring at all.  Since every class is a new group of people it's not like it's same thing over and over.  Seeing the Ah-ha moments on their faces as I do the demos and their approach to tackling the assignments are always different.  Sometimes there are the same questions but it's just a lesson in patience.  I have to tell myself even though I said this a thousand times over the years this could very well be the first time this person has ever heard the answer. 

Believe that teaching anything is also a lesson in patience for the instructor. 

This week I have a lot of blogging to catch up on!

We did some fun thing at Igloo Letterpress for my Wedding.

I did a quick jaunt to OHAYOCON.

Lastly I found that I have quite a few OTD's to catch up on bloggin as well

Cheers!  I hope you have a lovely and productive Monday!

June Riots!

Sorry I have been behind on the blogging and especially on OTD's but as I mentioned before with lack of camera it has been painful.

Also I have been extremely busy with my teaching at CCAD.  Let me tell you when it rains it pours but in the good way for me.  I am teaching both the Beginning Pattern Drafting and Construction class as well as my newly approved Draping into Pattern and Fabric Manipulation Class.  Both of which are completely full with waiting lists once again.  It's no joke with the waiting lists either.  Today is the second night teaching and first night of the pattern class and I had someone drop this afternoon and a few hours later the spot was filled.  I am supposed to be maxed out at 15 students but I have 16 in each one!  It is madness in a most delightful way.  I even have the pleasure of using a TA which they don't usually allow for Continuing Education classes.  Even more Lucky for me it is my FAVORITE T.A. Tosha who has her own fabulous blog called The Pop Bang Fizz. 

On the down side I will not have a life for the next month as I work my 8-5 monday-friday and then immediately teach 6:20-9:45 monday-thursday.

Back on the bright side I was approved for two sewing machines for my classes exclusively!  I got them both from Westerville Sew N Save (whom I will do a little intro post later).  I got two Brother Innovis 80's.  Something about these electronic machines are easier for the high school students to understand and work with. 

I got new cards ordered from Moo.com again.  I had been dragging my feet on it and thankfully so since I was able to hold out for another photo shoot with the fantastic Mr. Chip Willis (NSFW).  I also have some reprints from Adam Leigh Manuell and one from my first shoot with Matthew Roharik

Since I can't get a lot of sewing accomplished while I focus on teaching I might be able to get my website updated finally after ummm.......... 7 years? ohhh that's been a while.

On the Shelf - The Art of Manipulating Fabric

If you are seriously interested in making some fascinating textures then you NEED this book. It is one of the most fantastic books I have had in a long time by far.  It explains everything so clearly and has loads of step by step images and diagrams.  I am hoping to get approval for teaching my Draping class and incorporate this book into it.  Eventually I want to get the approval to teach an entire college course on this.

 

Making yo-yo's is just one of the fun little things from the capture in gathering.  Even though I have made these a million times before it is just so fascinating to read more about them. 

In doing all this reading it makes me feel more and more that I need to pursue Graduate School this year.  As always the big debate is either for Art Education K-12 at OSU or following my passion with a Master's in Fine Art and exploring fashion and body modification by Fabrics at CCAD.

Catching up and on

This is how I wake up everyday. Why can't I just be paid to stay like this?

My cat is not really Huge. She is actually small only 8lbs but I am equally a small being of only 4'10" proportions weighing in around 105 lbs so I make her look big and ferocious.

Anyways onto reality! I've been accepted as one of the 3 finalists in the Substance Aspiring Designer contest that I applied for several weeks ago! Below is the acceptance Letter!

"Dear Esther,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as one of the three finalists in our 2nd annual Aspiring Designer Contest."............... and it goes on from there with the myriad of details.

Along with that I also got a piece accepted into the OAL (Ohio Art League) 100 leagues under the C exhibit going on right now at the Metropolitan Library Downtown. We were to submit work based on the number 100. I choose to work with what I know best, knitwear and did 10 swatches of 100x100 stitches each and draped them and hand sew them together to make this top.

I was pretty please with how it turned out and am going to continue to try this method using larger swatches for one of my pieces in the upcoming High Ball. I think the way it all curls upon itself is very much the feeling I have looking at anemones. They are so fluid looking yet introvert to rest and protect themselves. I feel like that personally but I introvert to Video games and fantasy fiction books

To make matters all the more difficult to Blog my Camera is pretty much KAPOOT! It won't hold and charge and I have no extra bones to buy a new one. I am in this very bad in-between place right now.

All I want to do is teach. It makes me happy and I feel accomplished as an artist too because I am still working in my craft. I thought I would fake it and do this retail thing but honestly I hate it and it tears my soul up. I am going to look hardcore for new employment this week and talk to several yarn stores about setting up a class or two for them. I want to teach advanced knitting into pattern and Crochet. Things I also want to teach for CCAD and start up a fiber department/program as a part of Fashion.