Living and Appreciating: 3 pigeons and the spirits

I was driving to sewing class and right in the middle of the road was a pigeon.  You might think  ..so....This pigeon in the road  was not going to move.  I can tell these things..  I bird watch..  I had to swerve to avoid it.  Near the next light,  a pigeon flew down into the street  right in front on my car.  I stopped and honked my horn.  I didn't want to hurt it  and  was thinking about the car behind me...hoping they would be nice.  Before the next light,  again a pigeon flew down into the street in front of me.  I stopped.  Universe is talking to me.  This is an undeniable sign.  When things happen in threes  I take notice and action...Signs are a door  to walk through.  I stopped all the noise in my head and returned to peace and re-centered.  Thank you universe.

I went to sewing class.

After class was over, two people from my class were having a conversation in Spanish.  I can barely understand Spanish  unless I know the context.  However for "some reason",  I felt the need to be noisy and ask what was going on.  The woman told me that her mother was stressed out and that she had nothing to be stressed out about.  The doctors cannot find anything wrong with her.  I hesitated  but I knew I had to help somehow and said it is spirits.  I asked  does she get charlie horses in the morning? She has strange pains and nothing is wrong with her..Sounds right.  I told them about the time I was walking through a parking lot and I walked through "something"  it was like it hit me or walked through me."  Both woman said immediately afterwards that they both got chills.  

I explained that I knew how the Mom felt because I had gone through that my whole life.  The woman eager to help her mother inquired about how I was able to "solve" it.  I told her  how  I was guided to some videos  that show the clearing of spirits process and that I live by that now.  I emailed her the information immediately when I returned home.  I really hope this guidance helps them, because I felt that I (as in universal spirit) was meant to share it with them today.

Creating: Fashion Design class Week 3

The homework  last week was intense.  I am posting some pictures of some pieces of the assignments.

Inspiration collage

Inspired by birds.

Using Architecture as inspiration collage.

In class today, Ms. Asanyah Davidson went over fabrics and explained the different types and how they are made.  We watched a video  on how jeans are manufactured- from cotton in the field to being packed for distribution.

Next week's homework is  gatheringfabric swatches and making more sketches from inspiration.

Creating: Patternmaking class Week 1

Well,  I finally got to meet Jill Odermann.  She is the teacher for the patternmaking class I am taking on Sundays this summer.  Now I am definitely sad  the fashion design class was cancelled, but at the same time  still  remember  it was for the best.   Jill Odermann  definitely is a WIZ KID at pattern drafting..  She can  whip up a bodice in about 5 minutes... even.less if she wasn't talking to us. A girl in my class drove two hours  to take this class and this is her second time taking it!  I am excited  to see what  I can create  after  having slopers to use for pattern drafting.  Here is a picture of the paper pattern  from class.  For homework  I have to sew a muslin..

Creating: Learn to Sew week 5

This week everyone brought in their patterns and the teacher helped everyone trace them and cut out the fabric pieces.  I couldn't believe that we actually were going to start a project.  I was still working on my Aline skirt  and trying to remember how to do sports seams.  We also  learned button holes and  how to sew a button- a very valuable skill that was more difficult than I thought it would be to learn.  For homework  we have to do three button holes and buttons and actually  close with one another.

Here is a picture of the french seam that I did in Organdy for homework  from last class.

I have so much to do now.  I have to get fabric for my final project, cut it and  get ready to sew it for next class!!  Plus all my homework for fashion design class.

Creating: Fashion Design Class Broward College week 2

Ok  NOW I know why  Ms.Davidson  said  we would want to call her at 3am!! Week two assignments  are alot of homework and  I peeked at week 3 assignments  and that is alot too. By peeking..I mean all the assignments  are online, I just looked at the future weeks work..  Ms. Davidson did an awesome job organizing the course and you know exactly what is expected from you. If  I don't do these assignments immediately after class there is no way  I could  make up the time to complete this all at once!!.  So if you take this course- dedicate time to it  otherwise the end  will not be fun.

Here is one of my croquis figures  from Week one's homework assignment:

First attempt, Ms. Davidson drew some correcting lines on this figure.

Second attempt,  I redrew the figure and taped the second version over the first croquis.

In class, Ms. Davidson asked to see our homework.  ONLY TWO people did it!  I was one of them.  She gave me feedback on my Croquis figures and helped me to see my mistakes in analysis and  I told her I would redo some  and I did and I drew  some more too.  Well, for the  in class assignment you needed...you guess it, the croquis figure  to do the classwork.  I was glad I was set, being prepared  makes the class easier and the feedback from the teacher gives you the opportunity to see how you need to improve.

The homework assignment  is actually several assignments.  Including a 4 page inspiration collage and 10 fashion sketches  using the croquis figures.

Creating: Learn to Sew week 4

So  it is week four  of learn to sew and this week was strange to say the least.  We were locked out of our class for an hour because security  didn't open the door.  Another teacher stole our classroom in the rudest  way possible..And two student  from another class came to our session and took most of the teacher's energy.

I finally learned how to do a French seam on the upside..

Step one to a french seam- sew a seam with the wrong side facing together and the right sides of the fabric facing outward.

Miami Dade non credit courses seem disorganized.  I dropped one class  I was going to take.  I called and they said it was under enrolled... and I am hoping to take one more course that Starts on Sunday, I am hoping that the teacher has assignments  in which we produce something right away.

Creating: Fashion Design Class Broward College

Last night was my first fashion design class.  I was so excited.  I met Kristii first, she is a nineteen year old musician that has a talent for drawing and would like to attend SCAD. She shared her sketches and they are amazing.  Ms. Davidson, the teacher pointed me out and asked Melina? I had been emailing her via facebook to make sure I was ready for class.  It upsets me when people come to class late and don't have a pencil, which happened last night - it is disrespectful. I strive to be prepared and on time.

 Ms. Davidson announced that we were going to hit the ground running and she was not kidding.  With only seven classes left there is so much to do  already, but this is what I signed up for. She said that the purpose of the class was to prepare people for the fashion design world, meaning if you are curious about what the grueling fashion industry is like, this class will give you that fast paced taste.  The class actually is part of the Fast Track continuing education courses for Broward College.  And so it is exactly that fast.

When Ms. Davidson spoke about students cutting themselves, I blurted out, "What does it mean when the teacher mentions blood on the first class?!" Then she kept saying, not to panic.... And something about having the need to call her at 3 am!  I was thinking WHAT?! So I asked her,  "why would I be calling you at 3 am?"  Because  I am thinking, there is no way  I am going to ever be up at 3 am working on homework...then I remembered I used to do homework at 3am in university over 20 plus years ago.  Am I there again?   Oh no, I signed up for this!

So our first assignment was to draw the proportion of the head and to draw a static croquis figure.  I have practiced this before  but not the way she taught it, so  I was like ok here we go.... For homework 20 head drawings and three croquis figures  two of which are action with figure analysis.  I will be posting that once I do it.

So  I realized that Saturday to Saturday is 7 days and Wednesday to Wednesday seems like two days with all that stuff I have to do in between.  This is going to be a busy summer and I plan on blogging the whole experience.

Here is the class kit and book

regular price $80, this term it was free.

I love this book.  This is actually my second copy.

Sample from my practicing heads homework.

Creating: Craftsy A line skirt

When I subscribed as an online reader to threads magazine, they started to send me emails.  In one of the emails, I learned about Craftsy.com.  I signed up for a few classes, one being the zipper pouch class.  I decided to sign up for the A line skirt class, because it included pattern drafting and I wanted to get my "feet" wet before my fashion design class starts on Wednesday.  Here is a picture of my very first  attempt at pattern drafting.

Creating: Learn to Sew Class Week 3

June 8, 2013, class thinned out a little bit - less people showed up.  I really  don't blame them.  All we are doing is drill and kill assignments.  If are super new to sewing  I could see how this could be a turn off.  I thankfully know a little  something about sewing,  so these drill and kill assignments  are more like  tests  of my ability  to be accurate.  It tests my patience too, and I have re-named the class  "The Zen of Sewing."  The teacher Rucht  is getting more strict.  Even though it is a noncredit class, she checks the homework  and expects  that you give it your all.

Last week was about  sewing hems.  This week  I thought  was about  seams..  which is what I really  wanted to learn, but she changed it to pleats.  Yes, pleats!!! So  we did  one inch side pleats  and box pleats..  and the homework is  to practice.  I just might rebel  and show up with my first  made from scratch skirt instead, because that is really  what I want to do this week.

one inch side pleats

half inch side pleats

box pleat

Creating: sewing zipper pouch

I have been wanting to create a zipper pouch for awhile.  So I found a tutorial online and I am super happy with the results.

Creating: Learn to Sew Class Week 2

The homework  from last week also included  taking measurements. Again this week  the homework included taking measurements.  Nothing is being made in the class; it is just sewing straight lines so far.

The homework and classwork this week  included  working on creating hems.  Getting the stitches as close to the edge as possible.

 My goal is to try to the get the stitches as consistently spaced from the edge as possible.

Creating: Learn to Sew Class Week 1

I got into the Miami Dade College sewing class Learn to Sew Summer 2013.  The original teacher scheduled for the class decided  not to teach it and lucky for me  the new teacher Rucht D'Oleo decided to take the class.  When I found out she was the teacher I was excited!  She is a professional in the fashion industry.

The class supply list is as follows:

1. Pins and hand sewing needles with cushion
2. Dotted pattern paper (this one has been challenging to find a source, so I don't have any yet.)
3. Fabric scissors and paper scissors
4. Seam ripper
5. Threads
6. Thread clipper
7.  Curve and straight rulers
8. Tape measurement
9. Transparent tape
10. Mechanical pencil 07
11. Notcher ( still need to get this)
12. Tailor chalk
13.  5 yards of Muslin fabric
14. Tracing wheel (plan on getting a better one)

*Loop tuner

*Awl

*3 yards of your favorite fabric for the last project

* pattern hangers

*suggested but not required 

The homework is to practice measuring figures and  sewing straight lines on muslin.