Clothing Alterations Project

MY IDENTITY IN CLOTHING:

        

When thinking about how I could represent myself within a community on fabric, I knew that I wanted to incorporate a playful aspect, as my fashion is usually minimal with fun little accessories. After I sketched out some preliminary ideas of patches, scarves or pins, and hearing Ryan wanting to do a design on a pocket, but not the actual thing itself, I knew that I could make a pocket and then attach the accessory holding a communal identity in it. This collaboration inspired me to create a set of pocket squares, being multi-functional as a generic pocket square, ascot, bandana, or hair scarf. In a lot of my work, I have found a common theme of letter writing, reminiscing, staying hopeful/positive, and in the continuance of a theme of my work I feel truly captures how and what I enjoy spending my time doing, I wanted to create a large mural displaying a love letter to my classmates. Each pocket square would be part of the letter, capturing the community sense in both the construction of reading the letter, the message behind it, and the fact that each person holds a special part of it.

PART I: THE POCKET

       

When first creating the pocket, I made a pattern in comparison to a few pocket t-shirts I had. After settling on a dimension, I proceeded to draw a 1/2″ margin around the pocket for seam allowance and cut the pattern out. Then, I proceeded to draw the pattern 17 times onto the muslin scraps.

      

After cutting each pocket out, I found the muslin a little too wrinkly, so I ironed it out. When doing so, I remember the ease of ironing the seems prior to sewing them from the drawstring bag assignment, so I made sure to mark each seam and I ironed along each of them.

  

I then proceeded to thread the machine using all white thread so it blended neutrally with whatever design Ryan wanted to pain onto the pockets. Following the threading of the machine and inserting the bobbin, to which the needle then picked up and I pulled through, I began to sew the front seam of the pocket.

    

One key to the pocket being durable for the handkerchiefs/pocket squares I was going to put in them was making sure to back stitched every time I sewed the front seam of the pocket.

 

Once the front hem of the pocket was sewn, I then pinned the pocket to the t-shirt. In this step, I found that some t-shirts my peers had brought in already had pockets sewed on them, to which I used the seam ripper and took the pocket off. I figured although it may leave some damage on the shirt, despite my cautious efforts, it would create more uniformity across the configuration of each shirt.

    

I then proceeded to sew the pockets onto each shirt, designed as a left breast, as it is most common and dominant in fashion/history in relation to pocket squares. Upon completing the 17, I made sure to double check my machine stitching and cut loose threads on either seam of both the pocket, along with the interior and exterior of the shirt. After completing all 17 (photographed above), I proceeded to hand off the shirts and work on the pocket squares that would go in each.

 

PART II: THE POCKET SQUARE MURAL

  

When first designing the overall mural, I knew that I didn’t necessarily want each square to be the same size, as the embellished fabric “square” could have multiple uses. Additionally, I knew that 17 isn’t exactly an easy number to divide by. When deciding the size of the squares, I did some research and found that an average pocket square ranges from 10″ x 10″ to 17″ x 17″, so I used that as a guide. I used my template letter as a guide and created the Illustrator file over top to make sure that the letter would fit the size of the journal and then made any necessary changes.

  

I then measured and numbered each of the rectangles I drew. I made sure to include 18 in all, as I wanted each student and Robert to have a piece of the letter. After labeling them, I cut each square, folded a 1/4 inch seam and sewed the seams so they would all have a clean edge when putting them together. Additionally, I made sure to calculate seam allowance when first cutting up the large piece of muslin so I knew the final expected size.

 

Once sewing all of the squares, I taped the backs of them back together and then drafted a few letters addressing the memories and community we created in our class. After a few tries on paper, I wrote a draft of the letter in pencil on the scarf mural. I then chose certain elements of the letter to embroider that held important memories began to embroider them using a 5-inch embroidery hoop and red twisted embroidery floss.

 

When putting them together, I had to make sure to embroider words overlapping on multiple scarves. 20 billion hours later when the embroidery was done, I filled the rest of the words with a red sharpie.

 

The final letter lies about 6.5 feet wide, by 4 feet tall. The 18 scarves are between 8-20″ in height and width, all serving as handkerchiefs that fit in the pockets I sewed, alongside ascot scarves and hair scarves.

 

Hand-embroidered and written the letter reads:

“To the lovely pals of Roberts space class,

Oh how thankful I am to have met each of you! I am beyond grateful for the encouragement, all of the help, the good times + vibes- from all the late night work sessions in the Making Center, to the night we all stuck our heads into a giant bed sheet and walked to union square, the time we all mailed Robert eggs in teddy bears and bras, to group ice cream treats + modern family in class- the memories have been great, the laughs even better! This community was brought together like no other- with wood machinery, pliers, sir hands from wire sculpting and everything in between. Thanks for sticking through this journey with me. I am beyond excited to see where your insane talents take you both here and beyond. I wish you all the best and hope you remember just how amazing you are. Here’s to one year down and the more to come! 

All my love,

Lexi”

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