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I Am….

I Am Project Prototype

Finished Product

Title: I Am Different

Thoughts: The skills that I’m taking away from this project and the class overall are beginning to help me in my other classes already. Making the I Am has allowed me to learn about new fabrics, techniques, and has developed my problem-solving skills. When something went wrong with the project I was able to own it and figure out how to build off of it.  It also made me think more about what I want out of the class and the assignments that I do. Since we were making something I was supposed to care about and carry around I made sure that I actually liked it and was not just trying to fulfill the assignment. It was important to me that I use ethnic fabric because I wanted to relate to the product. Almost everywhere I go I am the other either because of my skin or style of dress, which is why I chose ‘I Am Different’ as the title. I’m sure my fabric and design is different than everyone’s  also.

Questions: Why doesn’t the shape of the finished product match the pattern? I had a triangular upper body, circle base, and a wavy head but once sewn it doesn’t look like that.

I AM

            Being in charge of the I Am project’s creative direction made it feel more personal. This was the first assignment that felt like it was solely guided by the students. Even though there were guidelines attached to the assignment they weren’t anything out of the usual that would hinder creative expression. Having that sense of control made us look at every detail as more important and crucial than before. You wanted it to look exactly how you imagined it in your head. It brought back the feeling of creating for fun and not to receive a grade, especially when fabric shopping and brainstorming ideas. Once in the classroom it did hit you that I Am is an assignment and must be done a certain way, taking some of the fun out of it.

The process of creating the I Am project was a little intense at times, but in the end, it made sense. One thing that is still confusing is having to draw the pattern on pattern paper first instead of going straight onto the pattern. Tracing the pattern onto the final fabric after already doing it on pattern paper takes up the most time. It’s definitely a lot of steps and room for error. The highlight of the process was choosing the fabric. Going to the different fabric stores was fun and gave people the chance to brainstorm different ideas for this class and others. After going to a new fabric store my fabric choice and design changed. Which looking back on it might not have been a good idea due to the fact that this assignment is being graded, but I personally like how it turned out which I feel is the most important. It’s important to be proud of what you created even if it’s not liked by the viewers, that’s a part of being an artist.

For the final design, I wanted to have a head with an afro outline, triangular upper body, and circular lower body. Once sewn and flipped inside out it looked like the regular human shape and the wavy outline on the head was not there. Despite that I am still fulfilled by having tried something new and seeing what works and what doesn’t. Being in design school is partially about trial and error before going into your desired field. Overall, the process for the I Am project taught me organizational skills that I now use in my other courses, to listen to my artistic voice and enjoy creating again.

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