Threads Design Challenge VII

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From the pages of Threads magazine

Threads Design Challenge VII

Three designers, five fabrics, and a fictional event to sew for: see what Fred Bloebaum, Adrena Johnson-Telfair, and Anna Mazur came up with

by the Threads editors



	Fred Bloebaum, Anna Mazur, and Adrena Johnson-Telfair model the ensembles they created for Threads' Design Challenge VII. Photo: Carol Spier.

For the seventh year in a row, Threads has invited three designers to accept a challenge: design and sew outfits for a series of fictional events, using a limited amount of fabric (selected by us), and abiding by a set of rules that, in their rather arbitrary nature, closely mimic the challenges of sewing for "real life." After all, hasn't everyone, at some point, had to produce a drop-dead gorgeous ensemble in too short a time and with too little fabric?

Our pros remind us that even they went astray occasionally and had to troubleshoot misbehaving fabric, designs that wouldn't fit, and unfamiliar techniques. When you see the wonderful results of their efforts, we hope you'll be inspired to take on your own design challenges with just as much creativity and courage.

This challenge debuted at the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Minneapolis, in November 2002, where an interested audience was able to view the resulting pieces at close hand and ask questions of the designers. The challenge garments will be shown at the spring and fall 2003 Original Sewing & Quilt Expos; for details on dates and locations, go to www.sewingexpo.com.



	From wool to delicate cotton lawn, the challenge fabrics agree to disagree delightfully. These, along with passementerie, formed the basis of the designers' palette. The selection included a printed Liberty of London cotton, cream ribbed wool gauze, a brown tattersall linen, and a crisp white linen woven with a brown thread, as well as purple fabric for tote bags.Photo: Sloan Howard.

"Everything old is new again": the designers' challenge
"You've been invited to speak at the graduation ceremonies of a prestigious fashion design school. Your topic, Everything Old Is New Again: Historicism and Contemporary Fashion, presents you with the opportunity to discuss how current fashions repeat silhouettes and details of other eras. Of course, your lecture attire must demonstrate the point, so you've selected the years 1907-1914, the dawn of modern dress, as inspiration for your contemporary attire. After the ceremonies, you're invited by the school's president to a riverside picnic, complete with canoe rides, blankets on the ground, and time to paint the lovely view. Obviously you'll need to bring along at least a partial change of clothing in a coordinating tote bag that also transports your speaking notes, two slide carousels, painting supplies, and bug spray.



	Inspiration and record-keeping: The designers' journals chronicle the creative process, from design sources to sketches to experiments with fabric. Photo: Scott Phillips.

The fine print:

You must use some of each of the fabrics. The lecture outfit must include three of the four. You can embellish in any way or change the surface of the fabric, but no dyeing.
You'll be given $35 to spend on trims, patterns, threads, or books.
The tote bag should be no larger than 8 by 14 by 20 inches.

And the rest is history: the designers' garments
As ever, the Threads editors were astonished and very impressed by the outcome of the challenge. Each designer managed to create a signature look that captured the essence of the historical period in question, and yet was entirely wearable in the 21st century. Take a look at the silhouettes and details they devised -- we're sure you'll enjoy them just as much as we did.