MY CREATIVE PROCESS
Inspiration
I took my inspiration first from the amazing designers showing their sustainably sourced fashion pieces at the event in 2019. Then from all of the research I did since then that taught me just how harmful the fashion industry is, even more so than the transport industry (Howell). Creatively I used past knowledge and tutorials mostly from TikTok, Pinterest, and Youtube to give me inspiration for my project.
Attention Management
Working on such a large-scale project throughout the semester while keeping up with other classes required a lot of attention management. Luckily, the staff at Arts Scholars helped to teach us some time-management strategies that pushed me through. I learned to write out a plan for when you will complete each task, that way you can try to follow that to stay on track. Conversely, I also learned that if everything doesn't go exactly as planned, there is no need to freak out, these things happen when going through the creative process.
TECHNIQUES
SCRUNCH STITCH
This is a very easy sewing technique, where you very loosely sew a couple stitches in a line on the inside of a shirt, right at the top in the middle. You then pull the thread at the end so that it scrunches up and adds a really cute detail to any ordinary shirt.
GLUE HEMMING
This is an easy no-sew way to hem your clothes. I used this on a tank top of mine that I don't wear very often because it's too long. I ordered some fabric glue off of amazon, and simply cut the bottom of the shirt, folded it up on thee inside, and glued and ironed it. this makes for a seamless no-sew hem that you can repeat on other clothes with the same glue.
BLEACH DYE
This technique is one that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I took bleach and used a little star-shaped stamp I had at home to stamp the bleach onto an old Maryland tshirt. I also made a cut-out in the front to make it more fun and different. I thought this one was fun because it can be used to make Maryland clothes for game-days, which would appeal to my college-aged audience.
TUBE TOP
This is one of the techniques from my project that does require sewing, however, it is not at all difficult to do. I used my sewing machine because it was the most efficient for me, but you could hand-sew as well. I took the bottom of a shirt that I had gotten at the thrift store previously cropped, and I turned it into a little tube top just by cutting the excess fabric and sewing it together. This is a good way to make two shirts out of one. It also serves as a reminder to save your excess fabric from when you crop your clothes or alter them in any way.
Sparking Creativity
Personally, I found a direct correllation between working out and feeling creative. I noticed that on the days that I got up in the morning and worked out, I would get a surge of energy and creativity later in the day. It was a great way for me to stay motivated for both things.
MY RESEARCH PROCESS
THE BEGINNING
My research began long ago when I learned about the topic. I began adding to my research by focusing on combing through old and new sources for facts that could back up my project.