Advanced Production Practicum (Costumes)
Spring 2022, Spring 2023. Costume Technology - Students will gain production experience as a student leader and technician in the costume shop by working on assignments related to the College of Arts & Architecture productions or related projects. Students will be assigned as a project lead on one major project or assigned to oversee an area of projects (i.e. crafts lead). Based on the deliverable date of that project, they will also support the other productions’ costume needs. Final assessment: written or oral reflection on their experience as project lead, including their experience working with the costume designer and leading other students in construction.
Fall 2021. Costume Design, Gather: Collection of New Works - Students in this course section created, executed, and completed the costume design for one or two one-act plays that together made up the presentation titled Gather. Costume design requires reasoning, creativity, and technical skill. Students built on what they learned in Costume Design I, Costume Design II, Intro to Costume Technology, and/or Costume Practicum. Final assessment: written or oral reflection on the design and execution of their design.
Advanced Design, Technology, and Management
Spring 2019. Focus: Costume Design Assistant, Blues for an Alabama Sky
Hands-on experience as a costume design assistant. Attended and participated in design meetings, assisted in paperwork creation, pulled costumes, assisted in fittings, participated in technical rehearsals. Final assessment: a mock interview, including full application and portfolio review with College of Arts and Architecture faculty members.
The set design called for costume renderings created by one of the characters, Guy, as set dressing. Student created these renderings based on research conducted during the show design phase and character analysis of Guy.
Directed Independent Study
Fall 2022. Focus: Tailoring
Course covered traditional tailoring, utilizing specialty materials and focusing on techniques used in traditional tailoring. This course built on the flat pattern drafting and inclusive patterning courses (detailed below). Student decided on style of tailoring and chose the Dior bar jacket which led to the addition of assignment of historical patterning research. Worked with a fit model. Final assessment: Final fitting with fit model to show final garment and detail changes that made through pattern iterations.
Spring 2022. Focus: Inclusive Pattern Drafting
Course covered body inclusive garment flat patterning, pattern alteration, and pattern grading. Flat pattern making is the application of a 2-dimensional patterning process for the 3-dimensional human body. Pattern development requires reasoning, creativity, and precision technical skill. Skills in pattern making are achieved through practice and knowledge of basic pattern manipulation. Worked with a contracted plus-size fit model: one consultation, two mockup fittings, and one final garment fitting. Final class: Inclusive Patterns Panel. Panel of pattern creators (educational, professional, and commercial) to discuss the changes, wins, and challenges of advocating for and modeling inclusive sizing for professional and home creators. Panelists: Jenny Rushmore of Cashmerette and Rachel Walker of Lansdown Patterns. Final assessment: a garment designed, drafted, and constructed by the student using techniques learned in class.
Spring 2021. Focus: Flat Pattern Drafting
Course covered garment flat patterning from head to toe. Flat pattern making is the application of a 2-dimensional patterning process for the 3-dimensional human body. Pattern development requires reasoning, creativity, and precision technical skill. Skills in pattern making are achieved through practice and knowledge of basic pattern manipulation. Final assessment: Day as a Tailor. Student guided a team of two (a first hand and a stitcher) through work on the final garment patterns they had created using skills learned during the course. The student was assessed on several metrics, including personal and team time management and clarity of instructions given and written. Rubric was provided two weeks prior to the final exam.
Fall 2018. Focus: Pattern Creation – flat patterning & draping
Course covered costume construction using a materials-based approach. Through the application of analytical and problem-solving skills, student analyzed possible technical solutions to production-related tasks and performed advanced practices in pattern development and basic tailoring. Worked with a fit model for two mockup fittings and one final fitting. Final assessment: a garment designed, drafted, and constructed by the student using techniques learned in class. This student was selected to compete in Project Runway Middle East in Summer 2019.