Fashion Challenge 5 - Week 1: A Blank Slate

Let the games begin!

This week’s challenge will bring out your inner creativity. Each of you received a 2-yard piece of white bleached cotton muslin. With this muslin, you must create a garment that fits your style. It can be made for any season. You can use any pattern (or draft your own.) You can use the fabric in any way you would like. You can use other fabric with it too. But the muslin must be used for a majority of the garment.

Too easy, right? Let’s see!

We will be judging on a 1-10 scale (10 being the highest) using the following criteria:

Creativity – Did you use the muslin in a unique way? Does it represent you and something you would wear normally? Tell us how it represents you since we are just getting to know you.

Fit – Does the garment proportionately fit you? Not too short, not too long, not too tight? If there's something about the fit that you think we would challenge, please tell us why you chose to do what you did.

Craftsmanship - Did you put a lot of care into the construction? Top-stitching straight, seams match, careful overall construction, etc?

Presentation - While we totally understand not everyone has a professional camera and the perfect backdrop for photographing their creations, (Me included!!) you are in front of a world of other sewers. Make yourself look presentable. Submit a photo of the front, back and side view of the garment, as well as a "presentation photo" (this should be the best photo!) Detail photos are also requested so we can be better judges. If you do some embellishing or a specific technique, zoom in and share with us! Not all the photos may be used in the blog post, but for judges reference.

This week's guest judges are Penny Payne and Melissa Watson!

Penny Payne is the Fabric & Notions Editor for the McCall’s, a CSS Industries company, with primary responsibility for all Fabric/Notion/Trimming/Interfacing products as utilized by the company’s core brands – McCall’s, Butterick, Vogue Patterns and Kwik Sew, plus Vogue Patterns Magazine.

Additionally, she researches for the Trend Presentation shared with global partners - focusing on photographing inspirational Fabric, Trimming and Embellishment details plus color from Textile Shows, Designer Collections, and Museum Exhibits.

Trained from a young age in fashion/fabric/trim alongside designer Mom, and in photo composition from photographer Dad, Penny brings unique perspective to this job she loves.

Penny recharges her creativity photographing the ever-changing landscapes and beachscapes, seen while kayaking on the waters of the northern East End of Long Island, New York.

Melissa Watson - Designer of the Melissa Watson for Palmer/Pletsch patterns for McCall's, Melissa attended the Parsons School of Design and designed ready-to-wear in New York. Today she is a fit specialist, design consultant, and creative director of Palmer/Pletsch. She teaches the Palmer/Pletsch Tissue-Fitting method online (Craftsy and YouTube) and runs the blog at palmerpletsch.com.

All photos, text, etc. is due on Tuesday, September 5th. The finished projects will be revealed for reader voting Sept 6-7 and the winner will be announced on Friday, September 8th.

Attention readers! Don't forget to vote for your favorite piece! A link for voting will be provided on reveal day.

Winner of this challenge will receive 5 patterns of their choice from the McCall Pattern Company. (From any of their 4 brands. Out-of-Stock patterns not included.)

Using a 2-yard piece of muslin (white or natural is fine) create a garment. You can use any pattern and use the fabric any way you would like. Additional fabric can be used but the muslin should be used for a majority of the garment.

Post a photo of your finished project on Facebook or Instagram using #Fabricista5 by Sept 7 and one winner will be picked at random to receive 3 patterns of their choice from the McCall Pattern Company. (From any of their 4 brands. Out-of-Stock patterns not included.)

Ready? Set, Go!

Thank you to McCall Pattern Company for donating prizes for this week's challenge. Thank you to Penny Payne and Melissa Watson for taking the time to judge this week's challenge.

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