Capstone Reflection

Through communication, I was able to find out what topics I would cover in the Capstone Project. I talked with close friends and family members about my ideas for the topics of the Capstone Project. Without this communication, it would have been much more difficult to complete this project. At the time we were writing the research essay, I had to do a bit of critical thinking to find the resources I needed. There wasn't a lot of good resources in the internet so I went to the library and found some usable resources. Sometimes some explanations (in the book resources) weren't clear so I had to use both the internet and the book source to make the information clear.

I was able to utilize my creativity to help me complete my Capstone Project successfully. During the physical part of the project, I was able to make some clothing pieces by using my own creative ability. My mentor was a big help for my physical project because she taught me the basics of sewing. With the knowledge she gave me, I am now able to make some clothing pieces that I come up with on my own. My mentor also help me in parts of the pieces that I made. Without my collaboration and communication with my mentor I wouldn't have the sewing skills that I have today.

I encountered quite a bit of challenges during physical project. I remember practicing for a couple of hours and still couldn't control the sewing machine. When I made the apron, I remember making a bunch of crooked stitches and having to start over. The frustration of starting over and over again was a big obstacle for me. I managed to overcome this frustration by being patient. Patience didn't come naturally to me at first but as more time went by, the less impatience and frustation I got. I also remember when my sewing machine wasn't cooperating with me. This also got me very frustrated and stressed. I managed to overcome this obstacle by taking breaks between a couple of hours working.

I gained many benefits from this Capstone experience. Now I have skills to make my own clothing. Learning how to sew might also be helpful in the future when I need to adjust some clothing. Although  I found this experience quite enjoyable, I learned that being a seamstress is not the career for me. Sewing is very enjoyable to me but I can't see myself doing this as a full-time career. I learned that sewing could only just be a hobby for me and nothing more. If it became more than a hobby, I know I would become quite bored and sick of sewing. I could sew for hours but not on an every-day basis.

Capstone Project: Adding a Waistband in Shorts

Yesterday I met with my mentor at her house. She reviewed with me on how to use the machine and use different techniques. After we reviewed the basics, she looked at both the shorts that I made. I explained to her how I made them and some techniques that I used. She told me they were very nice and we decided to finish the first shorts that I made. All I had to do is add in the waistband and do some finishing touches. Sylvia let me use one of her elastics to use as a waistband for my shorts. She reminded me that, to add a waistband, you have to finish the edges first, and I can do this with a by doing a zig-zag stitch. I was able to use her serger to finish up the edges instead of using the zig-zag stitch; it was  more easier for me to do this. After finishing the edges, I folded the shorts on the elastic and start to sew them together. Sylvia taught this technique to me and it was much easier than the one I did with my second pair of shorts I made. After I put in the waistband, we did some securing. I restitched the bottom part so it would be more secure. She helped me with the parts that I hand-sew because, before, I kind of randomly hand-sewed the places where I couldn't use the machine. She told me how to hand-sew with the material that I was using. She taught me where to insert the needle so the edges won't fall apart or fray. The material I was using was hard to hand-sew because of how stretchy the material was.
After, Sylvia told how to secure the ends by  putting a knot where the two threads hung and cutting the access thread later. I knotted and cut the access thread that hanged from the sided of where I sewed. Sylvia said that when I get home or when I have free time, I should restitch all the places where I sewed to further secure the shorts. This would stop them from breaking easily.

Hours finished today: 2 hours
Total hours completed: 25 hours

Capstone Project: Making my Second Pair of Shorts

Yesterday I worked on a different pair of shorts another sweater. The last pair I made were shorter than what I wanted it to be so I tried to cut the sweater so the shorts would be higher up the waist. I took quite I while to cut the sweater because I wanted it to be the right size. I measured the sides where I have to cut and I made it a bit wider than what my pattern I made before. I did this to make sure I had some seam allowance. Instead of using the pattern to trace where to cut, I used it as a guideline. I wanted the shorts to fit better so I looked at the other shorts and see where it could be more loose or more tight. I took the pattern and cut farther away from it where I needed the shorts to be loose. I kind of just eye-balled where to cut. After I got the material cut to the pieces I need, I went on the sewing machine and set it up. I practiced a bit on a piece of the sweater to see how the material acts when I sew on it. I did this so I'll what setting is best to use on this material. After I practiced a bit I started putting together the shorts. I had a hard time when sewing the bottom of the shorts together because there was a part in the material where it was very thick. The presser foot in the sewing machine made the material unable to go through. I decided to skip the thick part of the material and hand-sew it later.
While using the machine, I had a lot of trouble. I had to change the thread a couple of times because they ran out and I had to refill the bobbins. The sewing machine ofter got jammed and I had to take it apart to fix it. It did this a couple of times. I kind of got frustrated when the machine wasn't cooperating with me. Sometimes the bottom thread would go up where the other thread is. I didn't know why that happened but I managed to fix it after a little while.
After sewing the shorts together, it was time to put in the waist band. I analyzed other pairs of shorts I had and see how the waistband was attached. It looked like some shorts were folded so a waistband is able to go through a small opening. Before actually attaching the waistband, I knew I had to finish off the raw edges so they won't fray. I remember my mentor telling me I can finish the edges by using a serger or if I didn't have one, a zig-zag stitch (during our first meeting). I practiced finishing the edges with the zig-zag stitch using the sweater material before actually doing this to the shorts. I finished the edges of the shorts but they started to curl on itself. I thought it would be fine as long as i fold it and sew it in place. The elastic I was using was one inch thick so i folded the sorts to leave room for a one inch thick waistband.  I folded and sewed the shorts and I left about an inch and a half open so the elastic can go through. For the elastic to go through the tube of the shorts, I pinned a safety pin on the edge of the elastic and and wiggled the pin across the narrow opening of the tube. The elastic made it around the shorts and I closed the one and a half inch opening. The shorts were finally finished.

Hours completed today: 5 hours
Total hours completed: 23 hours

Capstone Project: Making Shorts

Today I went to Goodwill to get some materials for my project. I wanted the material that resembles a sweater and I thought it would be better to get material here instead of Joann's fabric. Goodwill has nice sweaters for an inexpensive amount. It only took me 30 minutes for me to find two nice, comfy sweaters. One was a beige color and the other was a navy color. I got over-sized sweater since they have more material on them.
When I got home, I worked on my shorts using the sweaters as the material and the patterns as guidelines. I folded the beige sweater so the inseams would be in the center and I put the patterns in the bottom middle where the ends of the pattern or facing outwards from the sweater. I cut the sweater so it traced over the patterns. After the fabric was cut out, I filled a new bobbin with black thread and set up my sewing machine. I sewed the sides, with right sides facing inward and I folded it so the inseams that was already in the sweater were at the sides of the soon-to-be shorts. The next part was the hardest for me because the bottom of the shorts has to match in length but the lengths were slightly off. I stitched the bottom so there would be two holes for your legs. I messed up a bit and there was a little hole on the   bottom of the shorts. I tried to hand stitch the bottom and the hole become drastically smaller but if you see closely you would still see it. I tried on the incomplete short and I realized that I made a big mistake: I forgot seam allowance when I cut the pattern! I had to add an extra centimeter around the pattern to make up for the seams, but I forgot to. The shorts became shorter than I wanted but it still fits. I decided, since I made a mistake and there was a hole in the middle-bottom of the shorts, that I won't finish this pair of shorts. I will use the other sweater that I bought to try to make a pair of shorts again. These shorts were only a practice session, I will perfect it next time!
P.S. I found out how to make shorts by researching online.

Hours done today: 2 hours
Total hours completed: 18 hours

Capstone Project: Practicing and Making a Pattern

Yesterday I was practicing some techniques of sewing. My mentor told me before that I need to practice sewing straight because when I made the apron, some stitches were crooked. I filled a bobbin with some thread and started stitching with some scrap fabric. I also practiced finishing the sides of the fabric and using the reverse stitch to make the ends of the stitch more strong. I practiced for an hour or so.
After practicing some sewing techniques, I tried to make a sewing pattern. I really wanted to make a a pair of shorts so I looked online on how to make a shorts pattern. It was kind of simple, I just took a pair of short that fitted well on me and I used it as a guideline. I folded the inseams in the middle and the bottom of the shorts in both the front and the back of the shorts. I traced around the folded shorts and make the pattern for the back and front of the shorts. It took some erasing but I finally made it so both the patterns would line up with each other. I cut the paper where I traced and now the patterns were finally finished.
Hours done this day: 3 hours
Hours completed: 16 hours.

Capstone Project: Getting Materials

On March 14, I went to Joann's Fabric to buy some materials that I need for my Capstone project. I knew, before I went there, that I needed material (fabric) to make items that I want to make. I want to make a pair of shorts, not those denim kinds but comfy, pajama shorts. I spent a long time just feeling all the types of fabric. I finally decided to get a white, fleece material and I got 2 yards of it since it was on sale. It was nice because the workers there cut the fabric for me. After I found some fabric to use, I wandered around the store and got some essential materials for sewing. I got a pair of fabirc scissors a pack of sewing essentials.
I completed 2 hours on March 14.
Total hours: 13

Capstone Project with Mentor: Making an Apron

On March 9th, I met with my mentor, Sylvia, in her house since she usually makes her clothing there. I brought my sewing machine there and we first did a review on everything I learned 2 weeks ago. I had to set up my machine and fill a bobbin by myself. After that I talked about my plan for my project and how I wanted to make my an apron and also make my own pattern to make my own pair of shorts. She told me it would be hard to make your own pattern but it is still possible.
Once we knew what we were going to do, she told me I could use her apron pattern for my project. I picked my favorite apron pattern and we started working. I cut the pattern and aligned the pattern with the fabric. Then I pinned it in place and I cut the fabric along the pattern. It was very difficult for me to cut the fabric because I used a small pair of scissors and I used a thick material for the apron. She guided me through the work and helped me when I found an difficulty with anything. She suggested that I can add small detailing to my apron because the material was plain white. She went through her things and showed me many different materials I could use and how they are used. She showed me some materials used to finish edges so they don't fray. I used these to finish the pockets and I picked a nice stretchy ribbon I could use at the pockets and the bib of the apron. It added a nice color to it.
Her pattern had instructions to how to make the apron so I followed that very closely. I first sewed the ribbon design on and then attached the pockets to the skirt. It took a very long time to do this because I didn't sew it straight. I had to rip out my stitching sometimes to fix my mistakes. I then made the ribbons that ties in the back and she taught me some new techniques. I attached the ribbons to the waistband and the waistband with the bib. After, I sew the ribbons that tie for the neck to the bib. I found it very hard to sew the waistband to the bib because I had to ruffle the skirt for it to fit the waistband.
She also let me use one of her machines because it finishes the edges of the material. I found it easy to maneuver.
I spent almost the whole day at her house, sewing. She does live far from South San Francisco so I wanted to do a lot of work there. I was there since 9:00 am to 6:00 pm with an hour break. I did get a lot done that day and I finished the apron at that time. Sylvia said I did very well as a beginner.

I did 8 hours on March 9th.
Total hours: 11