In one of the lists I belong to somone had asked about design education (specifically, what was each person on the lists’ own formal education in design.)
In the course of my answer I pointed them to the book I’d learned flat patterning from – Pattern Making by the Flat Pattern Method (8th Edition) by Norma R. Hollen, Carolyn J. Kundel I think when I took pattern drafting in undergraduate as part of my costume shop tenure, we used the 2nd edition of this book, so I can only imagine how it’s changed – hopefully improved!
And imagine how stunned I was to see the $112 price tag… Gaaak! I knew textbooks had increased in price, but I hadn’t realized just how much! There are used copies to be had for $50 (a pittance) and, if memory serves, I believe I paid $20 for my copy which is long gone. Very sad.
Another book which was life changing for me was From the Neck Up: An Illustrated Guide to Hatmaking (Paperback) by Denise Dreher This was the book we used in the millinery course I took in grad school. Taught by a fellow student (hi Carla!) it was one of the best classes I’ve ever taken, and it still resonates with me.
I adore hats, I love clothing, and I get very excited when I see how different shapes are put together. Oddly, when in Jr. High we had to take one of those, “What will you be when you grow up” skills assessment tests. I don’t remember exactly what I was told I should do, but I was definitely told that I was NOT mechanically minded, could not figure out how things went together, and should avoid careers which involved building. BTW, did you know that in a costume shop the term used for physically creating the costumes is called building? We talk about building a show – meaning, constructing the costumes and costume pieces for a production. Yet another reason why I don’t like skills assessment tests. Or tests in general. Life is enough of a test for me!
It’s rainy today – chilly, cold – I love this weather. I know, I’m odd, but I love a nice, grey day with a cup of tea and some knitting. Hey – guess what – that’s what I have in front of me!! Oh – Design Education – I have a BA from Denison U (dear old Denidoo) where I worked in the Costume Shop as my work study (the highest paid work study on campus) and my graduate degree is from Rutgers in Costume & Set Design. Or, as I call it, my $20,000 degree in folding.
MN
Speaking of chilly, I’ll be heading out to Minnesota in April – it’s definite! Finally cracking the midwest – first Wisconsin, now MN! It’s so funny, in some areas I’ll write to all of the yarn shops asking if they’d be interested in me teaching a class. Usually the response is pretty nice, but in some cases the silence is deafening. That’s how it was when I recently contacted yarn shops in the Chicago area – it was as if my postcards and emails had been sucked into a black hole.
So I was very gratified when, upon accepting The Minnesota Knitters Guild’s invitation to teach at their Yarnover event in April and contacting several yarn shops in the area (hi Tipper!) I heard back from almost all of them within a day or two that they’d be interested in having me teach. Life is good.
This Weekend
I’ll be at Crazy for Ewe in Leonardtown, MD, then back over to the wonderful Woolwinders in Rockville (their new computer is fantastic, so they say…) and I’ll round out my weekend by making up my classes that I had to cancel due to illness several weeks ago at Knit Happens in Alexandria, VA.
More driving in the Autumn – Mmmmmm!