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Tag: swatch kit

2010.01.31 23:41:22
I spent the first weekend of the semester sewing, studying, and doing homework.  I hope I can keep up these good work habits for the next four years.

I mounted the 125 swatches in the kit for my textiles lab.  Hopefully they are still in the correct order.  If by the end of the semester I can identify all 125 swatches I will consider my tuition money to have been very well spent. 
As I was mounting my swatches I was thrilled every time I found one I recognized:  muslin, corduroy, denim, and duck.  Of those muslin is the one I know the most about, and even for muslin I cannot yet fill out all the lines in the book.  As I learn more about textiles I will start making smarter choices at the fabric store.

Last semester I learned how important experience is while trying to sew.  Tomorrow my apparel construction class will make tote bags, so yesterday I made one at home.
I already had a copy of the pattern we will use, so the bag I made at home is quite similar to the one I will make in class.  I had to guess about the exact way to attach the pocket and handles.  My methods may not be the ones I will use in class, but any sewing practice is good.  I will use a serger for the seam finishes in class.  I do not yet have my own serger, so I had to find another way to finish the seams.  I used denim, so I decided flat-felled seams would be most appropriate.

I am quite fond of flat-felled seams, but they were by far the most difficult part of the project.  I do not know if I will be using them for any of my class projects this semester, but I plan to work on them a lot at home.  One year ago I would have laughed at the notion of having a favorite seam.  Now I look forward to learning additional types of seams, and I wonder if I will find any of them as pleasing as flat-felled seams.




2010.01.23 22:18:31
My classes begin Monday.  This is my last weekend with nothing to do.  I could spend it in a productive manner by sewing something, but I probably won’t.  I plan to take advantage of these last few days free from obligations by sitting on my sofa watching movies and eating cheesy poofs.

Yesterday I picked up supplies for the semester:  notebooks, folders, textbooks, and a new computer.  Students at my school do not need to purchase their textbooks; the school has a textbook rental program.  A $5.22 fee is added to the cost of each credit to cover the cost of books.  Students pick up the books required for their classes at the start of the semester, and return them after the semester is over.  Books a student wishes to keep can be purchased at reduced prices.  I far prefer renting books to purchasing them.  In the past I would spend a few hundred dollars each semester on books.  The only thing I needed to buy this semester was the fabric swatch kit for my textiles class.

In addition to the textbook rental fee, a laptop rental fee is also added to tuition.  Students get a new computer every two years.  I already had a computer, so I am not sure what I will do with my new one.  The fee is not optional, so now I have two computers.  My music, photos, and other documents are on my old computer.  The new computer has some good graphics programs that I will probably need in future semesters, but for now I plan to continue using my old one.

Click here for more information about UW-Stout’s textbook rental system or here for information about laptop rental.

Read more to see what books I got





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