Do you watch Project Runway? I’m sure a lot of you reading this have seen at least a few episodes, if not every season. Have you noticed with some of the designers that they excel with the challenges, but when it comes time to design their collection it’s a disaster? I’ve noted this pattern frequently. It’s like their creative brain works better when they are constrained by the parameters of the challenge. And conversely, when they are given a big budget for fabric and the freedom to design whatever they want, it’s just a big mess. Maybe it’s because when the sky’s the limit, the choices are too overwhelming.
I know there’s truth to this because I’ve experienced it myself. In art school, I was one of those nerds who loved to get challenging assignments. The more restrictive the better. One of my favorite assignments in photography class came when I was asked to make landscape-like images without leaving my home. What does that even mean? I wasn’t sure but it sure did get the creative juices flowing when I was trying to crack the case.
It was kind of a shock to the system after graduation when I could make whatever I wanted. I found that I made the same mistakes that I see Project Runway designers making. I’d get stuck and not be able to do anything. Or I would take every idea I ever had and throw it all together like it was going to be the last thing I ever made. I discovered that the only way I could get myself out of this rut was to give myself limits.
This top is a product of a design challenge that I gave myself. I bought the black crochet bib on a whim after browsing on Etsy. I thought it was so pretty. But when it arrived, I realized that I truly had absolutely no idea what I would do with the thing. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, came to mind. Okay. Now I have to figure this out. My challenge, should I choose to accept it, was to make a garment using the crochet bib and additionally using only fabric and trim that I already owned.
I tried it with Liberty Lawn and I tried it with crepe de chine and just could not get excited about anything. I was so ready to break my own rule and request some samples from B&J. It was only when I was cleaning up my sewing space that I casually tossed the bib on top of some lace that I picked up in Dublin. That’s when my other favorite kind of creative breakthrough happened. The happy accident! Without the self imposed limit and acceptance of the challenge, the serendipity couldn’t have happened.
It’s almost become automatic for me now to create some kind of structure to work within. I find it helps me come up with things that I never could have pulled out of thin air. Try it for yourself and see.
Pattern, designed and drafted by me
Fabric, Limerick Lace, Cloth Dublin
Crochet Bib, Etsy
Ribbon Trim, Mokuba
Photography by Santiago Vanegas
Ooooh, you’ve conjured that rare beast – a one of a kind designer original! I love the sporty stripes, they’re great. Awesome job.