Hat Project: The Renaissance Hat project is your first sewing lesson. For this project you will need a yard or more of hat fabric (velveteen, canvas, denim, velvet, brocade or another trouser-weight fabric), and one half yard of a heaving interfacing. You will also need a piece of heavy weight paper like poster board, and whatever trims you decide on.
Skirt/Trouser Project: Your Skirt/Trouser Project is the second sewing project you will do. (I suggest you begin to hunt for suitable fabric as soon as possible.) You will be drafting out a simple skirt/trouser sloper which you will then redesign/re-work, adding godets, ruffles, trim, pleats, pockets, zippers or whatever your creativity dictates.
Final Project: Your Final Project will be a complete costume designed and made by you from a finished rendering. It will be made from scratch and can be for any type of character you've always wanted to "be", or can be made for a show you are doing, a friend, a child, etc. Previous students have done some wild stuff. I highly recommend starting with a commercial pattern.
| LEC # | TOPICS | ASSIGNMENTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Day of Class. Who am I and Who are you? Introductions Discuss Supplies List Discuss Play Project #1 - Single Rendering from On the Harm of Tobacco by Anton Chekhov Discuss Hat Project Remedial Figure Drawing - Paper Dolls and Stencils Handouts - Paper Doll and Stencil Renderings; Costume Measurements | Write an introduction about yourself to the group and post it to the class list. Include answers to the following questions: (1) What color would you be? (2) If you were an animated Disney character, who would you be? Theatrical costume design is primarily (although not exclusively) concerned with supporting the actor in his/her interpretation of character. Read the monologue play On the Harm of Tobacco by Anton Chekhov (1886). (Download a version of this text online.) Ask yourself the following actor-type questions about the man who makes this speech: (1) If this man were a car, what kind of car would he be? Expand, i.e., old, dented, color, interiors, etc. (2) If this man was an animal, which would he be? (3) What do you think he has in his pockets? (4) If he were a women in the present time (!) how would she dress? (5) If he could choose to kill himself or kill his wife, which would he do? (6) What present day store does he shop in for clothes? Write up your answers and post to the class list. Then do a rendering of your ideas to bring to class on Lecture 3. |
| 2 | Lecture - Elements of Design and Psychology of Clothes | Bring pads and pencils to next class. Start gathering hat materials. |
| 3 | Sewing Tutorial - Show all Machines Drawing Lab - Play with Art Material | Gather all materials for Hat Project. Do sketch of hat. |
| 4 | Learning to use Machines, Shop Language, Patterns | |
| 5 | Watch Mel Gibson Hamlet Movie Talk About "Concept" | Read Heiner Müller's Hamlet Machine (1979) and work on concept and/or sketches for characters. Bring magazine pictures, Xeroxes or any other inspirational material to class next time. (Download a version of this text online.) |
| 6 | Guest Lecturer on Developing Concept | Mask rendering in color for one Hamlet Machine character due on Lecture 7. Three complete color costume renderings due two days after Lecture 8. |
| 7 | Discuss Concept Ideas Mask Lab | |
| 8 | Mask Lab (cont.) | |
| 9 | Begin Discussion of Final Project Discuss Skirt/Trouser Project - Drafting, Manipulating Patterns, Fittings | Do skirt/trouser rendering and swatch. |
| 10 | Begin Drafting Skirt/Trouser Sloper | Acquire skirt/trouser fabric. |
| 11 | Skirt/Trouser Lab - Prof. Held Does Fittings on Students | |
| 12 | Fabric Character Analysis Exercise Skirt/Trouser Lab - Once Skirt/Trousers Fit, How Do You Manipulate it to Make it the Right Design? | Read Augustus Does His Bit by George Bernard Shaw. (Download a version of this text from Project Gutenberg.) |
| 13 | Lecture - Research Show and Tell About Your Final Projects, and Get Input on How to Make Them Happen | Research 1917. Bring research Xeroxes for Augustus to the next class. |
| 14 | Look at Augustus Research Discussion of Historical vs. Theatrical Demands, i.e., Differences Between Historical vs. Current Concepts of "Beauty," and How to be True to a Historical Period, But Also Make the Design Work Impossible Clothing, and the Joys of Garbage - Finding Inspiration in Places Besides a Fabric Store Open Shop to Finish Hat and Skirt/Trouser Projects | Read Tara Maginnis's Kiosk Man (1994). (Read this script online.) Doodle ideas for the "impossible" kiosk costumes contained therein. Color renderings for Augustus due on Lecture 17. Bring in materials acquired for Final Project. |
| 15 | Discuss Garbage Project - Exploring Materials Creatively, Make a Piece of Clothing Out of Found Objects | Do 4 color drawings for Kiosk Man. |
| 16 | Open Shop for Final Projects | |
| 17 | Newspaper Day Improvisational, Creative, Problem-solving Make a Piece of Clothing Using a Pile of Newspaper, Scotch Tape and Scissors, in 20 Minutes | |
| 18 | Discuss Thrift Store Project - Budgeting Smash and Crash Open Shop | Spending only $15 on thrift store materials, create a costume that resembles the "Mid-15th Century Female". Materials due. |
| 19 | Thrift Store Lab | |
| 20 | Discuss garbage project | |
| 21 | Open Shop (cont.) | |
| 22 | Open Shop (cont.) | |
| 23 | Open Shop (cont.) | |
| 24 | Final Project Presentation |