We’re willing to bet that most TIPsters can dress themselves. But some TIPsters take it a step further and make the clothes and jewelry they wear, plus other crafts! We spoke to some of those TIPsters about their work.
Tell us about yourself.
RW: I am Renee Wang, and I’m a high school senior living in Missouri.
CG: I am Claire Goodowens, a rising seventh grader from Winter Park, Florida.
IE: My name is Isabel Eldredge, I am an incoming freshman, and I live in Lafayette, Louisiana!
MM: My name is Madelyn Mansfield, and I’m a rising senior from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a small town right outside of Nashville.
AP: My name is Anisha Phade, and I am a seventh grader from Chattanooga, Tennessee.
AF: My name is Ailynn Fresina. I am going into eighth grade next year at Central Middle School in Central, Louisiana.
Tell us about the crafts you make.
RW: I design almost exclusively for myself. I made my prom dress and two of my homecoming dresses. However, I have also made dresses, skirts, pants, and tops that I can wear regularly. Bralettes are some of my favorite things to make because of the importance of detail and the fact they use up such little fabric. The bodice is so versatile, but the first article of clothing I made was a skirt that I made around five years ago. Since then, I have improved my sewing skills tremendously, and this year I took a class where I learned pattern work, which has really revolutionized my designing.
As for inspiration, I’m really drawn to structured, geometric styles and the way lines and shapes are used to define and morph the body. Inspiration can really come from anywhere, but I often look to high fashion.
CG: I am a macro photographer. I have been interested in photography my whole life, as I was given my own Polaroid camera when I was two! I discovered macro photography two years ago and I can’t get enough!
IE: I have been sewing, monogramming, and embroidering for years. I make sophisticated, ready-to-wear clothes designed for women who work! I am very inspired by Audrey Hepburn, and I try to incorporate classic aesthetics into practical, but unique pieces.
MM: I make costumes of my favorite characters from shows, video games, and movies I’m interested in or a fan of. If I like a character or their design, chances are I want to make a cosplay of them. My recent favorites have been more elaborate costumes I can use to challenge myself and improve my sewing or prop-making skills, such as large gowns or complicated props.
I’ve been making such costumes for three years now and recently won my first contest at MTAC 2018 for best group, with three costumes that took a few hundred hours to complete. My inspiration comes from others in the cosplay community and what they’ve done to really bring a costume over the top, or truly beautiful character designs that make me want to bring a garment from the screen to reality.
AP: Two years ago, I started my own business when I visited the Mad, Bad, & Dangerous Marketplace, an event designed to inspire girls to become entrepreneurs. I saw some of my friends grow their ideas into businesses and wondered how I could do the same. My aunt had just introduced me to a craft called quilling, which involves gluing rolled, bent, curled, and twisted strips of paper to create decorative designs, so I decided to sell my art. When I learned about the Erlanger Hospital’s Believe Campaign from my dad, I decided to name my company Quill for Kids and donate the money to help sick kids.
AF: The jewelry I make includes leather and beaded bracelets, wire rings, and glass beaded necklaces. I make earrings as well. I have been making jewelry for just over three years, and have discovered that wire rings and bracelets are my favorite pieces to make. I also hand-make many of my charms for necklaces and bracelets.
The clothes I design are always brightly colored, and express my personal style. Once, I made a peplem top out of a dress that was too short for me to wear anymore. I have been designing clothes ever since I learned how to sew three years ago in my fifth-grade gifted class. I am currently designing a romper with a blue lace top, and chiffon bottoms.
Why did you start with your craft?
RW: I’ve always loved fashion and art. I drew a lot of my own designs that I wanted to make real and wear, but no one was going to make it for me, so I did it myself. I started out making skirts—really simple ones with just a rectangle of scrap fabric from Walmart and elastic.
The feeling of pride and accomplishment that comes from making a wearable creation is very rewarding. My desire to make an idea into reality is great, and I have the skill and means to do so, so why not?
CG: I am a homeschooler so I am allowed to pursue my passions. I took a sewing class with a friend at JoAnn’s Fabrics, and we made pillow cases. I loved it and kept signing up for classes and eventually found a sewing mentor.
As for photography, I don’t remember not having a camera. I just love to take pictures and enjoy looking at the cute bugs on the big screen.
IE: My goal in making clothing is to make people feel good about themselves. I believe that clothing shapes your daily attitude, and I want women to feel empowered and confident. I do not believe that clothes define women, but if a women feels more confident in my clothes, I have succeeded.
MM: I started cosplaying because a girl at my school was a cosplayer, and I followed her on Instagram. We liked a lot of the same shows, books, and webcomics, and I just thought her costumes were really cool and decided I would become a cosplayer, too.
I keep making costumes and wearing them because of the process of making them can be tiring, but very fun; the satisfaction of a finished piece, which is one of the best feelings in the world; and the people I meet through cosplay, who are some of the most original people I’ve met.
AP: My aunt introduced me to quilling when she gave me a quilling set for my birthday. I really liked quilling because it isn’t common type of art and is also 3-D art, unlike painting or drawing. I also loved how you could customize any design by using various colors, paper thicknesses, and circle sizes.
During my first year of quilling, I made a large variety of quilling canvases. I thought about making jewelry, but it seemed like it would be too hard to make. After a year of quilling, I grew more confident in what I could do, and I realized that the only way I would get better was by challenging myself. I finally decided to take the challenge of making quilling jewelry.
AF: I started making jewelry and sewing around the same time in my life. I love being able to take a piece of fabric and a needle and thread, and turn it into my everyday fashion. Beads can be beautiful by themselves, but I like stringing them together on wire and adding toggle clasps to form an even more beautiful bracelet.
I suppose you could say that I am driven by confidence in myself. I say this because I like to express myself and inspire others to do so as well.
How do your crafts help you express yourself?
RW: We are surrounded by mass produced fast fashion that’s cheap (and I don’t mean inexpensive), bland, and fit for someone who already looks good. Society tailors a marketed aesthetic for how a certain group of people should conform. This is especially emphasized in women’s fashion.
If I don’t have a specific body figure, the fashion industry can be very unforgiving. And even if I do, I don’t have to buy into the way I am supposed to show off or cover up my body. The customization of my clothes somewhat detaches me from these influences and allows me to do as I want; it’s a source of freedom and independence as much as it is an art form and creative process.
CG: I like to sew useful items like bags or other things that I can then use. It’s fun to walk around and know that I’m using something that I made. People are always asking where I got my bags or whatever and they’re always surprised to hear I made them.
My photography expresses my love of patterns and my love of bugs. I try really hard to make my subjects look interesting or compelling so people can change their minds about how cool insects can be.
IE: Clothes are an outlet to self expression. I can create items that utterly translate my thoughts and feelings, and that is powerful. Whether it is a printed shirt with an empowering quote, or simple, meaningful prints, I am able to voice my opinion without opening my mouth.
MM: Cosplaying helps me express myself in multiple ways. Primarily, the creative process allows you to make any given cosplay your own. Not every cosplay of the same character will be the same- you can change elements, add elements, or do things in a different way and end up with a completely different result than another cosplayer of the same character.
Secondly, cosplay is an artistic medium based upon being whoever you want to be. Often times I choose characters because I relate to them—maybe we play the same instrument, or we’re the same height, or we have gone through similar experiences.
And finally, for many people, there’s an acting aspect to cosplaying. Being in character with other cosplayers has a similar self-expression aspect to theater, but without the fear and stress that comes from being on stage.
AP: I am an organized, math-oriented person. I like art, but I usually have a hard time with it. With quilling, I could use my organization and math skills to sort out all my paper and put all the little circles together like a big puzzle. Because there aren’t instructions for each design, I have the freedom and challenge to create anything that I can imagine.
AF: Since I design clothes and jewelry that express my personality, I wear them every chance I get so that I can show other people who I am through my choice of fashion.
What advice do you have for other TIPsters who want to make their own clothes?
RW: Learn the basics first. You can’t start with the expectation of fully constructing a garment if you don’t know how to sew well. I recommend finding simple patterns online and learning from instructional videos for basic techniques. Once you have a foundation, there is much more room for creativity and experimentation.
CG: START! TRY! Just go for it. The best way to learn is by trying it yourself. It’s super fun!
IE: I advise all TIPsters to try any form of sewing. Yes, creating pieces can sometimes be tedious, but it is also a great opportunity to have time away from technology, because sewing is such an old school hobby. Not many people get to say they can create clothes. Start small (my first creation was a pillow) and go from there.
Sewing is so broad—you can create anything from a Halloween costume for your dog or an evening dress made out of water bottles. So though it might not seem to be your cup of tea, it might surprise you! There is nothing more exhilarating than getting to say that your things are original.
MM: My advice for other TIPsters who want to get into costume making or something similar is to not be scared of messing up and to just go for it. I know it’s hard not to feel like you always have to be the best, but this hobby is much more fun if you let go of that fear! We all remember what it was like to be starting out and scared of all the people around us who have bigger, “cooler” costumes. Improvement comes with time, but you can never improve if you don’t start!
AP: I recommend that everybody starts their own business. There is so much to learn in doing that. I learned how to make designs that people would like, create displays, attract people to my booth, and even a little about public speaking. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I had to learn to modify my business to get more customers!
AF: To the other TIPsters who want to design fashion or make jewelry, do it! If you truly want to express yourself through your own unique style, then go for it! Have fun with your style, and most importantly, just be you!
David Baker says
IE is mature and talented beyond her years.