Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week? Season 11, Episode 11

With just one episode left until the Fashion Week show, the end is nigh for Project Runway Season 11. That means these are the days in which even the most talented designers can be eliminated. (Or can they? We won't find out until next week! Ack!).

This week's challenge finally gave the designers the freedom to create their own work, free from meddling teammates with poor taste and even worse sewing skills. (Well, not for Patricia, but we will get to her later.)

The remaining five contestants were tasked with creating an "editorial" look for Marie Claire magazine, to be worn in a fashion spread starring actress Jordana Brewster — someone I have never heard of (nor did I know there are now SIX movies in the "Fast and the Furious" franchise. Barf!)  Judge Nina Garcia, who of course is fashion director at Marie Claire, gave them their marching orders, instructing the designers very specifically: no red carpet looks, no gowns, and no T-shirts and pants. To be considered "editorial," a look has to be bold in color, in shape/ silhouette, and be forward-thinking, she added. Did I mention they were told not to create a T-shirt and pants? Sigh. Oh, Michelle. 

Anyone who's seen more than one season of Project Runway knows the eliminated designers are going to come back at some point and play assistant to the remaining contestants. And it was clear from the outset that the drama in this week's episode would come at Patricia's expense; because no one wanted to be paired with Richard, she found herself stuck with him thanks to the dreaded "button bag." Awkward! 

But there was one other pairing that was surprisingly combative, and that brings me to...

Lesson 1: It pays to be an asshole.

Stanley had his pick of the lot, and he chose Tu, saying he was the best sewer in the bunch. But I think he chose Tu because he saw how effectively Kate bossed him around when they were paired up for the prom challenge.

Poor Tu. He was pretty unhappy working in Stanley’s sweatshop. But he took all the abuse, and kept sewing his heart out without complaint. In the end, Stanley won this challenge, and the judges even lauded his management skills (much to the amusement of the other designers, which was apparent from their raised eyebrows). I learned a lot about Stanley in this episode, chiefly about things he does not like (these are all direct quotes):

• Losing
• Mistakes
• Things that are no good
• Saying “please” and “thank you” 
• Picking out stitches — especially out of leather

Though I hated the way he treated Tu (and also the word "culottes," which sounds too much like "clots"), I really liked Stanley's winning look:

I certainly wouldn't work for the guy, but I would buy his clothes. Even Daniel said he would wear these culottes.

Lesson 2: You don't have to know how to sew to be on Project Runway! 

The deadline to apply for Season 12 is April 8. Think you don't have what it takes, or that your skills aren't at par with triple-threats like Stanley and Michelle? Neither did Richard, and he somehow made it onto the show! (And he made it pretty damn close to the end too.)

In fact, I could namecheck at least two dozen of my readers whose skills far surpass that of Richard, who reluctantly returned to the workroom in this week's episode. To add insult to injury, he had to work with Patricia — his partner in the avant garde challenge for which he was eliminated. Though he was supposed to be her seamstress, Richard apparently doesn't know how to sew wovens, and Patricia had to teach him how to sew a French seam!  (Let's not forget he also was unaware that a men's shirt needs a collar stand, and didn't know how to insert an invisible zipper).

“I feel like I’m taking a class! You’re educating me so much,” said Richard to Patricia, whose eyes were so wide with disbelief at that point I thought they were going to pop out and roll across the workroom floor into a pile of shredded leather fringe. 

Richard, to his credit, just stood there and took it with grace as Patricia told Tim she had to change her look thanks to the fact he wasn't up to the task of sewing it. But still, we can't blame Richard for this tent-shaped, one-shoulder wonder, the saving grace of which appeared to be the fact that it had some visual interest (and wasn't a white T-shirt. Why, Michelle? WHY?):

(FYI: You can apply here for Season 12 of Project Runway).

Lesson 3: Zoom in. Closer. Closer still......Now: does your garment still look good on the page? If not, then it's not editorial. 

In the case of Michelle's white T-shirt, the answer was obviously a resounding no — and the result was perhaps the biggest upset in Project Runway history. (Or was it? We won't know until next week what her last chance will be. I can't stand the suspense! Also: I love Michelle).

Michelle's surprising failure to produce something that would send her on to the next challenge is actually instructive for those of us sewing bloggers who care about building an audience. Everyone loved her white T-shirt, and would want to buy it. But white T-shirts do not sell magazines, and they probably don't earn you page views either. Those of us who have attempted it know that sewing a really great T-shirt is not as easy as one might think. And Michelle's was superlative (though I think paired with those baggy green pants the outfit looked like something a mid-'90s raver would have worn paired with a soother on a chain):

Meanwhile Daniel's banana yellow shorts-suit set met the criteria of being interesting to photograph, though everyone agreed he should have paired his winged vest with a long flowy skirt. I think Daniel's thought process goes something like this: "Of course I'll do a jacket...with crazy shoulders...but how to make it young? I know! Short shorts!!"

Miss Chiquita 2050

Layana likewise nailed this challenge, with her armor-like pieced leather bodice inspired by the exterior of the Heart building. I don't love it, but you have to imagine it would jump off the page:

I got up early this morning to watch this episode online (because I don't actually have cable). And when Lucy woke, she joined me for the runway. At some point during the runway show I said, "I wonder who’s gonna win."  Lucy replied: "I wonder who’s going to cry." And then she totally predicted Michelle's elimination/Patricia's tears. So maybe she should be writing this thing? Either way, tell me what you thought! Any predictions as to Michelle's fate?

Straight or curved, how do you like it?

If your husband hates a print, that's a GOOD sign, right? I'm hoping I'm not the only one who loves this abstract brush-stroke stretch cotton I got for just $9.99/yard from Harts Fabrics.

Slant pocket trimmed with leather!!

Ryan smiles thinly, evading direct eye contact every time I display my progress on this pair of pants, which read as animal print (leopard? giraffe?) from afar. I love the print. And though at first it seemed this fabric was a little lightweight for pants (I'm not a girl anymore; I need structure!), it worked perfectly with the pattern I drafted using Kenneth King's Craftsy Jeanius class, which leads you step-by-step through the process of reverse-engineering your fave pairs of jeans (or pants, as my case may be).

Because one feature my pattern includes is narrow overlapped panels at the side seam and inseam, which seem to give this pant just a little more structure where I need it. It's hard to see in the print, but I think this seaming detail is just the kind of visual trickery this pear-shaped gal needs to feel comfortable in a fitted pant:

The only thing left to do is the waistband, which I haven't yet drafted. Though I suspect it won't fit right unless I make it curved, Kenneth King recommends drafting a straight waistband — and then shaping it by ironing so it fits your curves. But, as my patternmaking teacher once noted: I am very curved. Here's a preview, sans waistband, but with my T-shirt pulled down to hide my underpants:

 I'm going to put my trust in Kenneth; his class is super awesome, and following his super clear instructions and demonstrations, I was able to draft a perfectly fitting pair of pants with only two tweaks to my muslin (I straightened the side seam, which curved toward the front, and I took in 3/8-inch at center back). Luckily I have enough fabric to draft a second waistband if the straight one fails to fit my curvaceous lower back (that's where straight waistbands have failed me in the past).

Want to see some welt pockets? I used this tutorial on sewing single welts:

My husband may hate the print, but he was impressed by my welt pockets. Or at least the man knows enough to feign enthusiasm for the little details that leave me cursing.

Anyone out there an expert on waistbands and care to weigh in on the straight-versus-curved debate? Make me a believer!

Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week? Season 11, Episode 10

Each season of Project Runway we can expect to see a number of the same challenges: the Unconventional Materials Challenge, the Ready-to-Wear Challenge, and the Challenge Where They Bring Back All of the Bitter Eliminated Designers So They Can Undermine the Work of the Remaining Contenders. (That's next week's challenge; I know I can't wait!).

And for several seasons now Project Runway has also featured the "HP Design Challenge," in which the designers have the opportunity to create their own printed fabric using state-of-the-art touch-screen technology. It may just be the greatest bit of cross-promotion ever attempted on TV: how many of us wish we could create our own perfect prints so easily in an hour without any special training? 

I love this challenge. I think it has produced some of the best garments on Project Runway. Remember Mondo's amazing HIV-positive-inspired pants?

How simple is that? It's just an outlined plus sign repeated ad nauseum. But the scale is perfect, and the contrasting colors work together to create something chic yet whimsical...if I were a Project Runway contestant I would be taking notes. 

This time around, the designers were given an additional consideration: their garments must be inspired by the Guggenheim Museum — and be avant garde. (What that means exactly is often a challenge for Project Runway contestants.) And because they are in teams of two, each pair also had to design a ready-to-wear companion piece. 

Head ready to explode yet? Poor Richard's was (and his cranium is unusually large, so I would caution his partner Patricia to stand back!). Doesn't he look like an angry lion?

We all knew from the outset that pairing Richard with Patricia was going to be a disaster akin to locking a fox and a badger in a room full of fabric. This combination even managed to somehow put Patricia in the unlikely position of clock-watcher as Richard dragged his feet on his garment, instead crafting a fiddly bracelet THAT DID NOT EVEN MAKE IT DOWN THE RUNWAY. 

I don't know if this can be corroborated, but Patricia even alleged Richard did not know how to install an invisible zipper. It seems unlikely that someone could make it on to Project Runway — and not be eliminated for nine episodes! — without first learning how to install a zipper. But this is the same guy who claimed to not know that men's dress shirts require collar stands, so I wouldn't put it past him. Not surprisingly, I can't find much to learn from his ready-to-wear look: 

It's not the worst thing I've seen on Project Runway. I would never wear a white skirt (too many tampon commercials burned into my brain, I guess). But how does it relate to Patricia's avant garde look? There's our lesson:

Lesson 1: If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. And in Richard's case that means falling right under the proverbial wheels of the reality show bus that is just waiting to crush you the moment you flinch.

Not having the use of your arms is pretty avant garde, isn't it? I think Patricia's look was quite pretty, though I generally prefer garments that don't totally ignore function in favor of form.

Since Patricia was handling the avant garde look, Richard felt he had to cow to her vision. But her visions apparently can't be explained, so what was the poor guy to do? As terrible as he is, you had to feel a little bad for the guy.  

Lesson 2: If you throw enough crap at the wall, some of it will stick. But if you just keep throwing, soon enough your wall is covered in crap. And is that what you really want? 

Layana, whose whining finally put me over the edge into the eliminate-her-now-please-NOW camp this week, threw a lot of crap onto her dress, which was supposed to be her team's avant garde look:

The judges described it alternately as "Eliza Doolittle," "Southern Belle," "Kentucky Derby," and the worst — that it looked like Daniel designed it. Ouch! This 19th century gown does not relate in any way to the modern print they created (which I think reads plaid from afar). But take all that crap and organza off this dress and what have you got? Something that's neither avant garde nor even all that attractive.

As for Richard, when he's good, he's very, very good (but when he's bad, he's abysmal). So....

Lesson 3: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. This week Daniel reprised his Joan Collins jacket (remember it last week in hot pink?!), but added an edge (which Layana took full credit for):

That jacket is inspiring. It's a case study of how the same design can be made with wildly varying degrees of success, depending on your fabric choice (how much do you love the sleeves and collar in leather?). Also, Richard has done those same shoulders five times now, so naturally they were perfect.

He also somehow made that ho-hum skirt out of the teeny scrap of fabric that Layana left for him. (Do you think she was spoiled as a child? I do.)

Michelle and Stanley, meanwhile, are clearly headed for Fashion Week (argue with me in the comments below if you disagree!). Unlike the other teams, which failed to bring out the best in each other, these two hit the ground running with their original and inspired "woman on the verge" print and a shared silhouette inspired by a sculpture at the Guggenheim.

Lesson 4: Sometimes it's good to be judicious with a print:

See it used for the shoulders of Michelle and Stanley's avant garde look

And sometimes a whole bunch is just right:

Stanley's ready-to-wear dress, made from Michelle's print

What was your favorite look this week? Did you learn anything you can apply to your own creations?

See You Next Tuesday

If a week goes by and you people don't hear from me, can you send in the Marines (or a big box of wine and a babysitting service)?

I have in-laws arriving today for five days (staying with us; I hope they realize just how tiny my daughter's bedroom is. Pretty sure you won't be able to open the door all the way with a Queen-sized Aerobed in there). Also, my husband is in San Francisco (lucky jerk) for work. And it's Spring Break (but feels more like Winter Break, it's so cold in NYC). I don't know how I am going to feed two extra people and deal with the dishes in my tiny, no-dishwasher kitchen for the next five days. Do you ever feel like you need a vacation after someone else spends their holiday at your place?

Needless to say there won't be time for sewing until next week. I have finished a few things, but without a husband here to shoot photos, they will have to wait to be seen. My pants draft for the Jeanius class is near-perfect, which has me really excited (though I have to draft a waistband, and am a little worried about that). I also ordered some ridiculous printed stretch denim from Hartsfabric.com. Can't wait to show it to you.

Here's something cool I saw last week:

My husband has been telling me about this store in Soho since he started working in the neighborhood a few months ago. It's called All Saints, and it features a gigantic collection of vintage sewing machines. There were at least three walls with this many sewing machines. The woman working there told me before they opened they posted an ad seeking donated machines. So there you go: you want a 1940s Featherweight, just post an ad seeking freebies (I should have asked here WHERE they posted the ad to get such a response). There's no telling whether any of them work, but doesn't it make your heart hurt a little to see so many great machines sitting idle, gathering dust?

Project Runway — What Did We Learn This Week? Season 11, Episode 9

First, can we share a sigh of relief that this week's challenge was an actual fashion challenge? I for one was thrilled for the poor designers, who were clearly rattled by their brush with the male burlesque troupe Thunder From Down Under (FYI: if you're feeling a thunder down under, don't delay seeing your doctor. I hear it spreads faster than an overturned box of pins!).

The challenge this week was to create ready-to-wear looks for Lord & Taylor's Spring 2013 line, inspired by the luxury department store's signature rose emblem. The winning designer had their look reproduced and it's now on sale at Lord & Taylor (An idea they no doubt stole from Fashion Star! Michelle's dress is $259, but it has already sold out, of course).

It was clear from the title of Episode 9, "He Said, She Said," that this one was going to be all about team relations. And indeed, watching it I was struck by how each of the guy-girl pairings was dysfunctional in its own way. In fact, I was so distracted by the histrionics of certain male contestants that I nearly forgot to pay attention to their usual sewing/design-related foibles!

Before we get to the looks and what we can learn, let's conduct a little couples therapy — and think about who we would least like to be in a relationship with based on their conduct in this particular challenge.

• Patricia & Stanley — Patricia felt bullied by Stanley's hands-on approach to this team challenge. In her eyes, he was being controlling. But Stanley hasn't lost a team challenge yet, and he wasn't about to start. So rather than taking the passive-aggressive route (like most other designers have in the past with Patricia), he actually forced her to communicate with him, by doing what I always do: calling his partner defensive and then inviting her to answer back to his criticism.

It never works for me. But it seemed to do the trick for them; Stanley smartly reminded Patricia they were on the same team, and that he's looking out for her. Oh, and he reminded her that whatever garment they send down the runway will be judged for its ability to be mass-produced (and sold for under $250). So Patricia avoided undertaking one of her intricate (and time-consuming, so therefore expensive) fabrications and made something simpler for once:

It's not great, but it was enough to keep her around for another week. And as for who would make a better partner out of this pair, I think Stanley is the clear winner. Nothing would fester unsaid with this guy! 

• Richard and Layana —  Richard just couldn't let go of his ill feelings toward Layana after she criticized him during judging last week (even though he was the first one to turn on a teammate, let's not forget!). And rather than have it out with her and move on like Stanley might, Richard gave Layana the silent treatment for the duration of this one-day challenge. But the silent treatment only serves to amuse when its target cares little for your opinion. (And later when the judges started laying into Richard for his boring maxi dress, you could just picture him adding all their names to his do-not-speak-to list — written in lipstick on his vanity mirror.) Point for Layana.

• Daniel and Michelle — You've got to love Daniel and Michelle for their shared ability to absorb criticism like it's a compliment. When Tim says Daniel's original garment, a cropped jacket, looks like something Joan Collins would wear, he retaliates with a sunny "Who doesn't love Joan Collins!?" (Shades of Michelle, who earlier in this season delighted in a critique that said her country/rock look was hair metallish!)

But when Daniel decided to unpick his cropped jacket, he really started to unravel, which was apparent in the way he shoveled blame pre-emptively on his teammate, saying things like "You can't bring me down, Michelle!"

All that time spent projecting his fears onto Michelle would have been better spent pressing this dress, which I think looks like the new stewardess uniform for Air Barbie:

Michelle neither accepted Daniel's crazytown accusations, nor let them affect her ability to tackle this challenge. Which makes her the winner in more ways than one, and brings us to:

Lesson 1: Mixing fabrics looks luxe, when it's done right.

Michelle's winning look was created from several fabrics: chartreuse silk crepe de chine, sheer chiffon, and leather. It takes skill to sew together two fabrics of different weight and drape — and not have it be puckered or pull at the seams. This lesson is a mental note to experiment a little with layering and adding design elements in another fabric.

Lesson 2: A bad print makes a good design moot:

The judges were divided on Layana's Spring dress except when it came to the print — which they unanimously hated. I think the back is divine, and a second trip to Mood would probably make it a masterpiece. (Perhaps if her teammates had been speaking to her, someone would have suggested this looks a little Mrs.-Roper-muumuu for a full length dress.).

 Lesson 3: Coco Chanel is credited with saying that before you go out the door, you should take one thing off (presumably an extraneous accessory and not your pants!). And when it comes to design, taking one thing off would have helped Samantha salvage what could have been a cute little dress for Lord & Taylor's younger customer:

Color blocking, three-tier ruffled skirt with asymmetrical hemline, AND a heart cutout? I think Samantha could be right, and that a young customer would opt for this design. But this busy look did not pass muster with the judges, who don't really care about what it is that girls like. (It's all about what THEY think girls should want to look like!).

So what did I miss? Who's your current pick for final three?