Of the three apartments I’ve lived called home, only one got more than 15 minutes of direct sun a day (two months out of the year I might add). Maybe I’m unlucky when it comes to the sun, but I’ve got a solution that doesn’t require renting a wrecking ball.

I figure that I can fake myself out with a false window with a treatment. This will help open up my tiny, skinny, “bed-can-only-be-in-one-corner” bedroom.

Supplies needed (photos 1 & 2):

-poster size landscape photo
-lattice board, approx. 10’
-fabric, enough to cover poster
-trim fabric
-pins
-sewing machine, needle & thread
-pencil
-hammer
-saw
-fabricscissors
-speed square, right angle
-nails
-curtain rod
-curtain rod hooks
-ruler or tape

Begin by cutting two pieces of fabric, each half the size of the photo plus two inches at each edge. Double the edges over and hem the side edges then the bottom at about 1/4”(photo 3).

Fold the top edge about 1/2” then again about 1 1/2” to create a loop for the curtain rod, and edge stitch the fold (photo 4). Repeat these steps with the second piece of fabric. Read more…

Calling all fashion students! If you haven’t signed up for Beyond The Front Row fashion club, there is still time!

March is especially a good month to get involved. On March 6, the club will be hosting their National Community Service Day with two events. The first being The National Odd Shoe Exchange starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday March 6 in 180 New Montgomery room 713. Members will be packing up shoes and donating to women and men that have an unfortunate disability and are only able to work with one leg.

The second is a with the children’s boutique and fashion school Wee Scotty. Our members will offer their fashion illustrating and sewing advice to the adorable young ones of Wee Scotty. If you are interested, meet in front of 180 New Montgomery at 10 a.m. and we will take the shuttle to the Concourse Exhibition Center at 8th Street & Brannan.

If you can’t make any of those, stop by our meeting at 7 p.m. on March 11. The meeting will take place at Morgan Auditorium (491 Post Street).

If any of these events interest you don’t think twice! Come join BTFR because each event and project is contributing to a good cause - plus, it’s really fun!

Written by: Bridget Reed, Beyond the Front Row secretary

Focus On Your Closet: Spring Cleaning Begins!
Give 2, Take 1
Start cleaning out your closets and setting aside clothes and accessories for the April 17th clothing swap and clothing drive hosted by Beyond the Front Row (fashion club) and the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco. This event, Give 2, Take 1 (“G2T1”), will function as a fundraiser for the club, and a charitable clothing-drive for St. Vincent’s community programs.

Here’s the deal: for every 2 items donated, donors get to take (or ‘swap’) 1 item in return - hence the name “Give 2, Take 1”. All items remaining at the end of the April 17th swap will be donated to St. Vincent’s. This fun sustainable–charitable event also happens to coincide with Earth Day! Collection of donations begins the last week of March, on campus and elsewhere. Details to follow.
Please note: Clothing and accessories donations will happily be accepted, regardless of participation in the clothing swap. St. Vincent’s is in urgent need of men’s clothing - additional donations from the closets of boyfriends, husbands, brothers, and sons would be greatly appreciated!
Now accepting donations of: coat hangers and shopping bags at 180 New Montgomery, office #704.

Open House / Open Studio
Saturday March 6, 2010
180 New Montgomery - 9:00am - 5:00pm
Meet, greet, and host prospective School of Fashion students (and their parents) as they tour the MFA Studio and the 7th Floor. *Beyond the Front Row will be organizing shoe donations in room 713 from 8:30am - 11:00am; please consider including this community service project as part of your tour (see below for more information).

Community Service Day Projects from Beyond the Front Row
Saturday, March 6, 2010 (2 events)

National Odd Shoe Exchange
180 New Montgomery, Room 713, 8:30am - 11:30am
At last month’s Shoe-In fashion club members voted to donate all the shoes collected and used for the holiday “shoe-tree” project to the National Odd Shoe Exchange, www.oddshoe.org This non-profit organization supplies single shoes, as well as pairs of different-sized shoes, to those in need due to injury, disease and/or genetic disorders. BTFR club members will be sorting, organizing and preparing to ship the shoes to the National Odd Shoe Exchange during the Open House / Open Studio (room 713).

Wee Scotty
Concourse Exhibition Center at 8th Street & Brannan, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Beyond the Front Row members offer their sewing, construction and fashion illustration skills to assist some of the young Wee Scotty designers (ages 7+) and Wee Scotty proprietors with demonstrations for the community exhibition.

For more events follow the jump. Read more…

As a broke college student, precious metals and gemstones are slightly out of my league. So when a friend celebrates a birthday, I try to make a gift that is just as special. They may not be weighed in karats and they may cost pennies apiece, but these pretty, shiny things, can work wonders in the right setting.

Pins, nails, screws, buttons, rhinestones, paillettes, sequins, furniture tacks, washers, and even feathers can be preserved and protected by encasing them in plastic. After that, it’s only a matter of time before you have a beautiful chunky statement necklace.

What you’ll need to get started (photo 1 in the slideshow below):

o casting resin (Tap Plastics on South Van Ness has what you need)
o hardening catalyst
o resin dye, optional
o stirring utensil
o casting mold(s) (I used nifty “On the Rocks” ice trays from The Container Store, I would not recommend using anything that cannot be easily replaced as the plastic may damage the mold)
o rubber gloves
o graduated measuring cup
o funnel
o tweezers
o scissors
o glue
o items to be encased (i.e. anything that will fit into the mold)
o necklace chain
o non-stick foil
o hairdryer (optional)

Begin by cleaning any residue or dust from the molds that will be used. After that, put on the rubber gloves because you are about to work with some resin.

In the measuring cup, mix the casting resin and catalyst per the instructions on the resin can. Place your fingertip over the small end of the funnel, and fill the funnel with the casting mixture. Read more…

There are only so many ways to make a canvas shoe. Vans, Keds, K-Swiss, and TOMS all have their versions of the classic canvas sneaker – and those are just specialty brands. Nearly every brand has a take on this wardrobe staple, so it can become difficult to take part in the trend for fear of blending in.

Fortunately, with a little time and effort, you can create a custom pair that is exclusively yours. This goes for every garment. Buy something and don’t be afraid to make it your own.

I like to dye things. Clothes, curtains, tapestries, and especially shoes. Whether tie-dying, soaking, painting or dip-dying, there is nothing like changing the color of a piece of clothing to enhance it.

Things you’ll need (photo 1):

o shoes, made from natural fiber
o dye, one or more colors, I like Rit best
o table salt
o masking tape
o basin for dying, i.e., sink or bowl
o towel or cloth to dry on

Dissolve about 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of warm water in the dying basin (photo 2). Dampen the areas of the shoe that will be colored and the laces of desired. Begin adding the dye to the warm solution per the instructions on the dye package. Read more…

Growing up, one of my favorite gifts was a Lite-Brite. I loved poking those colored plastic pegs through the black paper to create a garden, clown, or a beach scene.

Well, this week we take the Lite-Brite idea to an abstract level. Using just a few inexpensive items (and some of those Christmas lights you just took down), we’ll create an interesting piece of art that also serves as a lighting accent.

First, the things you’ll need (photo 1):

o canvas, about 20”x30”
o paint
o 1/2” wide masking tape
o brushes
o awl
o pencil
o string of lights
o sheer fabric
o straight pins

Begin by choosing a color scheme, then masking the canvas into smaller sections, creating the desired shapes. Then paint each part a different color within your scheme (photo 2).

Next, remove the tape to reveal a stained-glass effect (photo 3). From the front of the canvas, using the awl, punch holes into the canvas and put the lights through the holes. One light at a time is best to make sure the holes are the right distance from each other (photo 4). Keep in mind, the orientation of the lights to a power outlet or extension cord.

Once the desired light pattern has been achieved, move the lights around to the back of the canvas (photo 5). Use the fabric and pins to form little bubbles over the lights to contrast the pattern on the canvas (photo 6), and you will have created a dazzling piece of wall art.

For more DIY time with Philip, click here.

After finally settling in to my apartment, getting back into my work/school routine, there was only one chore left on my list: curtains to cover the French doors that open into my room. I like things that are multifunctional and include an element of display, so picture frame curtains seemed like just the thing.

After measuring the dimensions of the windows, the most crucial decision of all must be made, fabric choice. Which means the fourth floor at Britex for some cheap, cute remnants: two-and-a-half yards of tangerine & white seersucker and lime green burlap. For embellishment, I was off to the hardware store for:

• curtain rod hooks (two per window, three if the windows are wide)
• hammer
• nails
• two lengths of chain, about 10” longer than window width,
• twine, any thick yarn will work

Other supplies:
• photos
• scissors
• tape measure
• straight pins
• ruler
• pencil
• marker
• darning or tapestry needle

To fix the length of the curtains, hardware must be installed on the door/window frame. Two inches above and two inches outside the top corners of the window is a good rule (photo 2 in the slide show above). Mark these points, start a nail in each (photo 3), put the nail through the top hole of the rod hook, drive a nail through bottom hole of hook. Hang chain between two hooks, adding one in the middle if necessary (photo 4). Read more…

Sara handed me a sketch (of the Lloyd Trouser). She had done and asked me to draft the trouser. We went over what she was looking for in fit, shape of the panels/inserts, length, etc.

Read more…

We drafted this toile of a draped silk blouse that I am working on. We drafted it from scratch, sewed it together, and fit it. Yesterday I was making the alterations we agreed upon during the fitting where we pinned out excess, marked changes to seam lines, etc.

I checked the toile one more time on the stand, and cut it apart from the seams. I laid down the fabric pieces that are being used to make the shirt and drafted new patterns from them. Even though there were previous patterns, the garment had changed so much during the fitting that I decided to engineer new patterns. Read more…

We give the garments names not only for organization purposes, but to tie the inspiration into the collection. Also, when people see the garments listed in the program during the actual show, it doesn’t say things like “navy blue trouser,” or something boring like that.

A couple of names we currently have are The “1906 dress,” “The Sunburst Trouser,” “The Lloyd Trouser,” and so on. The names on the piece of paper scanned in include “The Dandy,” “Cecily,” “Merrimam,” “Algernon,” “Miss Prism,” and one we ended up using last week, “The Bracknell Dress.” The nicknames come from The Importance of Being Ernest; a literary inspiration for the collection.

Click here to read more from The Alyssa Diaries.