Flat patterning, fabric, sewing machines and Anthony

Williams — what all ISU Project Runway participants had on their

minds Sunday morning. At 9 a.m., the doors to the Sun Room opened,

students raced to the mound of fabric awaiting them and frantically

grabbed whatever they could get their hands on. The competition had

begun.

Sixteen teams competed for guest judge and season 7 contestant of

“Project Runway” Anthony Williams’ attention by making a themed

garment. This years theme was date, place and time.

For Amanda McIntyre, junior in apparel, merchandising and design,

and her team, PinCushion, that meant 1930s Hollywood evening wear.

Julie Leonard, junior in apparel merchandising, design and

production; Rachel Liesinger, sophomore in apparel, merchandising

and design; and Natalie Jackman, freshman in apparel, merchandising

and design, were the other three members of McIntyre’s team.

By 9:05 a.m., the team’s table was covered in shades of purple and

jersey knit. Liesinger and Jackman ran out to get more fabric while

McIntyre and Leonard started flat-patterning right away with

funky-looking rulers and extreme concentration.

The team’s garment was inspired by Madeleine Vionnet, 1930s

Hollywood glamour. They had plans to make a purple flowing dress

with a mesh back.

The room was a chaos of colors. One team had laid all their fabric

across the wooden floor, while other teams were draping fabric over

their teammates. Panic in the contestants’ voices could be heard

when one girl was concerned about a pencil skirt, “Waist, people,

waist!”

“I think our dress is going to be gorgeous, and for coming up with

the idea for our dress so quickly this morning I think it will be

good,” Jackman said.

As 11 a.m. rolled around, the girls were snipping away at their

purple fabrics and Leonard was still flat-patterning but growing

weary.

“OK, I’m having like a major brain fart,” Leonard said.

At 3:30 p.m., it was crunch time for all the teams with only an

hour and a half left until the judging. Not only were there scraps

everywhere but food and beverages, too. And the tension between

teammates was starting to rise.

“I’m starting to feel that stress you were talking about earlier,”

McIntyre said.

McIntyre and her model, Jackman, left the table to get hair and

makeup ready at 3:52 p.m.

“The most important thing in this competition is having new ideas

and not having the same thing as everyone else,” Jackman said.

“It’s also really important that it’s structured and fits well on

the body.”

McIntyre and Jackman finally arrived with only 30 minutes until the

judging. The team was really feeling the nerves as the clock was

ticking. Members said their biggest concern was not finishing on

time. They only had 20 minutes left and hadn’t yet started sewing

the major pieces of the dress together.

“Is it bad to say I didn’t even consider winning? A lot of the

girls here are in upper-level classes and I’m doing it just for the

experience,” McIntyre said.

Only 10 minutes to go and the team still did not have their model

in the garment. The nerves were sky rocketing for everyone.

Finally, time was up and the runway walk started. Models strutted

their stuff down the runway, but Jackman was a no-show. Team

PinCushion felt the garment they produced was so horrendous,

Jackman ripped it off at the last second and didn’t walk.

Afterward, Mary Damhorst, professor of apparel, educational

studies, and hospitality management, and guest judge Williams

walked around talking to all of the teams. Williams’ colorful

personality lifted the teams spirits as he constructively

criticized their outfits.

Team PinCushion said next time it would have a better plan, more

time management, more sewing machines (because one of them broke

during the day) and ready-made patterns. The girls were laughing

about it afterward to make light of the situation.