It was 8:03 a.m. and the doors to the Sun Room were blocking the contestants of ISU Project Runway from the most vital aspect of the competition: fabric.

At 8:05 a.m. the crowd of eager designers poured in and swarmed the pool of knits, jerseys, satins, prints, solids and scraps. Their hands went every which way and the fabric pool dribbled into a puddle of color on the shiny wooden floor.

This year, 13 teams competed in the design competition, in which each team created a garment based on the theme of a particular U.S. state.

Designers Erin O’Connor and Kanya Nanne, both juniors in apparel merchandising, design and production, began discussing their design ideas and the overall silhouette of their state-themed creation.

O’Connor said they both thought of Colorado because of the mountains.

“We thought if we both thought of Colorado, then it was a pretty good idea,” Nanne said.

After settling on an overall concept, O’Connor and Nanne began to alter pre-existing patterns they had made before to fit the vision of their garment. At 8:37 a.m., O’Connor and Nanne laid out their funky, printed, structured fabric on the floor, pinning the pattern pieces and preparing to slice the fabric into the desired shapes. O’Connor grabbed the sharp, pink scissors, firmly grasped the printed fabric and cautiously made the first snip.

The cut wasn’t quite right, and O’Connor had to redo what she had already done. At 9:50 a.m., model Emma Oldenburg, of Ames, arrived and put on her garment.

“I’m a science major, and I don’t do this,” Oldenburg said. “When Kanya asked, I was scared and excited.”

O’Connor and Nanne took a break from what they were doing and gazed around the workroom.

“I’m always nervous,” Nanne said. “I feel like I go the easy route, but I do what I can with the materials I have.”

She said that this year she felt much more prepared, as last year she “didn’t know what [she] was doing.” Last year, Nanne said, she was sewing frantically and feared the shirt would fall off on the runway.

Nanne spotted a garment out of the corner of her eye and said, “We lose. There’s no way I’m competing against that one.”

At 12:15 p.m., Oldenburg stood patiently while O’Connor and Nanne played with the skirt and tried to think of a way to add more excitement — the “wow factor.” The fitting was complete, and alternations were in the works at 12:45 p.m.

“We’re closer to being done than I expected to be,” O’Connor said at about 1:30 p.m., as she sat and sewed.

At 3:20 p.m., the final fitting was done and O’Connor and Nanne were finishing a few last-minute stitches. By 4:17 p.m., Nanne and Oldenburg had gone for hair products, makeup and accessories — items that could make or break their design.

With 20 minutes remaining, Nanne and Oldenburg had not yet arrived. O’Connor said she was beginning to feel the pressure set in and began to hurry fixing and adjusting last-minute details. There was no time for mistakes.

“Our design isn’t as daring and fashion-forward,” O’Connor said. “It’s more casual and everyday wear. It makes me sad, because theirs look more fun,” O’Connor said, as she gazed around the workroom once more.

With 12 minutes remaining. Nanne and Oldenburg finally arrived. O’Connor breathed a sigh of relief as they frantically dressed Oldenburg before the judging began.

“I’m stressed and freaking out.” Nanne said as she fixed Oldenburg’s hair.

“I’m extremely nervous, I’m not a model. I’m gonna pee my pants!” Oldenburg replied.

Time was up. The models lined up as O’Connor and Nanne took their seats. Judges Denise Dolan, head of fine arts for the Student Union Board and senior in integrated studio arts, and Sweet P, guest judge and contestant from season 4 of Project Runway, took their seats at the judging table. The music started, and the sound of heartbeats filled the room. The models hit the catwalk and strutted their stuff in a preview of the runway show for design teams, while judges Sweet P and Dolan took notes as each model walked to display the designers’ hard work.

The show ended, and O’Connor, Nanne and Oldenburg returned to their work stations, waiting for Sweet P and Dolan to arrive and take a closer look at their work.

O’Connor said she was freaking out, Oldenburg was sweating and Nanne said she had replaced the butterflies in her stomach with bats.

Sweet P and Dolan arrived.

Sweet P said she was impressed with the team’s garment. She was especially glad that they didn’t go for the obvious stuff of Colorado, such as a giant mountain on the shoulder.

When the judges left, sighs of relief and big smiles emerged on the designers’ faces. It was over — at least this part. The runway show was only two short hours away, and O’Connor, Nanne, and Oldenburg were free to relax for a short while.

Shortly after 8 p.m., the runway show started and Nanne said she was very proud of what she was able to produce in the limited time. Although O’Connor and Nanne’s design did not win, it was first in their eyes.

“I’m so relieved that it’s over and it didn’t fall apart on the runway,” Nanne said after the show.

The winning team included seniors Ivy Van Ersvelde and Emily Koch, juniors Hannah Thiessen and Marian Baggenstoss, and sophomore Lindsay Mathews, all apparel merchandising, design and production majors. Their garments were based on the state of Virginia and were inspired by the virgin queen, Queen Elizabeth I.

“I feel amazing. All our day’s work was worth it,” Van Ersvelde said. “I’m so happy Sweet P picked me. I should take her out to dinner.”