Speaker: This episode of Thread Banger is brought to you by Cotton's new online exclusive fashion show Inseam.
Female Speaker: Hey! What's up everyone? Thread Banger here, at the 2008 American Sewing Expo.
Male Speaker: Things are getting a little crazy here, we are going to go, check it out.
Janet Pray: Hello! My name is Janet Pray and we are here today at the American Sewing Expo, held annually at Novi Michigan. We have been doing this show for about 15 years, and we developed it for fiber art enthusiasts, fashion sewing, quilting, needle felting, knitting is all here. We have brought in of course, the Thread Heads from Thread Banger and they worked in the Construction Zone where people took old blue jeans and made new things out of them, so it's real green project, it was a lot of fun. One of the biggest events here at the American Sewing Expo was our second year of Baby Lock Passion for Fashion Challenge, very similar to a Project Runway challenge, but it's live.
So on Friday morning at the Expo at 8 o'clock, they got their secret challenge, a $100 to go out on the exhibit floor, they bought all their fabrics and note sheets for the event. They had two days, to sew up these garments and then, there was a big fashion show last night, where the winners were announced. We are going to do it again next year. So you aspiring designers go to americansewingexpo.com, and join the challenge.
Male Speaker: Passion is happening.
Female Speaker: So here we are with the Sistahs of Harlem. Tell us your names.
Carmen Webber: I am Carmen Webber.
Carmia Marshall: Carmia Marshall.
Female Speaker: So tells us about your new book?
Carmen Webber: Well, we have Denim Mania, which focuses on the reconstruction of denim, existing denim and it also talks a little bit about the history of it.
Carmia Marshall: We also have a book called T-shirt Makeover, it is the same concept taking old t-shirts that you have in your closet and making it something fun and fresh and funky.
Carmen Webber: And also, to look out for sheek sweats, which is going to be our reconstruction of sweats and hoodies and that comes out spring of next year.
Female Speaker: That's awesome, there is a lot of old sweat shirts out there, that needs some loving.
Carmia Marshall: I have been surfing the internet and I have been saying this, that since I have been here at American Sewing Expo, that out of the 9 million tones of clothes, that are being thrown out, only 2 million tones have been recycled. So that's a lot of waste. So this is kind of a way to get back to where we live, take care of our earth. That's why, let's make something that's really sentimental and fun and funky and it's really cool, because these are things that you are doing yourself. So it makes it even more powerful.
Female Speaker: You were on Project Runway, that's super exciting. What season and how was the experience for you?
Carmen Webber: It was Season 4, I was this Christian, fears, fears, fears and it was a brilliant experience, a very intensive course, because you are working under circumstances, that are not realistic at all. But I was really honored to be on that season, because all the designers had a certain amount of integrity, even though we got crazy and we had our challenging moments where we had to pull each other's eyes out.
But still lot of love there, we all still keep in touch and I wouldn't exchange the experience for anything in the world.
Male Speaker: Hey! What's going on? So were hanging out in reconstruction zone with --
Audrey: Audrey from Thread Bangers better known as rainbowshoelaces.
Male Speaker: Rainbowshoelaces, ladies and gentleman. We have her exclusively, on the show. You were in the fashion show earlier, explain what was going on?
Audrey: Well, I made a dress and I couldn't find any fabric that I like. So I screen printed the design myself.
Male Speaker: And where did you learn how to do that?
Audrey: Thread Bangers.
Male Speaker: Bam!
[Music Playing]
Female Speaker: So we are standing here, with Christie from Back to Back Fiber Products. Tell us a little bit about what you do?
Christie: I like to incorporate, some recycled materials into my yarns. This yarn that we have right here, is made out of recycled denim. I like to recycle leather, old leather coats, cut up into strips, add a lot of extra texture and what not, into my yarns to make them a little more fun and a little more interesting. There is endless reasons why to recycle something -- repurpose, reuse, reduce and I am all about, that for sure.
Female Speaker: I cannot wait to make myself a new pidge scarf with this material. I am so excited.
Male Speaker: Hey! What's going on? We are hanging out at the Re-Construction Zone, with special guest that you may remember them from a couple of weeks ago, the winners of the Thread Banger Janome Sewing Machine. Introduce yourselves.
Zack Hutchinson: Zack Hutchinson.
Kirsten Hall: And Kirsten Hall.
Male Speaker: When you -- you actually brought a couple of supplies and you are going to be doing a little lesson, right?
Zack Hutchinson: Yeah, some t-shirt reconstruction sort of thing.
Kirsten Hall: We are so DIY.
Zack Hutchinson: We are so DIY.
Male Speaker: Fantastic. Do you want to get to it?
Zack Hutchinson: Yeah, sure.
Male Speaker: Where to do it.
Zack Hutchinson: All we need for this project is a long sleeve flannel.
Kirsten Hall: And an old t-shirt.
Zack Hutchinson: First you are going to need to measure, your long sleeve shirt from the buttons down to make sure, that the button line is longer than the t-shirt. So you can cut it off, right here.
Kirsten Hall: And then, we are going to cut down the middle of the t-shirt and cut up the sleeves of the t-shirt.
Zack Hutchinson: Now, that you have cut off your sleeves and cut it lined down the shirt, now it's time to go to your long sleeve shirt.
Kirsten Hall: First, we want to cut off, the sleeves. We want to leave the seams on, since we cut the seams off, of the t-shirt.
Zack Hutchinson: Now, we need to cut down the buttons. Keep them buttoned, it will make it a lot easier.
Kirsten Hall: Unlike Zack, we want to leave some seam allowance on the buttons.
Zack Hutchinson: Now you have got your buttons and your sleeves. All that's left is you have to make the hood. We are going to measure the collar of the t-shirt, to the bottom of the back of the long sleeved shirt. Looks like just about enough. Mark it up, make the pattern, for the hood like this, I'll show you.
Kirsten Hall: You can go back to the Scoodie episode of Thread Bangers, to find out more details and instructions that are going to make this work. We kept the seams on the sides, that way we don't have to make a seam there.
Zack Hutchinson: So now, that you have cut out the hood, you are going to fold it over, pin along the top right here, and also pin the collar right here.
Kirsten Hall: Next, we want to line up the sleeves, the t-shirt, sleeve with the flannel sleeves. Make sure, you line up really, really good so that there is not any gaps or holes or anything. Now, we unbutton our buttons and pin each side, to each side of your t-shirt.
Zack Hutchinson: Make sure, that your button is lined up and then we are off, to the sewing machine.
Kirsten Hall: We have mile high stacks of stuff to sew with this. So we are going to get on it, right now. Buy guys, we'll send you, what we did.
Male Speaker: Hey! That's it from the American Sewing Expo, we are headed out of here, but you don't want to miss, starting next week for the entire month of October, it is all of our Halloween craziness. You don't want to miss it.
Female Speaker: Till then, see you.
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