Final project report part 2: storm skirt

Timeline Graphic:

The idea and research process lasted all throughout march for this project, and then fabrication began and ended in April. Final photography happened in may just before the expo. The construction process was separated well enough over a few weeks but I still felt rushed by the end.

Fabrication Process:

1. One of the first construction steps was patterning the tarp using an old bedsheet. the dimensions ended up being 8 x 5 feet.
   

2. The next step was cutting this out of the nylo fabric. cutting the fabric is always the most daunting part to me because there’s no coming back from it.

3. Then the sewing process began which involved sewing around a border to the tarp to prevent breakage and add aesthetic appeal. this ended up taking a long time because of all the pinning and constant sewing. i learned a lot about sewign during this step and experimented with the zigzag stitch on the design.

 

4. Once the borders were attached, I patterned for the snaps. This step took a long time thinking through all of the possibilities and ways to make the tarp conform into a skirt. After patternign and figuring it out, I added snaps on four corners to be able to fold it width wise.

5. Once folded, more snaps were added to allow the skirt to fold again. originally I snapped the ridge line into place but this design was later revised.

6. Below is the tarp folded all the way into skirt formation. The user picks up the square and wraps it securely around their waist. the ridge line was attached here on the outside via snaps but later got revised to be attached by velcro on the inside.

7. the tarp is very modular so it can be wrapped up tight for storage or transportation

 

Final results:

 

 

Conclusion:

I’m happy with how my final product turned out, and I’m really happy I pivoted from my original idea. I had a lot of fun sewing and learning during this project and I learned a lot about modular clothing. Some things I wish I had done differently or could still do differently is to create another version that’s designed a little better. Some of the components arent very intuitive and the material isn’t very durable, so I would make different design choices next time around. I also would like to add a carrying bag so it can fold down even more compactly and transport easily. My creation will probably sit unused in a closet until I need it for a hiking trip, but I’m not very confident in its water proofing abilities.