Nearby, Katie Bellas sat at her personal sewing machine working on an outfit that would include tulle, satin and lace.
She was no stranger to the sewing machine, having sewed with her grandmother. “She tried to teach me when I was young because she learned when she was young,” said Bellas.
The sophomore said the class is her favorite. “It kind of makes me know what I want to do with my life. I really want to do something related to fashion,” Bellas said.
While some students talked about their projects, others worked with the instructors on tasks such as how to best place a zipper. One student was patiently tearing out a seam gone awry while another stood at the ironing board, pressing a nearly finished skirt.
The fashion design class is co-taught by art teacher Alexis Gentry and Lisa Colebaugh, a family and consumer sciences teacher.
The two combined their talents to spice up the class.
Sewing, Colebaugh said, was once included in family and consumer sciences but dropped because it was “not seen as an essential skill.” While Gentry was comfortable with the design aspects of the class, she turned to Colebaugh for the sewing talent along with a few lessons for her.
Colebaugh said finding fabric for the students’ projects wasn’t always easy. “Fabric isn’t cheap,” she said. “We were hoping students didn’t have to spend a whole lot. I think they did a very good job.”
Not only were students making the project they designed, they worked on accessories such as shoes, a headband and jewelry, Gentry said.
Sophia McDowell’s project was a white dress with lace top that she planned to wear to her graduation this month. She, too, was exposed to sewing by her grandmother when the two joined forces to make some pillows.
McDowell, who will head to Bowling Green State University in the fall, said she thought she was a little better as sewing than drawing a design.
The students’ efforts were not only shared in the classroom. They showcased during a fashion show the school district’s Elevate the Arts event in mid-May.
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