I quickly eliminate the sleeves from my sketch and tweak the neckline. Then I add soft, white ruffles along the neckline in a bib design. They’ll mimic the flower petals from the garden and also frame the face of whoever is wearing it.
I take a moment to study my sketch so far. Success! Now all I have to do is execute my design. With no time to waste, I attack the shelves for supplies: needles, scissors, thread, and some white chiffon for the ruffles.
I pick a spot beside a tree and lay out all my materials. Cutting off the sleeves is the first step so that the creation doesn’t look like some weird T-shirt hybrid. Then I can use the chiffon for the flower petals. I quickly cut off the sleeves to create the new silhouette, then get to work hemming the frayed edges.
When I’ve finished that task, it’s time to add the ruffles. They’re what will really tie the shirt into the zoo’s garden. I try not to think about my sewing machine back home. Things would be so much easier if I could use the ruffler foot on my machine. The special attachment creates ruffles in seconds and is one of my favorite machine-sewing tricks.
“Designers, you have one hour left,” Hunter announces to the group.
Only an hour left!? Where did the time go? I think frantically.
I quickly trace the shape I’ll be cutting out onto the chiffon. The lightweight material is perfect for this application — the movement of the material mimics the flower petals perfectly. I hold the chiffon up against the front of the T-shirt and think through my plan of attack. The ruffles need to have some volume, otherwise they’ll just flop around. I start pinning the fabric in place, bunching the ruffles up so they don’t lie flat, and start sewing. There’s no time for fancy stitching. I just have to make things stay put. I attach them along the neckline and down the front. The rough edges of the chiffon give the shirt a cool, modern look. My fingers work quickly, and my wrist gets tired. I use a running stitch to make fixing mistakes easier, and it’s enough to hold the ruffled petals in place. If I had more time, I would have used something sturdier, like a cross-stitch, but then I’d be stuck if I messed up.
“Thirty minutes!” Hunter says from behind me. I jump a little. How long has he been standing there? I wonder.
Hunter moves over to someone else, but now I’m feeling a little frazzled. The thread rips in my fingers, and I try not to panic. I can do this. I thread the needle again and try to concentrate, blocking out everyone around me and focusing on the thread and ruffle. In and out, in and out — ouch! Stupid needle.
A cameraman moves in closer to capture what I’m working on. I try to stay focused, but it’s almost impossible to ignore him. My needle moves quickly as I finish attaching the rest of the petals. When I’m done I hold up the T-shirt and want to cry.
The petals look like they’ve been attached to the shirt completely haphazardly. The finished product barely resembles my original sketch. The petals are limp, and anyone with halfway decent eyesight will be able to see the crooked stitching. The threading is straight in some spots and completely jagged in others.
“And time!” Jasmine calls. “Designers, put down your needles and thread.”
I sigh. There’s nothing I can do now except hope for the best. But I’m getting a little worried that my best might not be good enough.
Judgment time. I grab my lackluster top and join the rest of the contestants in a line in front of the judges. I have a feeling this is going to be painful.
Jasmine, Missy, and Hunter start at one end of the line. I peek around to see who will be first. It’s a girl with dark hair and shockingly pink bangs. I think she was the one who used studs and jewels to liven up the rodeo uniforms in the last round of auditions.
“Daphne, tell us about what you chose to make,” Jasmine says.
“Um, I was inspired by the tropical rain forest,” Daphne says, sounding a bit uncertain. I guess I’m not the only one feeling nervous about this first challenge. She holds up a rainbow-colored pencil skirt that has feathers dangling from the hem. “Specifically all the tropical birds. I chose to liven up what was a plain Lycra skirt with bands of color and feathers.”
“I appreciate your bold use of color, Daphne,” Hunter says, “but I’m not sure the feathers are working for me. They’re a bit much with the bright colors. I think this is a case of less being more.”
The judges move down the line asking everyone the same questions: What inspired you? Why did you choose these colors?
When they get to Derek, it’s obvious he’s blown them away — just like he did in the final challenge in Salinas. His drab clothing of choice was an oversized purple V-neck shirt. He’s managed to turn it into a chic dress with a fitted purple top and a leather skirt on the bottom.
“My dress was inspired by two different areas — the children’s zoo area and the sea lions,” Derek tells the judges. “The different textures represent all the hands-on things in the children’s zoo, and the faux leather fabric I choose for the bottom half of my dress reminds me of the sea lions.”
When I crane my neck to study Derek’s design, I see how seamlessly the skirt is attached to the shirt. It’s a chic, color-blocked masterpiece.
“Very creative, Derek. Thank you,” says Hunter, running his fingers along the stitches before moving on.
The judges are getting closer. They’ve made their way over to a girl standing a few feet away from me. I have a good view of her design, and it looks like it might be a kilt. Was it supposed to be a kilt? It’s hard to tell because there is no obvious stitching on the plaid fabric she chose.
“Stefanie,” says Missy, “what can you tell us about your design?”
Stefanie sniffles. “I had to unravel the whole thing,” she says, looking at the ground.
Jasmine frowns at her. “So you just have the fabric?” she says.
“Yes,” says Stefanie, “but I can tell you what it was supposed to be.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Jasmine sidesteps Stefanie and moves on. “Luke,” she says as she presses on her eyelids with her fingertips, “please tell me you were able to do something.”
“I did something,” Luke whispers, his shaggy hair falling into his eyes. “This was going to be a dress.” He holds up a gray linen cloak with cross-stitching in the center, and I try to imagine the dress that could have been.
Jasmine takes another deep breath. I can tell it must be killing her not to lash out at Luke, but it’s only day one. “But it chose to become a cloak instead?” she asks tightly.
“Yep,” says Luke.
“Well,” says Missy, “at least you have something that can be used, right?” She pokes Jasmine in the ribs, but Jasmine shakes her head and walks over to me, totally tuning out Luke’s explanation about which zoo exhibit he was inspired by.
As Jasmine comes to a stop in front of me, my heart starts pounding and my palms start sweating. The cameras focus on me, and I try not to look as panicked as I feel. At least I have something, right?
“What do you have for us today, Chloe?” Jasmine asks. Her voice is desperate, like she’s begging me not to disappoint her.
“I was thinking about the gardens all around us when I made this ruffled shirt,” I say. “The chiffon ruffles I added to the neckline were inspired by the flower petals, and I opted to stick with white fabric to keep things clean and monochromatic.”
Hunter nods approvingly. “I like that you reimagined the T-shirt’s silhouette; you’re one of the few designers to do so. I also appreciate that you’ve stuck with your style aesthetic in terms of the neutral color. And the stitching is very precise here.”
I smile and nod as he, Jasmine, and Missy huddle together to inspect the shirt. Don’t panic, I think. Maybe they won’t notice where you messed up.
“Not so precise here.” Jasmine points at the wild sewing.
Busted. I open my mouth to explain, but what can I say? I ran out of time?
I messed up? I’m sure they can figure that out themselves. The judges walk away, and Jasmine doesn’t look happy.
The judges continue their critiques, and soon there are only five designers left — Nina and the two sets of twins in the competition.
Next to me, Luke scowls. “I thought we each had to make our own designs,” he says.
What is he talking about? I wonder, looking around. The twins didn’t work together, did they? Wouldn’t that be against the rules?
Jasmine sends a stern look in Luke’s direction. “Of course everyone is responsible for his or her own designs,” she says. She turns back to the twin brothers. “Sam and Shane are aware of that, right?”
They nod, and Jasmine turns to the twin sisters beside them. “Jillian, Rachel? Separate designs each task.” The girls nod too. “Splendid,” Jasmine says. “Then let’s keep going.”
Sam explains that the polar bears’ arctic exhibit inspired him to stitch embroidery on a simple white shirt. I leave my mannequin to check out his stitching. There is not even a smidge of faulty sewing. Each pattern is carefully crafted, and it’s hard not to be jealous. Yes it’s simple, but it’s immaculate.
Not to be outdone, Shane took a pair of boring khaki pants and changed them into business shorts. “I was inspired by the trainers’ outfits,” he explains. He expertly stitched the hems to prevent fraying and added intricate embroidery to the belt area. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the twins had a sewing machine stashed nearby.
“Fabulous,” says Missy, unable to contain her excitement. “I love the idea of dress shorts. It’s very chic.”
Sam and Shane fist bump and grin at each other. Next to them, Rachel and Jillian giggle nervously as the judges move over to inspect their pieces.
“I was inspired by the Arctic Circle too,” says Jillian, pointing to a bright-blue, high-waisted skirt. “This originally had buttons and a zipper, which I removed to make it more elegant. I also added fabric to create a wrap belt and embellished it with crystal studs, which remind me of snow.”
Before the judges can finish admiring Jillian’s skirt, Rachel launches into her explanation. Jillian narrows her eyes at her sister, annoyed that she’s stealing her spotlight. “My design,” Rachel says, “was inspired by the lions.” She added brown leather panels to a denim dress, giving it a jungle feel.
That’s thinking out of the box, I realize. She didn’t let the fact that the lions were sleeping stop her. She thought beyond that. Why didn’t I?
“Very creative work, ladies,” says Hunter. “And last, but certainly not least, Nina.”
Nina looks confident, but I’m not sure if it’s real or an act. “As you can see,” she says, “I sewed a white shirt to a high-waisted black skirt to create a two-toned dress. It’s an homage to the penguins.”
Homage? I think, stifling a laugh. Definitely an act. Who talks like that? Just then I see a camera focused on me. Oops. I hope they didn’t catch me laughing at Nina.
Nina explains that she changed the crew-neck collar into a V-neck to help elongate the garment. The idea is similar to Derek’s, but the designs are leagues apart. Where Derek’s stitching flowed seamlessly, Nina’s is visible and jagged.
The judges run their hands across the fabric, studying it quietly. Finally, Hunter says, “I can see where you were going with this, Nina, but the execution could use some work. Your stitching is very uneven in several different places.”
Nina nods, no longer smiling. I know how she feels, but I think we’ll be safe for this round. The fact that our designs were finished should keep us safe from elimination.
“Thank you, everyone,” says Missy. “The judges need to deliberate for a bit. When we come back, we’ll let you know who’s safe and which two designers will be sent home.”
With that, Hunter, Jasmine, and Missy disappear into a nearby building. The rest of us look at each other, but no one says anything. I glance down at my design again. I really need to budget my time better for the next challenge. If watching Design Diva has taught me anything it’s that there are going to be lots of insane challenges. I’ll have to learn to do what Rachel did and see beyond what’s there.
Just then, the judges emerge from the nearby building. All the contestants look eager and nervous. Missy seems a bit dejected as she takes her place in front of us. “We understand this was the first challenge, and we wish we could have given you more time to get used to the process,” she says, “but rules are rules.”
Hunter nods. “We also know that what we see now will improve dramatically by the end of the competition,” he says.
“However,” Jasmine adds, “we have to work with what we have.” She turns a page in her notepad. “In the top five, we chose designs that truly impressed us. Designs that didn’t make us think, ‘this could have been truly great with more time.’”
I swallow. My design is definitely not in this category.
“If I call your name, please step forward,” Jasmine says. “Derek, Sam, Shane, Rachel, and Jillian — congratulations! You’re in the top five. That means that in the next challenge, you’ll have first choice of materials. You’ll also be given extra planning and sewing time.”
Sam and Shane fist bump, the girls hug, and Derek gives his dad a thumbs-up. I try not to groan. All five of them made amazing designs this round, and time wasn’t even an issue. I can’t imagine what they’ll be able to create next time around with extra sewing and planning time on their side.
“Unfortunately, we also have a bottom five,” Jasmine says to the group.
I remind myself to breathe as she starts listing off names. In the bottom five are Stefanie and Julia, neither of whom finished their designs; Luke; and two guys named Tom and Curt. Thankfully, I’m safe.
“Again, we know the time constraints were hard,” Missy says. “But we still have to let two of you go. Stefanie, Julia, because you weren’t able to make any sort of design, you’ll be leaving us today. I’m sorry.”
As the eliminated designers step forward, I catch Nina’s eye. She shrugs and makes a disappointed face. Stuck in the middle of the pack was not how either of us wanted to start off the competition. But right now, survival is what matters most.
Two days after the zoo challenge, I stare at the note that was slipped under our hotel room door early that morning. I read it for about the hundredth time:
“This can’t just be a treat,” I say. “It has to be the next challenge.”
My mom sighs. “I know, Chloe, you’ve been going on about it all morning. But you won’t know until you get there. Go check it out.”
I throw down the note and head downstairs. There are no judges to be seen, just hungry contestants and a towering display of mini cupcakes. They’re all beautifully decorated in pastel frosting with gold and silver flecks along the edges. Edible pearls adorn each swirl.
I choose a dainty pink one. It takes two bites to finish. Next, I pick a green one with silver flecks. The taste is a surprise: key lime with custard in the middle. Yum! After two days of worrying about how I can get into the top five, this is a welcome break.
Speaking of the top five, I realize that Derek and the two sets of twins are nowhere in sight. Are they off strategizing somewhere? I see Luke and the two other boys from the bottom five sitting together too. The reality shows I watch are all about forming alliances.
Is that what people are doing? I wonder. Should I be joining up with someone too? But before I have time to worry about it, the judges arrive.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Hunter says, “I’m glad to see you’re enjoying your treats, but on this show, things aren’t always what they seem. And today, a cupcake is not just a cupcake — it’s also your inspiration. For this next challenge, you will have to create cupcake-inspired headpieces.”
I knew it! Cupcakes with no strings attached were too good to be true.
“Head
pieces?” Luke calls out. “I thought this was a clothing design competition.”
Jasmine smiles tightly. “In the design world, it’s important to be versatile. The best designers have range. We want to see yours. So if it can go on your head, it meets the requirements.”
“Be creative,” Hunter continues. “You have three hours to complete this task.”
I still don’t see the twins or Derek. Even if they are currently my biggest competition, it doesn’t seem fair to have them miss this task.
Jasmine seems to read my mind. “Some of you may have noticed that the top five designers from the last challenge are missing. That’s because as part of their prize, they got a head start. They’re already hard at work behind these doors.”
I’d totally forgotten about the extra time the top five won. Hopefully, there’s still plenty of good fabric left. My goal is to budget some planning time, then sew, sew, sew. But first, I need a design. What’s cute and feminine like a cupcake? A bow! I can make a cool hat with a killer bow. In green. Like key lime pie. It’s not necessarily my style, but it definitely fulfills the headpiece requirement.
Wait, is that too easy? I wonder. I rub my temples. I can’t overthink it. I’ve seen plenty of Design Diva competitions where contestants were so busy second-guessing themselves and their designs that they ended up with disastrous outfits. Or worse — nothing at all.
Jasmine and Hunter walk over and open the double doors. The top five designers are already hard at work inside and don’t even raise their heads when we walk in. They are too busy stitching — by hand.
No sewing machines again? I think. This task keeps getting better and better.
In front of us, I see shelves covered with bolts of fabric. There are also sewing supplies arranged in baskets beside the shelves. It looks like there’s one basket for each designer, so that will make the organization easier. At least I won’t have to waste time racing around for supplies.
Chloe by Design: Making the Cut Page 9