Chloe by Design: Making the Cut

by Margaret Gurevich

  “Welcome,” Jasmine says when we’ve all gathered around. “I have some good news for you today. Starting with this challenge, you will have access to sewing machines.”

  That is good news. Maybe access to a sewing machine will be what makes the difference for me in this challenge.

  Jasmine looks at her watch. “It’s almost one o’clock. You’ll have an hour and a half to explore Toys “R” Us before you start designing.”

  “Needless to say,” says Missy, “your next challenge will be derived from what you see. The store speakers will announce when it’s time to regroup for the challenge instructions.”

  With that, Hunter opens the doors, and all the designers run into the store. It’s enormous — at least three levels high. I follow the sound of roaring, and in minutes, I’m standing in front of a massive dinosaur replica straight out of Jurassic Park. It stalks and roars amid a backdrop of mountains and forests, striking fear in passing children.

  I take a picture with my phone and move on to a Lego exhibit, almost bumping into the Incredible Hulk. He’s bigger than I am and made entirely of Legos. I snap another photo and text it to Alex. Lego building was always her specialty growing up. She made sure the tiniest details, like eye shape and window designs, weren’t forgotten. I can’t forget those little touches in my designs too.

  Candy Land is my next stop. There are giant candy canes and sugarplums just like in the board game and bin after bin of candy. While I’m debating what color jellybeans to buy, my eyes wander to the center of the store. As soon as I see the massive Ferris wheel, I know where I’ll be spending the rest of my time.

  The Ferris wheel sits smack in the middle of the store. The line to get on is long, but I snag a spot. I need to experience this ride. Every car on the wheel is unique. There’s one that looks like a taxi, another built to resemble a school bus, and some that have movie characters. No two are alike. When it’s my turn, I choose the one with Mr. Potato Head. It sails into the air, and I can see all the parts of the store. I snap more photos and think about the Ferris wheel that’s erected at the fair back home every summer. It’s one of my favorite times of year.

  By the time the Ferris wheel touches back down, I’m inspired. I sit in a corner, flip through my photos, and jot down ideas and inspiration in my sketchpad. When I hear the announcement that all the designers are due back at the front of the store, I’m calm. Whatever spin the judges put on this challenge, I’m ready.

  I look at the text from Jake again. Connection made.

  “I’ll keep it short and sweet since I’m sure you’re all eager to get started,” Hunter says. “The theme of this challenge is ‘The World Is a Toy Store.’ Interpret that however you want, but be sure to use one or more store sections as a starting point.” He takes out a box with slips of paper inside. “The item you will have to design is on these slips of paper. Take one, but don’t open it.”

  We each take a paper. “Derek, Sam, Shane, Jillian, and Rachel — you were all in the top five last week, so you may open your papers first,” Hunter continues. “As part of your prize, you have the opportunity to switch garments. But keep in mind that there is no guarantee you’ll like the alternative better. So how about it? Does anyone want to switch?”

  Four contestants shake their head no. Only Derek raises his hand. “I’d like to switch,” he says. “With Chloe.”

  Me?! I think frantically. But he doesn’t even know what I have! How is he so sure it’s better? Or maybe he thinks I can’t create whatever he has. But there’s nothing I can do. I frown and hand over my paper.

  Derek looks at it and smiles with satisfaction. I try to push down my annoyance. Now is not the time to lose it.

  “You’ll have three hours for this task,” Hunter says. “Last week’s top designers will get a thirty-minute head start to choose fabrics and start designing. When they’re done, the rest of you may start. The clock starts now.”

  The top five immediately start sketching furiously. I look down at my new slip of paper and try to get back in my happy zone. No matter what it says, I can do it. There’s no wall separating us from the top five today, and I watch them sort through the materials, flinging pieces every which way. When I see something with potential, I make a mental note to remember where it is. Finally, just as Derek sits down at a sewing machine, Hunter calls, “And go!” to the remaining six designers.

  We race to the sewing machines. I place my sketchpad and phone beside me before opening the slip of paper.

  SKIRT. I almost laugh with relief. That’s perfect! The Ferris wheel reminded me so much of the fair back home, and with Candy Land added in, I have the perfect inspiration for my skirt — cotton candy!

  Even though the top five got to choose fabrics first, the shelves are still fully stocked. I immediately spot a bolt of tulle in a soft pastel pink. Perfect! That’s exactly what I need for my cotton-candy skirt. I’ll need a lot of yardage to create the volume I’m looking for, so I grab the entire bolt, plus a pink knit for the lining. Then I grab some elastic. I’ll use that to create a cinched waistband to contrast the volume of the skirt. Finally, I grab some sparkly gemstones to add embellishment and tie in the whimsy of the toy-store theme.

  It’s time to get to work on the tulle. I measure and cut eight knee-length pieces of tulle so my skirt will have plenty of volume — that’s key for my cotton-candy inspiration. Then I cut the pink knit lining so that it’s the same length as the tulle and as wide as the hips on my dress form plus about ten inches.

  Keeping an eye on the time, I get to work on the hem of my skirt. I sew the short sides of each tulle layer together using a French seam to keep the edges looking nice. Then I do the same with the lining.

  One hour down, two hours to go. Around me, sewing machines are whirring. I’m almost at that point too, but I want to get it just right. It would be possible to make a no-sew tulle skirt, but I want to take advantage of the machines. A hack job is not going to cut it today.

  Next I get to work matching up the seams and top edges so I can baste the layers of tulle together. It’s a painstaking process with so much tulle, since it’s hard to see each individual layer when they’re all on top of each other, but it’s important to get it right.

  Be patient, I remind myself. Take your time.

  Once all the tulle is basted into one piece, I pleat and pin the top edge so that it’s the same width as the knit lining. I alternate sides to try and keep my pleats even. Then I match up the top edges of the tulle and lining, making sure both fabrics are right side out, and baste the two together to hold them in place temporarily.

  I quickly measure the waist of my mannequin and cut a piece of elastic to fit. My skirt is meant to be high-waisted, so I measure for a snug fit around the smallest part of the mannequin. Putting the two cut ends together, I race over to a sewing machine and stitch them together to create an unbroken circle of elastic.

  Time to put the two pieces together. I grab my skirt and some pins and mark half-, quarter-, and eighth-inch measurements around the top of the skirt and the elastic, then pin the waistband to the fabric at the marks. Finally it’s time to sew. I hold the elastic and tulle together and put the pieces through the machine. They go in easily, which is such a relief from the painstaking stitching I had to do on the previous tasks. In minutes, the fabric is sewed, and I examine the neat threading. I’ll never take a sewing machine for granted again!

  Light from the cameras suddenly shines in my face, and I try to block it out. I need to put the finishing touches on my skirt.

  “Forty-five minutes!” Jasmine calls.

  It’s crunch time. I grab the gems I selected and start attaching them to the tulle. My fingers work quickly as I sew them on, being careful not to rip or tear the fragile material. I place a greater concentration of gems and studs at the top of the skirt, near the waistband, and gradually lessen the embellishments as I move down the
skirt, creating a cascading effect.

  With fifteen minutes left, I slip the finished skirt over the top of the dress form and step back. It looks exactly as I imagined. The fullness of the skirt reminds me of the soft cotton candy I buy every year at the fair back home, and the added gemstones cascading down from the cinched waistband give it a fun, whimsical feel. I can already picture it with a snug, cropped sweater to balance the proportions of the skirt. Maybe in white or black to add drama and sophistication.

  For the first time since I arrived in New York, I feel confident. This is my winning piece.

  Jasmine moves from one design to the next, looking them up and down silently. She pauses at each one, jots something down on a piece of paper, and keeps going. Missy and Hunter follow her, taking their own notes. When they reach the end of the line, they look up — their signal to let us know they’re ready.

  “Let’s start with the end of the line for a change,” says Jasmine, moving to stand in front of Derek.

  I haven’t had a chance to peek at his design, but I’ve been dying to know what it was.

  “You switched assignments with Chloe. How do you feel about your decision?” asks Jasmine.

  “Great,” Derek says. “I wasn’t in a skirt mood today. Chloe’s assignment was a blouse, and I was up for the challenge. I was inspired by the Jurassic Park section of the store and found this army green rayon with a subtle fatigue print that really represented that. The sheer, delicate fabric provides a good contrast to the pattern, and I added faux leather detailing on the shoulders to really amp up the contrast. The texture of the material reminds me of the giant dinosaur replica.”

  Jasmine feels the material and nods. “This is beautifully made, Derek,” she compliments him. “The fabric drapes so well, and I love the contrast between the sheer airy material and the faux leather.”

  Derek tips an imaginary hat in thanks, and the judges love it. I’m sure they’d be happy to stand and talk to him all day, but they move on. Tom is next, standing in front of a blue jean jacket. “My garment was a jacket, which I chose to make out of denim,” he explains. “It’s my nod to the Super Mario Brothers.”

  Jasmine checks out the denim jacket. “The stitching is a little obvious and I’m not in love with the oversized buttons, but it’s fine.”

  Nina is next, and she’s bouncing in anticipation. “I used the Ferris wheel for inspiration,” she blurts as soon as the judges pause in front of her.

  I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes. Great minds think alike, I guess. I just hope she doesn’t have the same explanation as I do. Especially since we’re from the same hometown.

  “My garment was a skirt,” Nina continues.

  Oh, come on! I think. We both have skirts and chose the Ferris wheel as inspiration? What are the chances? I crane my neck to see her design and sigh with relief. At least there are no similarities between our designs. Nina created a floor-length, A-line skirt in black with a red heart pattern along the hem. It reminds me of construction paper hearts from grade school. It looks so forced. Usually, her designs are more chic.

  “And how did the Ferris wheel play into your design?” Missy asks.

  Nina blushes. “I had my first kiss on the Ferris wheel, and I wanted people to think of love and romance when they looked at this skirt.”

  What? I think. That is so not Nina — and so not true! Nina is terrified of Ferris wheels. I know for a fact that she’s never even been on one. She’s been scared of heights ever since we were little kids. I narrow my eyes, and she smirks. Anything to win, huh? I think back to Nina elbowing me during the last challenge. That seems much less of an accident now.

  “Awww!” Missy exclaims, and I have to fight the urge to gag.

  Once the judges have gotten their fill of Nina’s artificial sweetness, they move over to the two sets of twins. All four designers are sitting beside each other and whispering.

  “Girls,” Hunter says, frowning, “it’s completely possible that you both got dresses but—”

  Jillian’s face reddens as she interrupts Hunter. “We did both get dresses! I swear!”

  “Fine, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt on that,” Hunter says. “But I find it incredibly hard to believe that you both chose to make dresses with drawstring belts.”

  Rachel’s face turns crimson. “We’re twins. We have a sixth sense.”

  Jillian seems to sense things aren’t going well. “We, um, also both chose Candy Land as our inspiration,” she mumbles. “But it was total coincidence.”

  Luke laughs, but he’s quickly silenced by Jasmine’s killer stare. “This twinsy cuteness might have cut it if these designs were spectacular,” she says. “Unfortunately, the beading and sequins look like a birthday cake exploded.”

  The girls’ lips quiver at Jasmine’s harsh words, and Jillian wipes at her eyes with the back of her hand. It’s clear the sisters thought their designs were stellar.

  Jasmine moves over to Sam and Shane, her lip curled in a sneer. I imagine the producers using a close-up shot of that angry face for promos. “Do you and your brother have a sixth sense as well?” she asks sarcastically.

  Shane looks shaken. “Sometimes, but not today,” he says. He presents a pair of red corduroy pants. I’m not usually a huge fan of corduroy, but I have to admit the bold red makes them look cool and modern.

  “I was inspired by the superhero section,” Shane says. “Superheroes are clearly special, but they try to blend in among us. I thought about how I’ve been working to blend in here and tried to combine the elements of my home state of Texas with the originality of New York style.”

  Hunter, Missy, and Jasmine look at the pants from all sides. Finally Missy breaks the silence. “You didn’t just try,” she says, beaming, “you succeeded!”

  Shane lets out an audible sigh, clearly relieved. Sam, on the other hand, is visibly sweating as he presents his denim vest. “I used the Toy Story section for inspiration since I love working with denim,” he says, voice cracking. “I added leather fringe to the hem to give it a cowboy feel but kept the top simple and clean.”

  Even Jasmine seems to have pity for him. “Thank you, Sam. You can relax.” She waves to one of the producers, and he brings over a cup of water, while another producer leans in for a close-up.

  By the time the judges get to me, I just want to be done. It’s been a long day. Hunter speaks first. “Chloe, I’m impressed. This skirt is not something I would have expected from you. The color and design both seem like a big departure from your usual style.”

  “They are,” I agree. “I’m usually a bit more minimalist and drawn to neutral colors. But I was inspired to try something new this challenge.”

  Missy nods. “And what were you were inspired by?” she asks.

  “The Ferris wheel,” I say. Nina snorts, but I ignore her. “It reminded me of the fair that happens back home every summer. And one of my favorite things about the fair, aside from riding the Ferris wheel, is eating cotton candy, which is what helped inspire my skirt. I also spent some time in the store’s Candy Land section, so that helped. I was going for a very whimsical feel, since that’s what toy stores are really all about. I think the volume of the skirt and the scattered gems accomplish that.”

  “Very impressive,” Hunter says. I smile, but the judges are already moving on to Daphne.

  “What happened?” asks Missy, unable to control her surprise at Daphne’s misshapen blouse.

  Daphne throws her hands up helplessly. “The sewing machine and I had a fight. It won.” She scrunches the pretty turquoise material in her hands as she talks. It’s obvious how beautiful the blouse could have been.

  The judges peer closely at the stitching. I’m sure there are good elements to Daphne’s design, but the material looks so wrinkled and frayed, it’s practically impossible to tell. There’s nothing Daphne can do at this point, and sh
e hangs her head in disappointment as the judges walk away to decide our fashion fate once again.

  The judges are gone much longer than usual this time. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Either they’re having a hard time deciding between all the good designs, or they think everything was so bad it’s impossible to choose. Finally, after almost an hour of deliberating, they reappear.

  “Thank you for waiting,” Jasmine says. “After much discussion, we have reached our decision. We thought having access to sewing machines this week would make things easier for you, but it seems we were wrong. Many of you struggled with this challenge. That’s why this week we’ll only have a top two, rather than a top five.”

  “Now on to the good news,” Missy says, seeming eager to get things back on a more positive note. “Derek, it was a risky move to switch garments with Chloe, but it paid off for you. You’re one of our top two designers this week.”

  Hunter steps forward with a smile. “It paid off for more than just you,” he says. “We have a new addition joining the top of the pack today. Chloe, you really stepped outside your comfort zone and took this challenge to heart with your cotton-candy skirt. Well done. You’re the other designer in the top two. Congratulations.”

  I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. I finally did it! “Thank you,” I say gratefully. I want to scream and cheer and hug everyone around me, but we’re not done. I have to be content with an excited grin.

  “Of course with a top we must also have a bottom,” says Hunter. “Luke, while we admire the ambition you showed in wanting to try something different, the short time frame doesn’t leave time for any type of tie-dye. You clearly didn’t plan well enough for your design, and therefore you’re in the bottom five.”