Costume Design
Summer 2024
Fridays from 6-8pm - one 10 week session
Ages 15+
June 7th - August 16th
Instructor: Christine Knobel
Costume Design
This course will focus on design and construction of costume. All costume types welcome, from Halloween to Historical to Cosplay, we will be learning how to design and construct the costumes of our choice. This class will begin with research and sketching. From there, we will break up each costume into its parts and begin construction. Mobility and comfort for wearer will be considered for each design. Students will be introduced to the innovative problem solving required to take a sometimes two dimensional sketch and transform it into a wearable costume.
This class takes place one day a week for two hours. The first hour will focus on the costuming lesson while the second hour will comprise of open lab where students can work on personal projects or continue to construct their costumes.
Results:
To sew at least ONE costume in Fashion Fabric
• To learn how to research costumes from primary sources
• To learn how to identify all components of a costume
• To learn various garment construction techniques required for their costume
Curriculum:
Sewing Techniques with a focus on garment construction
Research practices
Costume Design
About the Instructor
Christine Knobel Christine works as a freelance designer, seamstress, and instructor in the Northern California Bay Area. She teaches fashion and textile courses at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Design. Christine has also worked as an instructor at Arizona State University in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. She led courses in pattern drafting and draping, fashion collection development, and fashion capstone projects.
While at UC Davis for her M.F.A., her thesis focused on fashion sustainability. She studied dyeing methods, textile life cycle assessments, and ultimately dove into biotextile design. Her work there led her to Make: where she's been sharing her research on kombucha textiles and cosplay. As a fashion designer she's worked professionally in pattern drafting, loungewear design, textile print design, and with private clients for cosplay design and construction.
Her cosplay work has been featured by Marvel Comics, and seen on such sites as Vanity Fair, LA Weekly, and the Daily Mail UK. Christine has a passion for fashion, from fiber, yarns, textiles, to the rich history of the garments we wear.
Rave Reviews!
About The Sewing Room
At THE SEWING ROOM we specialize in Apparel Sewing and Fashion. Our instructors have experience with garment fit, construction, design in both the fashion industry as well costuming. Our Fashion Studies Program is an accelerated Fashion program for Middle, High School & Adult Students. In this semester long program, students learn the fundamentals of Fashion Design while being taught & mentored by industry professionals.
Through this program, students build a strong foundation of fashion centered skills while building their portfolio(s) and preparing for deeper study.
Jennifer Serr Owner and Lead Instructor at The Sewing Room, had a career in the fashion industry for two decades before opening shop. Jennifer is also Owner and Lead Designer at Bonjour Teaspoon Patterns - A sewing pattern company specializing in "Classic Style for the Modern Girl & Her Doll". She is also AUTHOR of the Book Sewing Camp Power.
"I started teaching students and about fashion and sewing almost two decades ago. I knew what it was like to have a burning passion to create well fitting, beautiful clothing, and wanted to share my skills and expertise with like minded people. Because I started sewing and designing when I was 7 years old, I know that there are very few boundaries for what drives a person to pursue a calling. Sewing and Fashion are my favorite things and I'm excited to share this expertise and passion with those who consider it their passion as well!"
