Monday and Tuesday...and a Fashion Show!!!

Monday morning, we had Sewing 2, with Muriel, who was back from Mexico. (Muriel requests that we speak in French to her as much as possible, so it'll be challenging and definitely help me get better.) Muriel had us introduce ourselves to her and then had us do an exercise where we sewed straight lines at equal distances apart on a square of muslin (or toile, as it's called here). After we were all done in the afternoon, someone asked our grades on the assignment, and Muriel lined up our samples from best to worst...and mine happened to be the best! (I think I got something like a 15 out of 20.)
In the afternoon, I attempted to work on my corset. The last time Anne had fitted me, she had told me just to revise the side panels, and it would be fine. I told Muriel that I needed to be re-fitted, and she fit the corset around me. Last week, when Anne had fit me, she had me getting fitted in my bra so that it was skin-tight. Muriel, on the other hand, seemed to be fitting me loosely (with my shirt on). I asked her a couple of times if it would be better if I removed my shirt so that we could get a more accurate measurement, and she kept telling me that it was unnecessary. After seeing that the new corset didn't fit, Muriel took my measurements again and ended up taking away an inch off my bust and adding 6 to my waist. First she made a crack, insinuating I was eating too much fast food (eww) and then asked who took my measurements. (I told her it was Ana, who-conveniently-wasn't there.) Now, I'm worried that if Anne refits this 2nd new corset on me, the measurements will be screwed up again. The rest of the class, I kept sewing up the side panels and ripping out the uneven seams. (For some reason, I seem to have a real problem with "match lines together, pin together, sew on said lines". I hope this gets better.)
(Random question of the day: Nisa, knowing I was from the Southern part of the U.S., asked me if I called my mom "Mama". I had to tell her that my parents weren't from the South, and so we aren't really cultural Southern. I can see where she would think so, since the rest of the world's education on the South comes from "Gone with the Wind"-which I believe has this element-and "Deliverance".
We can add that to Nisa telling Liz that she facially resembles Britney Spears and later asking her if she's "ever punched a guy".)
After the afternoon period, we had art history, which was all the regular students' presentations. I met a girl in interior design named Eva, who had previously studied at SCAD, so that was cool.
After class, I started doodling out some embroidery motifs (we needed 5 for the next day), and made some dinner. (I made some sausage with rice. It was not impressive. I think I can safely say that I will not be using 4-course home-cooked meals as a future seduction technique-as we women are generally encouraged to do.) I also embroidered a bit, since we also needed to show Susan a sample. I crumpled a piece of fabric and sewed bits and pieces of it down. (My idea was to use the embroidery to show shadows with the scroll stitch and highlights with the running stitch.) To take my mind off the tedium, I watched a few episodes of The Venture Brothers online (because whenever I do something as blatantly feminine as embroidery, I have to do some relatively dude-like for balance).
On getting into class this morning (Tuesday), I decided to embroider a line of shadow, rather than the spots I had. I was embroidering as Susan came in (I thought that was good timing on my part). Susan then went around the room, and looked at our samples. I was second, and surprisingly, it didn't go too bad. She told me to get some lighter fabric and that I should focus on the simpler stitches (thank God). She also showed me how to do a French knot, possibly to use in embroidering the bra. I then spent most of the period practicing the French knots. Susan was getting progressively frustrated with our whole class while she was looking at our work; she even asked us if we were all going out clubbing instead of getting our work done. (Later, Sharon and I agreed that Susan doesn't seem to have an accurate grasp on how much time her embroidery works takes, on top of everything else we have to do). A little while into it, I was having trouble with the French knots and got up to ask her. While showing me a second time, she asked me if I frequently forgot things that were taught to me 5 minutes before (my thought: "no, just embroidery stitches that I will never use again, outside of this class"), and when I persisted in doing it wrong, she dramatically turned her back to me and wailed (at least it made for a valuable addition to my burgeoning impression of her). Later, when checking on our supplies/ideas for our pants or skirt, she really liked the gloves and wool samples that I had gotten, but then verbally reamed me (albeit very minorly this time) for not going to the big department stores and getting ideas for details ("sorry, I was doing the rest of your work during the daylight working hours, and I'm not important enough to ask them to hold the store open for me after-hours").
Something cool happened too. One of Peter's assistants came in, talked with Susan for a bit, and then Susan turned to us and said, "Well folks, it looks like you're going to a fashion show." AWESOME!!! She then said that it started at 12:30 pm, and we could just miss an hour of the afternoon and come back. Most of our class went, all except Nisa and Rikard. I rode the bus over with Sharon, Ashley, Liz and Andrea.
It was in the Carousel du Louvre, in one of the rooms (Liz and Andrea had gone to a fashion show Sunday morning in about the same place), and it was for Marithe and Francois Girbaud. We had to wait outside for awhile (fashion shows never start on time), so Sharon and I talked for most of that time. Liz, Ashley and Andrea ended up on one side (by ducking under a velvet rope) and Sharon and I ended up across from them. We presented our invitations to one of the (very well-dressed guys) who were evidentally doing security. (I would've been content to just stand and look at them for awhile! One big perk of fashion: Gorgeous men!) We stood in the back, but fortunately the stage/catwalk was big enough so that I could get a full view of the entire outfit as the models were walking towards backstage. Oh, also beforehand, some (old) guy near us asked Sharon if she was a model!
Before the show started, there was a backdrop/lights across the back depicting a scientifically-accurate rendering of the starts and universe, along with a mechanical draft of a spacecraft (I don't know what it actually was-like anyone else had any clue either-but it sure looked cool!) So the lights went down (anticipation!) and came up (here we go!). The theme was definitely space/sci-fi, similar of Star Wars and Firefly (for me, at least). (Random question: Why does it seem, in every space-western story set in the future, the characters are all in rags? Seriously, they're all in, like, burlap sacks. So we're supposed to believe that technology has progressed at roughly the same rate fashion has regressed-back into the Stone Age? I ask Joss Whedon this.) Oh, and speaking of Star Wars, the theme song was definitely played! It was awesome, and reminded me why I love this profession (well, that's not the whole reason, but part of it). But seriously, the music was really cool. Overall, I totally got what the designers were going for. Sharon recognized a model that she identified as Omahyra Mota, who apparently is huge here and in New York. (Interesting fact: According to Wikipedia, her sister was in a movie called G.I. Jesus. I wonder, if they made sequels, they'd be called G.I. Jesii? That was just for you, Mark, I hope that you thoroughly enjoyed that.)
After the show (which lasted about half an hour), we 5 went back to class, joining Nisa and Rikard. During the afternoon, we had to show Susan our 30 sketches for the disco, cocktail and Cannes dress. I was a little worried, given Susan's reaction to my embroidery, but she really liked me! (Quote: "You've got some really nice stuff here".) The first thing she said was, "It's so nice to see some clean sketches".She told me to draw about 4 more in each cateogry for the next class, and told me to expand and "go further" on some of the ones. So, phew! (I'm rationalizing on this by thinking that my designs are one of my strong points, and embroidery not. So I hold Susan's praise of my (admittedly awesome) flats in higher regard than her frustration with the fact that I am hopeless at embroidery. I just think/know that my flats will benefit me more in the future than a few fancy stitches. I'm more interested in getting better at my designs/craftsmanship than my embroidery.)
Also, at the end of class, Nisa invited me to go to Chinatown with her and her boyfriend, but I had French and I couldn't go, so I was bummed about missing that.
In French, we read a newspaper feature where 5 young people were interviewed about their jobs. We analyzed the vocabulary and learned about the intricities (as much as we could understand in regular simple vocabulary) of the French job system.
After class, I decided to go to Galleries Lafayette and Printemps to go do some research on mens' trousers (since Susan had told us that we'd be drafting our patterns on Thursday). I took the metro there and happened to exit the station right in front of Printemps. Once inside, I asked someone where the mens' section was, and she directed me. I found it on the fourth floor, and wandered around for a bit, looking at the pants. I was there about 45 minutes before they closed, and was pretty much the only person on that floor. I attempted to sketch a bit of a pant detail, only to be told by a lady who worked there that photos and drawings weren't allowed. (So much for that idea, back to the trusty internet-the one that Susan hates!)
I cam back, ate some dinner, wrote this whole thing and will call my Grandma and Grandpa Ewald later tonight...