FCS 208, or Introduction to Fashion Design and Merchandising, allowed me to learn about designing a clothing line. Below are many of the assignments that taught me how to get started.

Fashion Industry Career Research: Textile Research Scientists

Weaving Project

Exploring the Role of a Textile Research Scientist.docx

Weaving Patterns

This week I learned about different textiles and weave types. I found multiple items in my house that have different weaving patterns. For instance, the mustard-colored tweed pillow in the library uses plain weaving, which is a one in one out method. My satin pillowcase uses a satin weaving pattern, my cotton blanket uses a waffle weave, and the linen hand towel in the half-bathroom uses a herringbone weave. I shared my findings with my brother Max, who asked why it is called a waffle weave, when I pointed out exactly what the pattern looked like, and that it resembles a waffle. He also asked me why it is called herringbone weave. Upon further research I learned that it is called the herringbone weave because it resembled the zigzag bones patterns of a herring fish.

Attached below pictures from learning weaving patterns using paper.

Burn Lab Report

For my coursework today (05/10/25), I learned how to burn fabric swatches to determine the material. This is important, especially if someone thrifts fabric or gets it used or unmarked! After doing a burn test on four different materials, I had the opportunity to share my findings with my boyfriend, Cohen, and explain why and how certain fabrics respond in specific ways. He asked me whether mixed fabrics would change the outcome of the burn test, and if fabric treatments like dyes or detergents could influence the results.

After completing this assignment, I began wondering if the burn test can aid in fabric care, help determine appropriate cleaning methods, and whether natural plant and animal fibers behave differently under flame.

Here’s what I found:

Blended fabrics may exhibit mixed characteristics, which can make identification more challenging (Naomi, 2022).
Dyes, detergents, and fire retardants can alter how fabric burns (Henderson, 2024).
Identifying the fiber content helps determine appropriate cleaning methods and the fabric's suitability for specific projects.
The difference between how plant and animal fibers burn is that plant fibers burn steadily and smell like burning paper, leaving soft ash, while animal fibers burn slowly, may self-extinguish, smell like burning hair, and leave brittle ash.

Henderson, T. (2024, August 22). Understanding the fabric burn test: A guide to testing various fabric types. Outsource! Contract Laboratory E-Magazine. https://outsource.contractlaboratory.com/fabric-burn-test/

Naomi. (2022, July 22). Testing your textiles: How to use burn tests & fabric characteristics to identify composition. Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog. https://blog.megannielsen.com/2022/07/testing-your-textiles-how-to-use-burn-tests-fabric-characteristics-to-identify-composition/

Sew Heidi. (2023, October 6). How to identify fibers using the fabric burn test (with pics!) Successful Fashion Designer. https://successfulfashiondesigner.com/fabric-burn-test/

fcs208_document_Burn-Lab-Worksheet (1).docx

Heart & Hem

fcs208_document_Design-A-Line.docx

W13 Fashion Merchandising.docx

Color Wheel

We studied the importance of color theory and the practice of mixing primary colors, as well as neutral black and white, to create a spectrum of colors and shades. This is my second time completing this type of assignment; I also learned these practices in my interior design course, which will be linked to the interior design page.

Unfortunately, I have lost the pictures from this assignment, so I will include an example from the last time I did this assignment.

Page updated

Google Sites