About My Research

This site serves as a reflection of my graduate thesis work in automotive textile design at North Carolina State University.  I began this site in January 2009 and plan to maintain it until my graduation in December 2009.  I have been in the graduate program at the College of Textiles for 1 year of a 2 year program.  During this first year, I have focused on the automotive industry, design, and sustainability.  Now at the half-way point, I have selected my thesis topic and made plans as to how to approach my research so that my work is complete by October 2009.  In the right column of this blog, I have posted my personal timeline to ensure that I am meeting my deadlines.  Please take time to look through all the information included in the right hand column, especially if this is your first time visiting this site.

The purpose of this site is 3-fold.
1) Most scholars are only given 1 chance to write a thesis, and 2 years to learn how to do so.  Sure there are books on research methods and databases of theses to form a background or starting place for your work, but no one really explains to us exactly what this process is like from start to finish.
2) Over the past year, I have learned beyond my expectations about the automotive industry, past, current, and future.  Throughout my next year of study, I have access to resources that would be coveted by any designer in this industry and plan to uncover valuable correlations between design and success.  I will post many images and articles which I find the most enriching.
and 3) Writing my thoughts and progress where it is publicly available will encourage me to meet deadlines and provide a clear platform to keep my committee informed.

My Topic
I will be examining the history of automotive bodycloth development and aligning this with outside factors such as the economy, increase in mass production, increase in technical standards and regulations, the importance of fashion and color, along with what at this time is an unpredictable number of additional variables.  The ultimate question I aim to answer is if there is a concrete way to measure and predict success in order to save time, money, and resources.

3.07.2010

Common Seam Collective

Collective Seam is a collaboration of five of the most talented fiber, fabric, and apparel artists I have had the pleasure of knowing:


Gabrielle Duggan

Meghan Holliday

Liz Morrison

Amy Quinn

Shelley Smith




I will quote their facebook fan page a
nd website for the most accurate description of this exciting project:

In August of 2009, five fiber-minded individuals came together to think about how to design and produce textile art and apparel in new and sustainable ways. As the conversation continued, the common concepts of "slow clothing" and the value of making further interwove the individuals and the Common Seam Collective was born...


The Common Seam Collective is a community of artists, designers, and craftspeople exploring fibers and textiles and developing our work through collaboration, critique, and education. From spinning yarn to fashion design, we seek to enrich our community by cultivating an interest in both old and new technological processes use in fibers and textiles.


On Friday February 26th, 2010, the Collective debuted their first group show featuring the work of founding members.


I was fortunate enough to attend this show, and see for myself how much these girls have accomplished during their time at NC State's Colleges of Textiles and Design and beyond. I felt so proud to have been a part of the same programs as these girls, but I will let the work speak for itself.


Please check
thecommonseam.com for more information and photos.

All photography by Erin Debnam, www.erindebnam.com

4 comments:

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  2. From your view/research,
    what's your opinion about tex tech for 4-5 years upcoming?

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  3. I like all details that you provide in your articles.
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