Automotive Textile Design

Keeping current, keeping busy

2010-10-25T20:22:00.000-04:00

Hello my dear blog community!

It has been another exciting couple of months. This post is just a quick summary of some of the most exciting things I've been up to in the automotive, textile, and design worlds.

In addition to my pet care business, the past few months have presented me with opportunities for freelance and part time work within my discipline.

One of these opportunities includes creating conceptual artwork that an automotive textiles supplier plans to use as inspiration for new designs.

I have also been working with my former professor, Vita Plume. Vita is a Fibers and Surface Designer, and a world-renowned weaver. She recently recieved a grant from the North Carolina Art Council to produce a body of work. I have been assisting her as a weaving technician on the College of Design's TC-1 Hand-Jacquard loom.

Additionally, Vescom America has invited me to join their Product Design team. I will primarily be assisting the team with hands-on screenprinting. Vescom is a leading developer of interior products for the international market. This primarily includes vinyl and textile wall coverings. They offer sustainable, anti-microbial, and high fashion designs for all interior spaces. I start with Vescom and look forward to learning more about the company and product. Please check them out: http://www.vescom.com

Staying current and networking have been my keys to success. This month, I was able to do both by attending the Inter-Society Color Council annual meeting. The ISCC was founded in 1931 with the goal of advancing the knowledge of color as it relates to art, science, and industry. The council provides the unique opportunity to combine experts from each discipline. Far too often artist, scientists, industrial researchers, and academics do not get to interact. I find these relationships interesting and valuable, as presented in my thesis research. It is important that each area works with one another and can "speak the language" of each group.

To learn more about ISCC, check out: http://www.iscc.org/

I'd also like to thank one of my worldly readers for sharing their website with me, which I will now share with you: http://racing-top.com.es/
Thanks Javier- great links!

Mid-Century Modern

2010-09-30T22:29:00.001-04:00

For those of you that follow my blog, or know me personally, this "hobby" of mine will come as no surprise. My passion for Mid-Century America goes much deeper than the automotive industry and has culminated in an apartment full of stylishly designed, well-crafted furniture, kitchenware, and clothes.

The term "Mid-Century Modern" refers to architectural, interior, product, and digital designs that thrived through the 1930's to 1960's. Some of the most influential designers of this era include Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller, Milo Baughman, Thayer Coggin, and Paul McCobb. The organic and simplistic lines characteristic of Mid-Century Modern are synonymous with Scandanavian design elements of this time period.

This movement was prominent on the West Coast and in large, "trendy" cities, which attracted designers and collectors. While LA and Chicago rank 1st and 2nd for concentration of mid-century architecture, Raleigh, NC is an unexpected 3rd. Much of this has to due with the NC State College of Design, the professors and lecturers drawn to the program by CoD Dean, Henry Kamphoefner and colleagues. The College itself is based on Bauhaus design principles (also a substantial influence on Mid-Century Design). Another notable source of influence to Raleigh's position in the Mid-Century Modern scene is the wealth of notable NC furniture manufacturers such as Haywood, Lane, Broyhill, and Drexel.

This fall Raleigh's Mid-Century Modern heritage has been flowing into the public arena through multiple outlets. On September 25, Triangle Modernists Houses hosted their annual tour of selected architectural jewels in the Raleigh area. NC State's Gregg Museum is hosting "Southern Roots of Mid-Century Modern" (August 19-December 18). Additionally, Mid-Century Modern private dealers are flourishing as Gen-Y is reconnecting with items from their parents' and grandparents' homes.

Below are images of pieces I collected with my boyfriend from dealers, thrift stores, flea markets, craigslist, and our parents. There's nothing more exciting than the thrill of finding a piece where the owners did not know what they were parting with and getting a real deal. I've also included an exterior picture of our building, the Beckanna. Our furniture has found a comfortable home in this 1960's uptown apartment.

Favorite Triangle Dealers and Deals
Father & Son Antiques
Good Bones Vintage
Modernique
Hipsteria
Cause for Paws
Habitat for Humanity ReStore

New Gigs, New Hopes

2010-07-27T01:59:00.000-04:00

Good Evening Good Friends!

I've had some good news over the past month. I expanded my career search to include technical and performance textiles...with success! I'm in the middle of a couple of very intense interview processes and am remaining optimistic that I will be able to begin my professional career by September (fingers crossed!).

In the between time, I am also pursuing opportunities for extra income. One of my most exciting endeavors is to expand my passion for pets into a profitable experience. Check out my Paw Prints Website!

www.JenBensPawPrints.blogspot.com

Wish me luck!

Where in the World is Jenna?

2010-06-27T15:42:00.004-04:00

New Brunswick, Canada!

Yeah...I've been here for a month...dog-sitting!

I'm at a friend's cottage on the lake, enjoying life. I'm in Jemseg, which is 45 minutes from the capital of Fredericton. Not only am I with an amazing dog, I am in a beautiful province with a lively downtown. Last week, I picked a friend up in Maine and we traveled to Prince Edward Island and Halifax, Nova Scotia. PEI was amazing with red clay beaches and thousands of acres of green gables. While in Halifax, we made friends with a group from Quebec, canoed, and danced around our campfire. We had a very short trip, but still managed an hours drive in the port area.

Yesterday, I took a trip into Fredericton for the Cultural Expressions Festival. The day was filled with a rainbow of ethnicities, food, arts, music, and dancing. I came back with a henna tattoo on my arm and one tired dog. Also in Fredericton, I've been to local concerts, local shopping, and even a Pow Wow sponsored by the local tribe of St. Mary's.

I'll be here just 11 more days and will have another visitor starting on Tuesday! Lots of fun ahead of me still, and lots of work behind me.

While here, I have also worked on a chapter I am writing for a new Woodhead Publishing book, New Product Development in Textiles: Innovation and Production. I'll be sure to post when this book is released!

I must go enjoy the beautiful weather! I'll upload pictures once I'm home with a stronger internet connection.

Happy Summer!

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists

2010-05-24T10:26:00.001-04:00

Last week I attended the 2010 AATCC International Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The focus of this year's conference was "Innovation and Sustainability Bring New Life to Textiles". The conference was co-located with ATME-I MEGATEX 2010 as part of the Textile and Sewn Products Industry Week. Techtextil North America and SPESA Expo also ran concurrently.

On the first day of the conference, I presented my thesis research on automotive textile color trends. Although few attendees were experts on the automotive industry, I received much positive feedback regarding my topic and approach.

Attending this conference was a great opportunity for networking and learning more about the textile industry and key players globally. Some the most interesting presentations I attended were in the Concept 2 Consumer track. These included Sarah Kang of Chico's presentation on Color Consistency from Concept to Production, Tiffany Eubanks of Inspired Design Solutions' presentation on Traditional Textile Printing in Today's Digital Age, Stephen Fraser of Spoonflower's presentation on People-powered Textile Design, Danielle Locastro of First2Print's presentation on Digital Printing Dresses Up Couture Fashion for Michael Angel, and the research of NCSU College of Textile's Nancy Powell, Lisa Parillo-Chapman and Amani Shaker, whose topic focused on Consumer Perception of Quality in Jaquard Woven and Printed Fabrics for Home Furnishings.

On the last day of the conference, I made my way through the week's textile expo. Hundreds of global companies were in attendance, and I was able to take the time to sit down with consultants from Lectra, and DataColor, two digital textile technologies companies of great value to automotive industry.

In addition to the conference, those of you who follow me know that I enjoy taking full advantage of my travel, whether it be for pleasure or business. On the drive to Atlanta, I stayed with friends in Spartanburg, SC and made a trip into Greenville, SC- one of the most quaint towns I've come to love. While in Atlanta, I spent time strolling Centennial Park and Decatur Street, enjoying the local cuisine, and even attended an exciting Braves MLB game. On the way back, I stopped in Marietta to see a friend's childhood neighborhood and walked along the Chattahoochee River on a beautiful Thursday afternoon.

Portfolios, Pets and Progress.

2010-04-26T10:13:00.002-04:00

Another month has passed and on top of the work I am doing for the College of Textiles and my job search, I am constantly finding new ways to keep myself busy.

Updates
1) I have created a new set of instructions and a working chain plan for EAT in conjunction with the ElTex. We are currently working with some of the wonderful personnel at EAT to check that these are accurate. This will enable us to have our ElTex loom working properly, and ensure that students, faculty and staff will be able to easily work with this loom and software in the future. Once the instructions are verified, I will be gin creating a database of weave structures.

2) In continuation of my thesis research, I am working with graduate student Ivy Hill to determine trends in hand by the categories of Thickness and Softness. Once all data is collected, we will evaluate the trends and make predictions for the future.

3) Although I have not yet found my niche in the automotive textile industry, I am not allowing my confidence to falter. This is a tough job market, especially for such a specific area of interest. In addition to my career search, I have been finding new and exciting ways to continue my cash flow beyond working with the college. These are listed in the next section.

New Projects
1) Pet walking, sitting, loving... I am an animal lover to the extreme, but I know that until I have a normal working schedule, a permanent living situation, and a steady cash flow, I cannot have a pet of my own. Instead, I have integrated others' pets into my life and have added to my weekly income. This is usually the most exciting part of my day. If you're local and have a pet that needs some extra love and attention while you're at work, gone for the weekend, etc., contact me and I'll be glad to help!

2) I am starting my own online business! I am offering services to help prepare you for the job market. I am offering services such as Resume writing, formatting and editing and Portfolio building. I can also provide guidelines and personal consultations for Interview success and self-promotion for "You as a Product". The website is currently in progress and will connect from this blog as soon as it is available.

3) In addition, I am thinking about heading west to California by the end of the summer, surrounding myself with automotive design centers. While I'm there, I'll continue my Pet-sitting and Resume services and perhaps work part-time with an automotive trim shop or in a retail environment. I will continue my career search and will be ready to move wherever the best opportunity may take me.

So what's next?

2010-03-22T16:37:00.002-04:00

Its been a very strange past couple of months for me. For the first time in 23 years, I'm not in school. This certainly doesn't mean that life has gotten any less busy!

This month I have began working with the NC State College of Textiles again, continuing my work with EAT DesignScope and helping Nancy Powell with automotive research (including my own). I really enjoy working with EAT and our jacquard equipment. Its certainly a privilege to have access to this equipment and every time I work with it, my technical knowledge continues to grow. I am currently working with our ElTex JC4, which has not run successfully in almost 10 years. I created a weave blanket in December and the technicians got the loom running after working with it and ordering parts for a full semester. Now that I've returned, our goal is to connect all 8 fillings and to create 3- and 8-filling weave blankets. I will then create the instructions, complete with step-by-step screen shots, for future students. I also hope to weave my ATS/Kolon Competition designs.

Beyond this, I have updated my resume and created a pdf portfolio. I am currently reaching out to all the contacts who were so helpful during my thesis process to thank them and connect them to my research. Still in progress is my physical portfolio and job search.

On that note, I am available and ready to interview if any of my readers know of available positions :)

Common Seam Collective

2010-03-07T23:14:00.014-05:00

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

2010 Chicago Auto Show

2010-02-27T21:55:00.006-05:00

Enjoy!

Chicago, Chicago

2010-02-27T21:26:00.002-05:00

I've returned from a wonderful trip to the mid-west!

As mentioned in the previous post, I traveled to Chicago for the International Conference on Design Principles and Practices. Not only did we have wonderful weather for February in the Windy City, but the Conference was extraordinary! I didn't hear an actual count for the number of participants, but my guess would be well over 100- and it certainly proved to be an international crowd. Speakers were representing research from all over North and South America, Europe, Asia and newly formed countries which I had never even heard of. Regardless of nationality, we all spoke the common language of Design.

Most conference attendees were also speakers and were divided into 8 different "streams". These included:

Architecture, The Built Environment and Planning

Business, Economics and Knowledge Management

Social Policy, Culture and Welfare

Design Policy, Planning and Politics

Design Research

Digital, Internet and Multimedia Design

Engineering

Industrial Design

We were welcome to join any presentation, but were grouped by stream for "Talking Circles". These provided a chance to speak about our international commonalities within Design. I joined the Industrial Design Stream. We spoke mostly about multi-disciplinary Design and how, while nearly all designers are well versed in supporting disciplines, such as engineering and business, they are often not credited with these skills. We spoke about how the term "Design" even seems to take on a negative connotation around particular fields (such as engineering). Although I will not discuss this at length here, it is a topic I am very passionate about. Please email me if you'd like to discuss further. For a summary of this discussion, we concluded that while Designers are well-rounded in various disciplines, the key is to speak in the language of others. Because Designers are creative, and are both left and right brained, they can use the vocabulary of engineers, financial planners, and marketers. This flexibility is necessary for any productive business.

For more information on the Conference, please check out the website:

http://designprinciplesandpractices.com/conference-2010/

4th Annual International Conference on Design Principles and Practices

2010-02-10T21:25:00.004-05:00

Hello my fellow Automotive Textile lovers!

My blog frequency has certainly dwindled since my graduation in December, but I do have exciting news to share. Tomorrow I am going to Chicago, IL for the 4th Annual International Conference on Design Principles and Practices. I will be presenting my thesis research on Sunday afternoon with the Industrial Design Stream. Following the Conference, I will submit a paper which will be under review for publication by Common Ground.

I am hoping to get a little Chi-town sightseeing done before the Conference starts on Saturday... And what is winter without an Auto Show?! Thursday evening, I'll be heading to McCormick Plaza for the 102nd Chicago Auto Exhibition to see what 2010 and beyond has in store! That's all for now, but I can assure you that details and pictures will follow, as usual.

HAPPY NEW YEAR and HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2009-12-31T09:14:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone is having very happy holidays, wherever you may be.

I have been very busy graduating, celebrating holidays with family and friends, and moving. Although I have completed my thesis and degree, I will continue this blog until I find permanent employment. As soon as I get a chance, I will update with my progress. If you have emailed me, I will respond as soon as I can.

Take Care!

The Fun Never Ends :)

2009-11-28T21:45:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving has had a wonderful one with friends and family! For everyone else in the world, I hope that you also take some time to think about all the things you are thankful for!

This past week I did my "final final final" (hopefully) thesis edits. The post "I'm Done" did not included edits from the thesis editor. This is the final step. She edits primarily for formatting (not content) so that the theses are consistent with the ETD (electronic thesis and dissertation) guidelines. I was able to complete these edits in a few hours and have shared with Nancy for 1 last review from her. I will edit one last time according to Nancy's feedback then this "final final final" version MUST be submitted by THIS Friday.

With the thesis almost completely behind me, its time for another project. In order to graduate, I must complete a final project for my Independent Study in Jacquard weaving. This project inspired my 3 architects I admire most: Gaudi, Gehry and Graves. This week I am creating image boards for each designer. From these I will create 2 colorways. I hope to have fabrics in each colorway for each designer, for a total of 6 fabric designs. My goal is to accomplish this in 1 week! This will leave me with a week and a half to prepare these weaves in design software (EAT DesignScope) and weave on either the Staubli and ElTex. Ideally, I will work on the ElTex- which hasn't been used in at least 7 years. This will certainly come with a learning curve. I'm up for the challenge, but the timing is certainly not ideal. I'll power through what I can and keep you updated!

Day Dos in Mexico

2009-11-23T22:24:00.008-05:00

Day 2 didn't start until 11am, which was very nice to get a normal amount of sleep. I slept until around 8, had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, then ventured around the hotel and surrounding blocks. It was a beautiful morning and a great opportunity to take pictures. I even ventured to the 6th floor smoking terrace and found my way to the helicopter pad! I was about 8 stories up, definitely one of the tallest buildings in the city. That morning, there was also a protest in the streets. I didn't figure out what for, but added a video.

Once I returned to BUAP, I listened to a speaker who focused on nonwovens and was a friend of my contact. It was then my turn again. I presented on 3D Spacer Fabrics for Automotive Upholstery and on the New Product Development Process through the Development of the Splinter Concept Supercar. I hadn't accounted well for the time it would take for translation, so didn't have an opportunity to present my thesis research at this time. It was necessary to formally close the Conference with a panel of Conference organizers and the College Director. The students were then asked if they'd like to hear my final presentation, and to my surprise, an overwhelming majority raised their hands- definitely a good feeling!

That night, also to my surprise, a neighboring University hosted a Fashion Show on BUAP's main campus. The show included collections created by the University's students ranging from high fashion dresses and trousers to ball gowns. This section of BUAP was in an old convent and absolutely beautiful. It was a bittersweet night as I had to bid farewell to my new friends, but with my new appreciation of Puebla, I hope to return in the near future!

Hola from Puebla, Mexico!

2009-11-19T00:44:00.004-05:00

Beunas Noches!

This week I am honored to be attending and speaking at the "3er Congreso Ingineria Textil BUAP" (The 3rd Annual Textile Engineering Conference at Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla). I was invited to speak at this conference by the faculty when they discovered this blog in the summer. BUAP has a College of Engineering, and within this college, they have a Textile Engineering program. Also, Puebla used to be home to one of the world's largest textile industries and even has the oldest textile factory in all of Mexico (which is now a museum). Now, Puebla economy is primarily supported by the automotive industry. This is due in large part to the Volkswagen plant in the city. This is how the University recognized my studies in automotive textiles as a valuable addition to their conference.

To be honest, I did not know what to expect of this experience. I have had one primary contact at BUAP who certainly played a leading role in orchestrating my attendance at the Conference. Beyond information shared directly from this contact, and a few web searches, I still felt as though I knew very little about the University and Puebla. But for those of you who know me, or have been following this blog, you certainly know that I cannot pass-up an opportunity to travel and learn more about the global state of the industry. So I thought I'd give it a try.

After just 1 day of Conference, my expectations have been superseded and I am so pleasured to have been given this opportunity.

This will be a short trip. I spent all day on Tuesday traveling 12pm- 1:30am. Once I settled into my hotel room and connected with my contacts and family to assure them that I made it safely, I fell right asleep. But 7am came entirely too soon. After breakfast and a shower, my contact picked me up from the Hotel and took me to the University. He showed me around the entire College of Engineering and in many of the labs. He also introduced me to the program Director and the organizers of the Conference. All were very friendly! I then sat in on one of the other presenters, from Burlington Industries (a NC-based company) and then met with the translator and technical coordinator to prepare for my presentation. Today I presented about NC State University and the College of Textiles as well as an Introduction to the Automotive Textile Industry. All went well and the students were then given time to ask me questions. This allowed me the opportunity to learn more about their interests and experiences. Most seem interested in learning more about opportunities to study at the NC State College of Textiles for either undergraduate exchange, or post-graduate studies.

After speaking, I headed across town for an interview with an Automotive Textile company. We met in an old Textile Union (El Sindicato) building, once a theater, that has now been converted into a very nice restaurant. It was directly across from this building that the oldest textile facility in all of Mexico was located.

Traffic on the return from lunch was not good. But my BUAP contact kindly drove me to this meeting and back to the University. Along the way, he explained many of the buildings and showed be the Volcano! We returned to the University in time for 1 more speaker. This speaker focused on how to become an entrepreneur. He was very energetic, entertaining and charismatic! Unfortunately, since I do not speak Spanish, I had no idea what he was saying- yet I still enjoyed him.

Following today's conference, I went to dinner with my new amigos, which gave me an opportunity to walk around Downtown Puebla. ITS BEAUTIFUL! Puebla has a very European feel. The architecture is outstanding, the streets are clean, and the food is muy delicioso! This includes my first cow-tongue taco!- Mmmm! This was also a wonderful class to speak more with the students and faculty who accompanied me and learn about the rich history, culture, and the local cuisine of Puebla. My hotel is only a few short blocks from the center of downtown and already feels like home. But for tonight, I will sleep and prepare for another exciting day of Conference.

I'm Done!

2009-11-10T22:37:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone!

I hope all is well! So after 6 1/2 years of higher education and 11 months of thesis-specific research, I have finally become a Master...haha!

Last Tuesday, I successfully defended my Thesis and was able to make the November 6 submission deadline for the final paper. Since then I had a very busy weekend with dog-sitting, Homecoming, and helping my sister and husband at their new house, but most importantly, I was able to sleep! Even though my Thesis is done, there are still many things to do, but I just feel lighter as I take steps towards completing my next goals.

Since one of the objectives of this blog is to provide other graduate students with tips and insight based on my experience of this process, now might be a good time to explain what those final steps of thesis preparation are really like.

The Friday before my Defense, as I mentioned in the previous post, Nancy and I reviewed my presentation. She helped me clean-up slides. images and information, and this pushed me to complete the slides for the presentation early. This was a huge help in relieving much of the stress on the Defense day! To be honest, that day I enjoyed a 6-mile morning run and had time to look and feel refreshed and relaxed before the presentation. The truth is, on the day of the Defense, I feel that all graduate students should be able to achieve this sense of calm. For the first time, I knew what it was like to feel like a "master" of a subject. This is my research and my experience. It was nothing like presenting on a topic for class, which you have spent possibly a month researching. My research is now a part of my life. I couldn't wait to show-off what I had learned and was excited to answer questions.

Once the Defense was complete, and I took a sigh of relief, the real insanity began! I did not find out until that day that I needed to submit my final Thesis (with committee edits) within 24 hours of the Defense! Woah! I guess it was written in the guidelines, but, if you have experienced this or reviewed the guidelines, you certainly know how confusing all the dates can be! The only date set in my mind was Nov. 6- to successfully Defend and Submit my Thesis. So for your future reference, take note:

NC State Master's Students...Your Final Thesis Draft, in PDF format, with Committee Edits...is due 24 hours after your Defense date!

For those of you who are wondering why this might be difficult, you have clearly not prepared a paper according to academic of professional guidelines (yet). I was VERY fortunate to have limited edits from my committee. This was due in LARGE part to keeping them significantly informed throughout the process. However, the hang-ups were on cleaning up citations, page numbers, spell check.... Sure, not much "brain-power" is involved during these steps, but it will suck the energy right out of you when working with a 178-page, 40,000-word document. From my Defense completion on Tuesday at 2pm until Wednesday night, it was pure adrenaline rush! The calm of Tuesday morning was gone and I realized that all this work, and pushing to meet this semester's deadlines, could be ruined by poor judgement in how long "clean-up" would take. And another heads' up, I have very reliable, high-speed Internet and computer, yet upload for the Thesis Draft document took over an hour! So that was time spent staring at the computer screen, pray and begging that it would go through. Some how, some way- with lots of support from Nancy- we were able to submit the proper pdf.

There is one last thing I must clear up. Although I am calling this my Final Thesis....its not...there is 1 more stage. This submission date has put my Thesis (as well as thousands of other graduate students) in the hands of the University Thesis Editor. At this stage, the Committee has approved all edits, primarily regarding content. The Thesis Editor will respond with any punctural, grammatical, or structural errors (NOT content). The absolute final submission date will then be Friday, December 4th (the last day of classes). I will certainly let you know how this stage goes.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement! Please let me know if you have any questions by commenting on this post or emailing me at: autotexdesign@gmail.com

This is it.

2009-11-01T22:20:00.007-05:00

I hope everyone who celebrates Halloween/All Saints' Day/Day of the Dead/Fall Festivities had a wonderful weekend! As well as those of you who do not celebrate this holiday. I always enjoy Halloween around campus because the exchange and international students, experiencing their first, are so excited to partake, take pictures, or just sit back and watch. For those of you who have had a chance to do this, I hope you enjoyed!

Well...THIS TUESDAY is my THESIS DEFENSE! I can't believe it! I have completed my presentation, with help from Nancy and a practice session. It was of course twice as long as it needs to be...but with focused editing, I should be able to make the 30-minute time frame.

And even more than that...THIS FRIDAY my THESIS IS DUE! Completely due (the almost final draft) to the thesis editor, who does not edit content but may help put on any finishing touches in preparation for publishing.

There is still much to be done:

Abstract

Works Cited and In-Text Citations

Figure Numbers

and the Committee Draft 2 and 3 edits

But: I think I can, I think I can.

I just can't believe the end is so near!

Antique Automobile Club of National Vintage Tour: Photos!

2009-10-28T23:04:00.006-04:00

Antique Automobile Club of National Vintage Tour

2009-10-27T20:49:00.005-04:00

Monday, October 26, the Antique Automobile Club of America's 2009 Vintage Tour began in my hometown of Sanford, NC. This tour is hosted by the Brass-Nickel Touring Region and includes 71 antique automobiles from twenty-two states. Each day the tourists will drive their vintage automobiles approximately 100 miles, avoiding highways whenever possible. One of the most well-known historic routes, which they will travel is Old US 1, which partially runs between Sanford and the state's capitol, Raleigh.

The small town of Fuquay-Varina will be the hub of this week long event. All cars have been restored to their factory original condition. The cars range in age from 1912 to the cut off of 1931 and include rare makes such as Pullman, Stanley Steamer, Essex, Packard, Franklin, Peerless, Hudson and Oakland. Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Plymouth and Chrysler are also represented in the lineup.

While most of the tour has been "playing it by ear", Wednesday is sure to be an exciting day. The tour plans to start at Historic Yates Mill Park, the State Farmer's Market and Mordecai Historical Park. That night, from approximately 5:00 to 7:00 pm, the town of Fuquay-Varina will close off its streets to vehicle traffic to facilitate pedestrian viewing of the cars. The Town of Fuquay-Varina is planning special activities to highlight the tour as well as the 100th anniversary of the founding of the town.

The tour continues Thursday with proposed stops at Tobacco Farm Life Museum and Charles B. Aycock Birthplace

On Friday proposed stops include Airborne and Special Operations Museum, Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum, and Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex.

- If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Riley Reiner (919.554.1158) or email (rreiner@earthlink.net).

- All information from this post has been obtained from Fuquay-Varina Independent, October 17, 2009.

- For more information on the Brass-Nickle Touring Region, check out: http://www.bntraaca.org/

- For more information on AACA, check out: http://www.aaca.org/

PICTURES TO COME!

The Joy of Editing

2009-10-16T20:21:00.003-04:00

I completed the final chapter: Conclusion, on Wednesday and have been editing since then. This round of edits will be my 2nd draft. Today I completed Chapter 1 and 3: Introduction and Methodology, 2nd round edits. I plan to complete this 2nd draft by Wednesday, October 21 to submit to the rest of the faculty committee members. I will work on Chapter 4: Results, this weekend and then I will face the beast, Chapter 2: Literature Review.

But the end is near...I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

15 Days to Go!

Chapter 4: Results....Complete.

2009-10-12T21:52:00.002-04:00

Wow...only 1 more chapter to go!

I hope to finish the Conclusion chapter by this weekend.

Then its 2 full weeks of intense editing.

As I've progressed, I've found myself just putting words on paper. The important part for me is that I continue to make progress and not get hung up on any one part. Nancy has been providing feedback along the way. I'm hoping that once I complete this final chapter I can push the "reset" button on my brain and start fresh as I begin editing. The words are now there...it's just a matter of making it flow, and making it something that I think people will enjoy reading. Oh...also important- ACCURACY! This is certainly another huge advantage of working with such an adept professional as Nancy.

For those interested, the page count is nearing 115. My guess is that will all preliminary pages and appendices the final will be near 150.

Good Luck to my fellow graduate students who are defending their theses and dissertations in the upcoming weeks. We're almost there!

Oh Research.

2009-10-04T23:48:00.002-04:00

Well, not the most exciting update...but I am making progress, and lots of it.

I have now submitted first drafts of Chapters 1-3: Introduction, Literature Review, and Methodology. The Literature Review needs a LOT of editing, but I'll get there.

I'm currently working on Chapter 4: Results, and am about 1/4 of the way through. I've reported trends from my original research and with adjustments from industry interviews. Tomorrow I will begin writing about the factors that contributed to these trends based on industry interviews and the literature review. This is certainly one of the most important sections, so wish me luck!

I hope to complete writing the entire Results Chapter by next Sunday...Here we go....

A little culture on the side

2009-09-25T20:48:00.007-04:00

For my last face-t0-face interview, I traveled to the beautiful city of Asheville, NC. I started at the Folk Art Center, which is part of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and located on Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Guild is an educational, non-profit organization founded in 1930 for the purpose of creating a network and market for mountain craftspeople. Today, Guild membership stands at more than 900 artisans selected by a jury for the high quality of design and craftsmanship reflected in their work.

The Folk Art Center exhibits traditional and contemporary crafts of the Appalachian region and sponsors educational demonstrations and programs. While I was there, an area weaver and a woodcrafts man were sharing their talents with demos. The Center also houses the century-old Allanstand Craft Shop, which is one of the nation's top craft retailers and carriers the world of Guild artisans.

[Source: Southern Highland Craft Guild brochure and website.]

My lovely guide (my interviewee), also took me to the historic Grove Park Inn. Not only was this resort and spa one of the most lovely I've ever seen (and like none that I've ever stayed at), but they also are home to an amazing and world-renowned Arts & Crafts gallery, store and studios. I highly recommend a visit for anyone who passes through this area.

Committee Meeting 5

2009-09-25T20:19:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday, my committee gathered for the first time since the end of last semester! I had done my best to keep everyone informed, and meet with them individually, but this was certainly a scary time since I had no idea what kind of feedback I would get- with only 1 month to make any changes.

So we started with my outline...well, really this was just the "Contents" of my thesis. To my very pleasant surprise, we made very few changes. The changes we did make involved removing entire sections- wonderful! While my fear was that there were parts I was missing- and I would be overwhelmed by whatever task it is that they ask me to do next- the reality was that I was already trying to do to much. I have my committee to thank for helping me stay focused and on the right path. With their reassurance, there a chance I just might get this thing done ;)

I'm currently focusing on the Literature Review, which is perhaps the most overwhelming section of all. But I met with Nancy today and we discussed a plan of attack. My goal is to complete the Literature Review over the next week. Then I'll take it from there. Wish me Luck!

Interviews are Complete! (almost)

2009-09-20T09:44:00.005-04:00

I've driven over 200 miles in Michigan, 800 in California and over 2200 miles on the East Coast.

I've flown in a diamond from coast to coast and border to boarder across the US.

I've called Mexico, Australia and Korea (twice).

And I've sent thousands of emails to a hundred contacts across the world.

The outcome has been 31 interviews with 46 designers, engineers, sales experts and executives in the automotive textile industry from OEMs and all Tiers.

One of the main reasons I chose this very non-traditional route of gathering information is the same as my reason for choosing this topic: very little has been published regarding automotive textiles and the history of the industry. We found it necessary that I gather information straight from the source. I'd like to thank all these industry professionals for sharing their time and historical knowledge with me for this study.

I'd also like to give credit to the few books that I have found extremely useful and I suggest that if you are interested in this subject, that you refer to these as well:

"Textile Advances in the Automotive Industry"- Edited by Shishoo

"Engineering Textiles: Integrating the Design and Manufacture of Textile Products" - YE ElMogahzy

"Textiles in Automotive Engineering"- Fung and Hardcastle

"Automotive Interior Trim" - Michael Ravnitzky

"Automotive Textiles" - Adrian Wilson

"The Automotive Industry Since 1945" - Lawrence White

"The Decline and Fall of the American Automobile Industry" - Brock Yates

"The End of Detroit: How the Big Three lost their grip on the American car market" - Michieline Maynard

The first three books listed were made available by the Textile Institute. These and the two listed after are the ONLY publications we've come across in English that speak in detail about automotive textiles: materials, structures, specifications, and the supply chain.

The final three listed have each addressed the same issue, the fall of Detroit, but were published decades apart (1971, 1983, 2003). And note that none of these have discussed the current crisis. Although these text didn't speak about automotive textiles...well...at all, they provided the perfect background for understanding the cycles within the industry and getting "the big picture".

Combine these 8 texts with the quantity and caliber of interviews conducted and I should have all the ingredients for a successful paper. But a baker can't just throw everything in 1 pot and hope for cake. Its time to enter the test kitchen with the goal of finding the prefect recipe for the red velvet of maters' theses.

Oh yeah...and the countdown: 1 MONTH until the full first draft is due!

Let the Countdown Begin!

2009-09-12T23:55:00.004-04:00

Wow...I'm finally writing!

Today I submitted my Abstract, Introduction (all but summary of benefits and limitations), and Methodology chapter first drafts to my professor for review. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for no major changes.

The next step will be to finish organizing all interview feedback into a table that I have created. The table will help me categorize trends and factors in a logical manner so that once I get to the Results chapter, I will just be translating these categories into paragraph format. I hope to complete this over the course of the week (by September 20).

Once this information is organize, I will tackle the Literature Review. I have read and taken notes on the majority of my references, but there is still much to be done in this section. I hope to have this chapter first draft written by September 30.

Other than that, only a handful of interviews remain, which means I'm actually going to stay in one place for the next two months. It bound to be boring compared to the summer of travel and all the interesting interactions I've had, but it will help me focus on my writing- thank goodness.

Progress is good!

Business Week: The Year's 20 Coolest Concept Cars

2009-09-08T10:56:00.002-04:00

More interviews for me this week: 4 Industry Retirees, 1 OEM, 1 Fabric Supplier, 1 Yarn Supplier, and 1 Safety Product Supplier. What's the most amazing is that every interview has unveiled new information. Its a very complex industry.

While I'm off interviewing, I'll let you enjoy this link to "The Year's 20 Coolest Concept Cars". I was glad to see that they found quite a few of my NAIAS favorites.

We need to get out more: National Geographic picks the World's Greatest Scenic Routes

2009-09-04T08:10:00.003-04:00

We need to get out more: National Geographic picks the World's Greatest Scenic Route, Autoblog.com

Another week gone by. I have completed 7 more interviews this week (including a conference call to Korea and a supplier retiree who spent over 50 years in the industry!). Since there are not too many other exciting updates, I thought I'd share the link above for your enjoyment.

My suggestion: Try them all!

I've only done 6- it looks like I have a lot of driving to do!

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Interview Phase 2: California...Complete.

2009-08-28T18:39:00.002-04:00

Wow California!

I think I could get used to this place.

This week's interviews included four OEMs, two OEM Design Studios, and one Color Trend Consulting Firm. Everyone I met with in California were color and materials designers with deep insight into the future of design.

I'd again like to thank all the participants! Its been informative...and FUN! I look forward to meeting with you again.

Edelbrock Performance

2009-08-26T18:45:00.010-04:00

There are definite perks to having the same interests as my dad. Last Wednesday, we visited with Vic Edelbrock Jr., a long time friend of my dad's from the automotive industry. Magneti Marelli (my dad's company) provides parts, primarily carburetors, for Edelbrock Performance Products. Vic was kind enough to give us a tour of his facilities and many of his toys. Dad even got to drive us to lunch in one of Vic's toys: a vintage Chevelle with a 670 horsepower Edelbrock engine. He floored it, and needless to say, left a good bit of rubber on the LA streets.

Making My Way through Californ-I-A!

2009-08-26T18:36:00.013-04:00

Sometimes the journey is all the fun.

On the 15th, I spent 15 hours of travel time getting from Detroit to Monterey. I landed in Monterey and was greeted by my dad and his 9-ton home on wheels. That night we stayed at a Super8 motel in Salinas because we booked too late (only 3 months in advance) and cost in that area for the weekend were so High! But we were in good company. The parking lost was full of Porsches, a Maseratis and many other racing vehicles. We were in the midst of a weekend full of not only the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but also the Monterey Historic Automobile Race and the county fair (this is a different county than you might be used to!). Sunday we enjoyed the Concours and then began a 4-day drive south down the costal highway to Torrance. We couldn't make it 5 miles at a time without being passed by a Corvette, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari...

Along the way, dad and I camped at Big Sur, Pismo Beach and Lake Casitas. It was a little cool for us along the coast, so we went inland and up until we reached the mid-90's at 5000 foot altitude. Here, the weather was perfect.

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

2009-08-25T18:14:00.003-04:00

Wow.

I've posted previously about the event: July 20

But this was truly the opportunity of a lifetime and one of those times that I am so proud and lucky to share my dad's interests. I'll even share some of his words about the show.

"When you're in the middle of 100's of the world's most elite cars trying to absorb all...you become numb. There is no way to describe it. I won't try."

This post is primarily for pictures. I'll eventually add them all to my Flikr PhotoStream: Here. It may be a month or so, I'll let you know. Here are a few favorites from this year's show.

More from Pebble Beach

2009-08-25T18:00:00.000-04:00

Before making it into the show, Dad and I started to wonder what exactly was inside the gates, considering that the parking lot and grounds before the main entrance hosted a great variety of classics and the Hottest concepts and performance and luxury cars available. Including: Bugatti and Bentley (this year's sponsors), Telsa, Porsche, Lexus, Infinity, Spyker, McLaren, Rolls Royce, and a few from specialty design teams I've never seen before such as Tramontana and Iconic. It was beautiful!

Might I add that my dad looks pretty spiffy next to that Bugatti Veyron!

Pebble Beach Concours Cars

2009-08-25T17:41:00.000-04:00

Pebble Beach Concours Cars (Continued)

2009-08-25T00:37:00.012-04:00

"We ended the day watching Jerry Seinfeld drive a rare race car off (see Video in post above) the award stage the hearing Jay Leno speak and the Governator gave his thoughts on the progress of the automotive industry and green technology. We were clearly in the who's who world. Cars and owners there were from 17 countries."

Out and About with the Michiganders

2009-08-16T00:22:00.021-04:00

Michiganders?

Those of you that have been following my blog, or know me personally, know that I'm not very good at sitting still- especially in a unexplored city. Since this is my first experience in Detroit when there wasn't snow on the ground...I took advantage.

On Sunday, Johanna and I visited the midtown area of Detroit and enjoyed an afternoon walk along the St. Clair River, which runs between the US and Canada. We treated ourselves to cold treats as we watched families play in the water displays and restored carousel.

On Monday, I only had one interview in the morning. After that, I headed to Dearborn, where I visited The Henry Ford. Well, this was actual a surprise. I was going to check out the Benson Ford Research Center, but I didn't realize where it was until I entered the grand gates of the Ford campus.

The Research Center was located between the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.

I had done the Museum on a past visit, but never had the opportunity to visit the Village (since the temperatures were in the low teens). I couldn't pass up this chance on such a beautiful day. Greenfield Village is a recreation of historic homes and businesses by the Ford Family. This is a great way for a family (or lonely graduate student) to spend the day while learning about America's historical past.

On Wednesday, I joined friends from NUSIP (last summer's study program in Japan), who attend the University of Michigan. We ate at a vintage diner on Woodward before heading to Hitsville, USA- the birthplace of Motown. This tour at the Motown Historical Museum hit home for my nostalgic heart. That evening, we grabbed Jo from work then enjoyed a night of Japanese style kareoke in Ann Arbor (which is possibly one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever seen...with or without the snow).

With the cancellation of Friday's interview, I took a drive down Woodward trying to catch a preliminary glimpse at the classic participants in this year's Woodward Dream Cruise.

What is the Woodward Dream Cruise?

The world's largest one-day automotive event, which runs from 9am-9pm along Woodward Avenue, through nine host communities from Ferndale to Pontiac. The Dream Cruise took place today, which is unfortunate considering that I was traveling for 15 hours of the day trying to reach California. Luckily, the overly-anxious were all ready out and about woodward, showing off their toys throughout the week. Once I add photos to my Flikr album, you'll see snap shots taken from the car.

That evening, we finished my trip with an amazing Jason Mraz concert and a rootbeer float.

Interview Phase 1: Detroit....Complete.

2009-08-15T23:51:00.002-04:00

It has been a wonderful week!

This past week I was in Detroit beginning the interview phase of my research. These included two Tier 2 (or 3) companies (textiles suppliers), two Tier 1 (seating systems and automotive paints), two OEMs and an automotive textile engineering and consulting firm. I also met with Detroit Body Products, one of the companies which has provided the trim books I am using for my data collection. I've met with professionals in design, engineering, purchasing and in executive positions. I am coming close to "getting little bit of everything" and have completely only 1/3 of the planned interviews. With all the success of the week, there was one bump in the road. One company was unable to meet due to possible legality issues. This is understandable, and a very common issue for any researcher. But have no fear- there may be an opportunity to host this interview via conference call at a later date (once the proper legal clearance has been achieved).

I'd like to extend my thanks to all of those who participated and shared their experience and insight. This niche industry is well-intertwined with creative, talented and inspiring individuals, who have reaffirmed my desire to become continue on this career path.

Motor City, USA

2009-08-09T08:59:00.005-04:00

I made it to Detroit!

Last week was dedicated to preparing for the upcoming 5 weeks of interviews that are intended to provide validity and insight for my thesis research. I had a trial interview with one of my committee members and it felt great! There were a few minor adjustments that needed to be made to my visual presentation materials and then it was just a matter of printing everything. Nancy also came back to the states (yey)! I had a run-through with her and we discussed how many different directions the interviews could go in and how to be time-conscious. This will definitely be the biggest difficulty of this process. I am interviewing some of the busiest people in the industry and recognize the value and generosity of their time. It is crucial that I guide the discussion efficiently in order to achieve the goals of this research and make the best use of their time as well as my own. I'm sure its obvious, but I am very passionate about my research. I think this will be a very entertaining, and perhaps enlightening process for all involved.

Last night we went to a movie and dinner in Royal Oak- which looks very different when its not in the snowy negative temperatures. We walked for a bit and ended up at a BBQ and Blues restaurant with a live band and walked outside to find a vintage Ford on the curb. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but a great photo op.

Full List - The 50 Worst Cars of All Time - TIME

2009-08-05T15:21:00.009-04:00

Click Here to see Time's Full List - The 50 Worst Cars of All Time - TIME

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A little bit off topic...

2009-08-03T13:55:00.003-04:00

...yes. This isn't a traditional post topic, but it is an opportunity to get a free T-shirt.

For just under a year now, I have been training in Muay Thai- the National sport of Thailand. Also known as the "Art of Eight Limbs", I thought this would be a fun activity to keep me focused and fit while observing another culture.

When I return from my research travels in September, I will extend my martial arts vocabulary by taking the Karate class offered by our school. In preparation, I purchased a Gi- or a traditional karate uniform from Karatedepot.com. By blogging about this purchase here, I will receive a free "Fire and Ice" T-shirt...and who doesn't love free stuff?!

Check them out:

For lightweight karate and high quality martial arts uniforms, shop the web's #1 martial arts retailer, KarateDepot.com. Save big with $2.95 shipping every day.

PS. My research travels begin THIS FRIDAY!

Congratulations NC State College of Design!

2009-07-24T16:52:00.005-04:00

Business Week turned to an international panel of 22 expert design and brand consultants and academics to name the NC State College of Design on their Top 60 Best Design Schools in the World! We are in the company of Hong Kong Polytechnic, RISD, Pratt, and CCS. Check out the other 59 on this interactive table.

Also in the news, our Dean Marvin Malecha has been named Design Intelligence Most Admired Educators for 2009! (and I certainly agree!)

Congratulations NC State, College of Design, and Dean Marvin!

Racing the Clock

2009-07-24T14:01:00.005-04:00

I woke up this morning with the reality of having exactly 2 weeks before I begin interviewing nearly 70 professionals in the automotive textile industry. Every day is now part of the count down!

This Week

I'm giving myself 1 more week to focus on researching the factors that have influenced trends in body cloth motif, scale, and color. During these past few weeks, I have also been researching trend cycles. Although this information will not be presented in the interviews, I hope to compare previously observed trend cycles with those I have uncovered. I have found some very unique historical research such as that by Richardson and Krobler, which tracks women's fashion through 3 centuries of changing dress width and length, or Robinson's studies on men's facial hair and American automobile size. Other trends that I'm sure have impacted this industry include national and expendable income, increase in globalization and the impact of foreign automotive markets, and times of war and natural disaster (just to name a few). I hope to learn about much of this through the interview process, which I'm sure will also reveal many factors I may not have considered.

Analysis

In order to discover factors, I am first acknowledging the cycles, peaks and troughs of motif, scale, and color trends. I am looking for critical dates and asking the question, "what made this happen?". The potential factors are limitless. By noting critical dates first, I should be narrowing my scope to only the factors that had noticeable effects.

Also this week, I have become a manager (what?). I have realized that I've gone in a little too deep with the amount of time remaining before I begin interviews.

How did I get here? Well, I'm usually wonderful about over-estimating the time it will take to complete a task, and I have been so generous with each of my due-dates. I have also been careful about reevaluating my goals with the time remaining at each step. Reaching out to contacts, however, is what did me in. Since March, I have been in light contact with a few key players who have helped me organize my list and collect information. July 1 is the date I set to send initial contact letters to potential interview participants. It is 3 1/2 weeks later and I am still spending a few hours each day on the phone, replying to emails, or searching for contact information for emails that have bounced back and retirees who have moved. I knew this would happen- but certainly not to this extent!

What's the new plan? The solution was quite simple (although costly). I have hired 2 of my very wonderful friends from the College of Textiles, who are well-versed in color, to work with the color analysis, Sara Yasin and Emily Hanhan. A few weeks ago I created a color table classification system (shown a few posts back) and a spreadsheet for the data to be recorded. I ran about 7 trial years and realized that my eye was being far too picky and taking far too long. Sara and Emily are working from 2 different ends of the time spectrum and will meet in the middle. This process is a simple matter of classification and counting, but it is "mind-numbing" and time-consuming and I just don't think I could be prepared for what August and September have in store for me without their help. (Thanks ladies!)

So now I have a fun-filled weekend of playing "what are the factors?" and have the goal of leaving the apartment a total of 1 time (yes, I've become a bit of a hermit). I guess next week I will update on what's in store just 1 week prior to interviews. Thanks for the support!

Also...I apologize for not adding images of my trend cycles. We'll all just have to wait until my thesis has been submitted and approved for publications so that I'm protecting myself from all that legal whoop-la. August 16th you can expects lots of pictures of lots of really amazing cars from Pebble Beach!

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance tickets are BOOKED!

2009-07-20T20:25:00.007-04:00

Today is a VERY happy day!

I'm sure most of you know by now that the reason I am a car girl is because of my dad. While I like new and shiny, I have the nostalgia of a 70-year-old when it comes to cars (and music). Vintage will never go out of style and this is proven by the thousands of Antique Automobile Clubs, Classic Car Clubs, and Society of Automotive Historians across the globe. Any car enthusiast knows that the creme de la creme of "car shows" in the world is the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance!

This annual affair has raised over $12 million for charity since its initiation in 1950 and includes a series of related events such as the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance, Pebble Beach RetroAuto, the Pebble Beach Auction,

and the Automotive Fine Arts Society Exhibition.

Each year only 175 of the most prized collectors cars in the world are invited to appear on the famed eighteenth fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links each year. To contend in the Concours d'Elegance, an automobile must be a well preserved or accurately restored vehicle still quite capable of doing what it was meant to do- be driven. It will almost certainly have some historic value- perhaps in its day it served to debut new technology or new styling trends or it has an amazing racing record. And it will be rare- possibly a singular example of a special chassis bearing a respected coachbuilder's art. After all these criteria have been met, a concours car must be one thing more. Above all, it must be elegant. And elegance is a matter of the eye and heart.

“There is no such thing as a score sheet for elegance. It’s largely a matter of taste, recognition of design advantages, and knowledge of the performance and quality of the total architectural concept.”
– Strother MacMinn, Renowned Automotive Designer and Former Chief Honorary Judge at Pebble Beach

“From a strictly personal point of view, my definition of an elegant car would be ‘the kind of car I would like to be buried in.’”
– Ansel Adams, Photographer and former Honorary Judge
at Pebble Beach

Please be sure to check out the Concours website, notably the History page, which scrolls through a timeline of notable cars and events since the shows initiation in 1950.

Oh...and by the way....the Chairman the show since 2002...is a woman: Sandra Kasky Button. Now that's a job I could have fun with!

All images and information are provided by the Pebble Beach Concours website: http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/

And in a side note: Congratulations USA! 40 Years since our first steps on the moon!

Back from NYC

2009-07-13T14:30:00.005-04:00

The City must love me :)

The weather was perfect the entire time I was in New York, and I was welcomed back to North Carolina on Sunday to 99*F and 12 new mosquito bites. But I also got to spend a surprise evening with my whole family because they were in town celebrating my sister's birthday!

And now...it is back to the research world!

I have exactly 25 days before I leave for the interview portion of my research in Michigan, California, and North and South Carolina. So its time to center myself again and see what's left:

1) COLOR ANALYSIS 1960-2006 (July 13-19)

2) CONTACT INTERVIEWEES (July 13- August 7)

3) FACTORS portion of Literature Review (July 20-31)

4) Create a MODEL demonstrating the relationship between Observed Trends and Researched Factors (August 3-6)

5) Finalize Travel Plans based around Interview Schedules (August 3-6)

Lets just see if I can pull this off! There's little time for error or the unexpected, but there are very few interruptions in the upcoming weeks and I'm confident that I can keep my head in the game!

Color Analysis Scale

2009-07-06T16:17:00.008-04:00

Hello from Brooklyn!

I've spent the past few days absorbing the culture of Brooklyn, New York. This is certainly a different world from Manhattan and I'm loving it! I'm staying with a friend from CoT and we've surrounded ourselves with NC kids throughout the weekend. I just seem to bring beautiful weather with me as its been warm and sunny with a nice breeze- just perfect for lots of time outdoors! Even though I will still be around until Sunday (switching over to Manhattan on Wednesday), I'm going to have to keep myself indoors for the week as deadlines are approaching!

Below is a color scale I've created in order to categorize the DeLeo/Detroit vinyl swatches for color. I still haven't exactly figured out how this will be done, as I currently have 124 different color groups. This chart scale was created based on a digital Munsell scale I found. The image was pixelated so the colors were not pure, which is why I created my own. As you can see there are some inconsistencies in gradation of chroma and value, but for the purpose of this study, I am focusing on color trends in a very general perspective and am doing so by creating color groups. If you have any further suggestions, please let me know!

Click Image to Enlarge!

Vettes 4 Sale

2009-06-28T13:15:00.011-04:00

A quick explanation about the auction process via my dad:

"When a car doesn’t reach the reserve amount set by the owner during the few minutes on the auction floor, then they move it outside a put a sticker on it showing the last bid, that way if someone wants to raise the bid they can. So the price on the window can be called the “Won’t Sell for this amount” od dollars.

Now all corvettes have a value, but if the car is rare it has a higher value and if it has a story it is real high.

Anybody what to raise the bid?"

"And a Pedigree Car well, this one was bid up to $985,000.

It did not Sell.

The Reserve was set at $1,300,000."

Color Marketing Group

2009-06-27T13:34:00.003-04:00

Wednesday, after presenting to the College of Textiles S.T.E.P. students, I took off for Washington DC to visit Color Marketing Group. I spent a half day on Thursday at their executive office in Alexandria searching through their archival color trend forecasts.

Color Marketing Group is a nonprofit organization whose goals are to connect color experts from a variety of industries in order to develop current and forecasted color directions. CMG members are Color Designers involved in the use of color as it applies to the profitable marketing of goods and services. CMG provides a forum for the exchange of non-competitive information relating to all phases of color marketing: color trends and combinations; design influences; merchandising and sales; and education and industry contacts.

CMG's major focus is to identify the direction of color and design trends. CMG members then interpret that information into salable colors for manufactured products across all industries. CMG's primary forecasting opportunities are in the form of Conferences held twice annually, during which CMG members forecast Color Directions(R) for all industries, manufactured products or services. These Consumer and Contract products include: Action/Recreation, Consumer Goods, Technology, Home, Visual Communications, Transportation, Juvenile Products, Fashion, and environments for Office, Health Care, Retail, Hospitality/Entertainment and Institutional/Public Spaces. Major presentations, panels and Workshops are held at these Conferences to exchange information on color, marketing and design issues.

This information and more can be found on the CMG Website!

Thanks to my wonderful hosts!

www.colormarketing.org

Bloomington Gold Auction

2009-06-26T15:51:00.011-04:00

So my dad's spending the weekend with the likes of Jay Leno and Reggie Jackson and over 5000 Corvettes at the Bloomington Gold Auction in St. Charles, Illinois. I've asked him to take pictures for me and will hopefully posts some of those. But the reason for posting now is to encourage you to watch the auction live! Its available on a variety of cable stations and in a live webcast.

Check it out at: www.mecum.com

Look for my dad in a light blue shirt and Corvette hat :)

"America's Original Corvette Show"

Eyes on Detroit Design

2009-06-17T19:14:00.006-04:00

Michiganites!

This FRIDAY, June 19 from 9pm-12pm, the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology presents Eyes on Detroit Design at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, MI.

"Eve of Eyes Designers Night"- an informal gathering of designers, engineers, marketers, car and product enthusiasts.

Join an international crowd of creative Designers for a charitable evening featuring Detroit Fashion, Cars, Music, 3D Visualization and Product Innovation. The promotion of Design Sustainability and the importance it has on environment and future product development.

Take Part in an International Networking Platform with industry leaders over food, cocktails and entertainment!

Events Include:

Detroit Design Showcase & Networking

Indoor festivities with strolling hors d-oeuvres, micro brews from the Rochester Mills, cocktails and music from local Detroit DJ's will fill the museum while you network with people from all design industries. Presentations from top designers product introductions, design competitions and head-to-head Sketch Off competition, are among the events of the evening.

6pm-9pm

Live Entertainment and After-Hours Party

As the Night time rolls in, so does the party! Experience the Live performance of Detroit's own Midtown Underground and local DJ's. Enjoy 3 levels of entertaining including VIP area with Cocktails and more!

9pm-12am

A Special Lifetime Achievement Award...

...to be presented to Willie G. Davidson (of Harley-Davidson)

Eyes on Design Automotive Design Show

2009: The Art of Automobile Advertising & Design

Sunday, June 21st at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, Grosse Point Shores, MI

www.eyesondesigncarshow.com

Tickets

Tickets are only $25 for Students and $40 for General Admission.

Both include food and drink until 9pm and thereafter a cash bar.

$100 for VIP Lounge, Cocktails and Networking and includes all food and bars until 12am.

Fast Lane Classic Cars

2009-06-16T12:50:00.007-04:00

St. Charles, Missouri is home of Fast Lane Classic Cars Inc. This extraordinary garage house over 180 of the most beautiful classic vehicles still around. They only buy cars that are in pristine condition, many with all original parts. Cars range from a 1931 Studebaker at $38,995, to a 2008 Porshe Boxster Convertible at $35,995 (one of the least expensive vehicles on the lot). The highest price tags seem to be the 2005 Ferrari F430 Coupe at $149,995 the 2005 Ford GT at $159,995, the 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Twister Special at $199,995. Some of my favorites included the red 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster at $74,995, and the yellow 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster at $53,995 (with many upgrades and few original parts....but who could pass on this color). More favorites included the 1948 Indian Chief Vintage Motorcycle at $29,995, the 1953 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible at $57,995, the 1956 Ford Parklane Station Wagon w/Matching Teardrop Camper Trailer at $42,995, the 2 1970 Plymouth Cuda Hemis at blue $63,995 and red $79,995.

Details for the vehicles mentioned above are linked.

I've uploaded pictures on my Flikr photoset. This is linked in the right column.

But certainly check out the website for more information and a full inventory:

www.fastlanecars.com

Nostalgia

2009-06-16T00:13:00.008-04:00

I’m back!

I spent the past week in St. Louis, Missouri…my family’s hometown. I stayed with my Grandma and my parents came to visit as well. If you can’t tell from the hundreds of images of vintage vehicles I’ve already posted on my flikr or facebook pages, I have a nostalgia for eras that I’ve never experienced first hand. Visiting St. Louis reaffirms this nostalgia and helps me understand where this love developed.

My mom and I spent more time than usual visiting the parts of the city that remind her of her childhood. Most of this revolves around food: Pretzels at Gus’s, BBQ at Phil’s, Slyders at White Castle, and of course multiple trips to Frederhofer’s Bakery. It also involved the more traditional tourist stops: the Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion in the Arch’s foundation, the NEW Busch Stadium, and the warehouse and brewery (Busch and Lemp) district where my grandparents and their parents worked long, back-breaking hours. The city is nothing like the hustle and bustle days that my parents and grandparents grew up in…the stadium has been completely rebuilt (twice), the New Cathedral is rather old, hundreds of thousands of square footage of factory and brewery has been abandoned.

Despite all the negativity that surrounds the city’s disrepair…you can catch promising glimpses of what the Gateway to the West might have in store for the future. Warehouse space has been converted into uppity apartment lofts for young professionals. The introduction of America's Center Convention Complex, Edward Jones Dome, Ferrra Theatre, and the Executive Conference Center are drawing huge professional crowds and encourage Cards, Rams, and Blues, fans nationwide to bring their business downtown. And fundrasiers and live music festivals on the Riverfront are increasing in number and popularity. Just this past Saturday, over 66,000 participants gathered downtown for the Susan G. Komen Race.

In the area where my grandma lives, about 30 minutes outside the city, its an entirely different world. While much has changed, so much has remained the same. Some of the largest grocery stores, pharmacies, auto parts suppliers, and restaurants are still family owned…as they have been for the past 100 years (or more)! Grandma’s house is on one the most prestidgeous streets in the area…or at least it was 60 years ago when it was built. She raised her family there since 1950 and many features of the house remain completely original. The houses being built just 10 minutes down the road have maintained high quality…but the 2500 or so square footage of my grandma’s 60 year old house, could fit in the basement of the multi-million dollar monsters down the road. Also 10 miles from Grandma’s are most of the food selections mentioned above, Laumeier Sculpture Park, and the historic Grant’s Farm. Grant’s Farm was founded by President Ulysses S. Grant in the 1850s. The Busch family purchased the farm from President Grant over 5 decades ago. The 281 acres is the home of more than 100 species of animals from 6 continents and now serves as a stable for the famous Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales and an interactive, safari-style park, which is open to the public to increase wildlife conservation and education.

And there is SO MUCH I am leaving out!

Now you know, just in part, where my love for St. Louis and the historic past comes from….but what does this have to do with automotive? For one, the rise, and fall, and new rise of the city, should bring hope to those in Motor City during these trying times. For another reason...well just check out my next post…and my flikr picture set (which will be added soon)…and I think you’ll be in for a treat! I certainly was!

Repreve!

2009-06-04T09:18:00.005-04:00

During my Unifi trip, I also learned about their newest product:

Repreve is a 100% recycled yarn that is produced at extraordinarily low energy and water consumption rates. To make Repreve, Unifi uses materials that might otherwise go on to the landfill, such as yarn and materials scraps, as well as post-consumer products, such as PET plastic bottles. Repreve is available in Polyester and Nylon and is a perfect example of a company moving in the right direction! Check out their website: www.repreve.com as well as the video featured on Discovery Channel's How It's Made (link found at bottom right corner of Repreve website).

Unifi Visit

2009-06-04T08:39:00.008-04:00

On Tuesday, I visited Unifi. Unifi produces, textures, and dyes all types of filament (and works with many spun) yarns for multiple industries. Since my research is focusing on color, we visited the dye house in Reidsville, NC. This was a great opportunity for me to refresh my color chemistry memory as well as learn something new (or a lot of somethings). By speaking with my contact there and learning about the processes involved in color matching, the dyeing process, and documenting this information for future reference and consistency, I picked up on several helpful hints for how to record my color observations from the automotive fabrics. He also spoke in detail about the history of the industry since he's been involved and the dynamics between all levels of the automotive supply chain.

In the hay-days for automotive textiles, from the mid 1980's until the mid 1990's, yarns were being packaged dyed. Unifi led this evolution by developing all procedures to dye polyester yarns, along with other filaments, such as nylon (which at the time was supposedly "impossible" to dye). This meant more business for Unifi, but it also meant more control by the designers and represented a time that automotive fabrics represented quality and luxury.

In the mid 90's, one of the OEMs demanded that costs be cut by piece-dyeing yardage, and everyone else fell in line. Rather than designers controlling design, all control was given to purchasing and the result has been the bland grays and neutrals you'll find yourself sitting on today. It was at this point that companies began refusing to pay more that $100 to upholster the entire interior. Not only did switching to piece dye limit design capability, but there was a lot of "corner-cutting" by the OEMs. For example, take a good look at your "leather" seats. Chances are the only leather is inlay, the very center of each seat. The bolster, on the edges, is almost always vinyl, and its all coated with acrylic. The same is true in fabrics. Its ironic that cost-cutting has landed the automotive industry in the financial crisis we are experiencing today.

While so much has changed, not just in the past 10 years...but in the past 10 months, with this industry, it is necessary to review what has changed since the most successful times in order to be successful again. The de-evolution from package dyeing to piece dyeing is just 1 example at 1 level of this industry. There is much to learn, but I hope that my research will contribute to increasing success through value, quality, and design.

To learn more, visit Unifi's website: www.unifi.com

Publication in fibreQUARTERLY

2009-05-30T13:54:00.003-04:00

My new friend Joe Lewis, who I met at the Inspired Design Jacquard Weaving Conference in January, has released his newest issue of fibreQUARTERLY on the Velvet Highway. This is an online publication, which I have mentioned before, that aims to "Explore Canadian Textile and Fibre Arts and Craft History, yesterday, today and tomorrow, if it's spun, woven, printed or just quickly stitched up, we try to give it a voice"- Joe.

This issue focuses on the art and artist featured at the Conference. I had the honor of submitting a review of the Conference, and Joe included images of 2 of my woven works. Please check out my write up as well as the rest of the issue. It is truly inspiring!

fibreQUARTERLY

Jenna's Article

I'm still here!

2009-05-29T18:36:00.006-04:00

I've had a few of you asking where I've been...

well...I've been making progress!

Slowly (very slowly), but surely.

So here's a quick update:

Making Connections

Most of last week was spent organizing our contact list and beginning to make connections. First on our list were members of the Color Marketing Group. Nancy is a member of this organization which "provides a forum for the exchange of non-competitive information relating to all phases of color marketing: color trends; and combinations; design influences; merchandising and sales; and education and industry contacts". As a member benefit she has access to the contact information of all other members. While most are personal connections of Nancy's, we also reached out to others that we thought would be able to provide insight into my research. Those that I have connected with already have been some of the most informative and kind people I have ever spoken with. They have helped guide me in the right direction (a new direction) and have helped to make sure I have access to all the information that they know is available.

Check them Out: www.colormarketing.org

I have also connected with a California contact and reconnected with Stephanie Rodgers in Michigan, who are both helping me extend my network and interview options.

I have also reached out to one of Nancy's contacts at Unifi, a North Carolina based yarn manufacturer who supplies every industry from hosiery to automotive. I plan to visit the Unifi office in Greensboro and one of the manufacturing facilities in Reidsville next week.

Changing Directions

So I did it. I did what every graduate student does. I have changed my focus mid-way. Okay, that might not quite be fair...how about I have narrowed my focus (much better). I tend to overdue it, and what I once thought was a small task, I have now realized was not reasonable expectations within my time frame.

So what's the difference?

Now I am focusing on Color, Motif, and Motif Scale.

This decision has eliminated structure and materials. We hoped that De Leo and Detroit Body Products (the producers of the automotive trim books...my primary source) had maintained a database with all the information the books didn't list, such as materials, and structure, and the supplier information. They, however, informed us they do not. After sitting down with Helen Scott, a former designer for Guilford Mills, we realized that the only way for even the most experienced fabric designer to tell exactly how an automotive fabric is constructed (when you can't remove it from the books) is if they designed it themselves.

It was time to move on.

The solution was obvious. I need to analyze what I can see. I can see color and pattern. After running my idea past Nazire (a VERY helpful doctoral student of Nancy's), and Stephanie, I knew I had something good. The only thing I didn't know was why I hadn't thought of this sooner! I Love Color! I am certain that I am now on the path to success!

Now What?

I have spent this past week creating an analysis system for Motif and Motif Scale.

Motif is divided into the following 14 categories: Solid, Solid Basket, Solid Twill, Solid Knit, Plaid, 2 Color Basket, 2 Color Twill, Lines/Ridges/Stripes, Geometrics, Honeycombs, Florals/Organics, Mesh, Textural, and Dots.

Motif Scale is divided into the following 5 categories: None (Solid), Small (<1.5cm),>5cm), and Multi-Color.

I have successfully analyzed 4 years according to this system at about 1 hour per year. That makes my total analysis time about 60 hours, which I hope to accomplish in 1 1/2 weeks.

Once I have completely analyzed for Motif and Motif Scale, I will then create a system to analyze color. I hope that our contact at Unifi will have some insight into this process. Our current plan is to analyze color based on the vinyls for each company in order to get a general feel of the color trends by year.

I guess its back to work! Please feel free to email me again if you catch me slacking on my posts :)

Artsplosure!

2009-05-16T09:31:00.013-04:00

Downtown Raleigh just keeps getting better and better! I LOVE promoting it!

This weekend the City of Raleigh Art's Commission is hosting the annual art's festival known as Artsplosure! Artsplosure's mission is to produce high quality annual festivals that celebrate excellence in the performing and visual arts; to promote and bring recognition to national, regional, and local artists; and to bring artists and the larger community together to improve the quality of life and cultural environment.

Artsplosure was created in 1978 and realized with its first festival in 1980. Today and tomorrow artists' booths are arranged around the park as well as local food vendors and live music and entertainment. Here are some of the highlights of what NOT to MISS:

SATURDAY
MUSIC
7:00-noon Dixieland Jazz @ Big Ed's in City Market
2:00-3:00 Eve Cornelious & Chip Crawford, Jazz
4:00-5:00 Kellylee Evans, Jazzy Soul
6:00-7:00 Lonnie Walker, Rootsy Americana & Dance Party Punk (NC Locals)
8:00-10:00 Buckwheat Zydeco, Rocking Jazz & Blues!

ENTERTAINMENT
Aerial Angels acrobatic show 11:00, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00

SUNDAY
MUSIC
1:00-2:00 The Johnny Folsom Four, Johnny Cash Tribute
3:00-4:00 Funkuponya, Jazz Funk
5:00-6:00 Jonathan Scales, Steel Drums
7:00-8:00 Mel Melton & the Wicket Mojos, Bayou Jazz

ENTERTAINMENT
Aerial Angels acrobatic show 12:00, 4:00

EVENTS BOTH DAYS
Art, Art, everywhere Art! Be sure to check out all the local galleries..most are only open until about 5:00

Sand Art
Art-On-The-Move winners displayed, Saturday 11:00-noon
Marbles Exhibitions
Triangle Restaurant Week (last days) Saturday and Sunday: http://www.trirestaurantweek.com/
Winesplosure: Wine Tasting at Metro Cafe

Check out the Event's Website: www.artsplosure.org

Committee Meeting 4

2009-05-15T02:18:00.009-04:00

Its 3 a.m. and I am WIDE awake...so what is better than to update my blog? I'm sure the reason I am awake at such an unruly hour is because my head is swimming with new and old information regarding my research. I have some pretty big decisions to make, and very little time to make them.

1. New Meeting Date

One of the biggest things that became obvious from the meeting Tuesday, is that by mid-summer, we're all sure I will be in desperate need of another committee meeting. Originally, our next meeting wasn't scheduled until July 28th. Part of the reason for this is because Nancy summers in England with her husband . The other part is because I see the summer as a chance to really accomplish something, with as few "distractions" as possible. What was I thinking? My committee is not a distraction!...they are truly there to help me to the best of my ability. They are not just a sounding board for ideas, or a group who's only purpose is to sign a piece of paper to ensure I graduate. I think this may be the #1 mistake most graduate students make. The truth is, they are a... group of individuals, genuinely interested in my success. They are in total support of not only my research, but also my future. If I allow myself to ask for help, this whole process will prove much more fruitful.

Key Tip #6: Your committee is your most valuable asset.

Our next date is now scheduled for June 22 (with Nancy via skype). By this point my goals are to complete the preliminary literature review and the swatch analysis

2. Predicted Factors

One point that developed from our discussion was that in order to tackle such an immense body of data effectively, I must have a prediction of the trends I expect to see, and the factors that led to these trends. This brought me back to my original plan of attack (from December). It was at this time that I had planned to learn about the contributing factors first, and then analyze their effects based on the story of the samples. We realized that if I approached it this way, there would be no concrete stopping point. To combat this, we decided to approach from the other end, and I also developed Hypotheses as follows:

Hypotheses 1-4 were developed in relation to Research Objective 4:

1. Consumers influence automotive upholstery trends.

2. Suppliers influence automotive upholstery trends.

3. OEMs influence automotive upholstery trends.

4. Global Factors influence automotive upholstery trends.

Hypothesis 5 was developed in relation to Research Objective 5:

5. The decision makers in automotive upholstery are a cyclic struggle between design, engineering, and purchasing. Trends in automotive upholstery have developed based on who holds the decision-making power. (See image below)

The Factors I predict discovering in the post-analysis literature review are also included below. It is important to note that I am not limiting myself to only these, and perhaps the list will even be shorter after the analysis, but this list gives me an idea of what I can expect to find.

3. Method of Visual Analysis

I will begin with a univariate analysis of materials, structures, colors, and patterns. Below is a very rough example with made-up color data. At the bottom of each graph, I will align the influencing factors in order to see what effect they may have had on the fabrics over time. This is my very general proposed method of analysis as of today, just to present a visual model to the committee. Please keep in mind, part of my preliminary literature review involves understanding how previously published research focusing on trend cycles organized the data. I hope that a better system will develop from this information.

4. Years Covered by the Analysis

Now this is the big one!

A) Original Plan: Cover major events in the past 100 years that influenced upholstery development. Look for changes in the fabrics that reflected these events.

B) Updated Plan: Analyze 50 years of fabrics first to identify trends in Materials, Structure, and Design, and then determine what factors influenced these trends.

C) Proposed Plan: Analyze fabrics from the past 10 years and identify the influencing factors in order to design successfully in the future.

This is where I could certainly use your feedback!

It is quite the delimna for me, and needs to be decided very quickly. I understand that C is more relevant, will be more interesting for those I'm interviewing, and that they will be able to answer more precise questions (since many of them designed the majority of these fabrics), and all of this will make collecting accurate data much easier. Also, if I go with C, my analysis and factor exploration can be much more detailed.

Plan B is the big picture. I understand that it will not be possible to reach the level of detail that is possible with C, due to the volume of data. However, its the big historical events and cycles that interest me the most. I've been viewing this research as a historical analysis from the beginning, and feel that analyzing 10 years instead of 50 makes a huge difference in my goals.

I'll will graciously accept all comments and votes for these options! I have a feeling that those of you who have been through this process are going to shout out "C", but for the optimists (meaning anyone who has never written a 200-page research paper, including myself) 'B' just seems more interesting...am I right?

My Next Moves:

Even without making this crucial decision, there is much to be done!

This week I have tried to contact every known source that might possess a list of the top selling vehicles including Automotive News, Car and Driver, MotorTrend, Forbes, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the DoT Bureau of Transportation Services, Detroit News, and of course Ward's Automotive. I left messages at as many people as I could contact at the first 4, the government associations both referred me to Ward's, and the Detroit News information library laughed at me and wished me good luck! :) I finally got a call back from Ward's. They have this data beginning in 1980 (still not 1955, but it gets me 16 years closer than before!). We have been playing phone tag, but it sounds like they will be glad to let me purchase this data (joy...more $). Hearing from them has also allowed me to conclude that if they do not have a list prior to 1980, no one does (besides calling all companies individually). This means I need a new plan of attack for selecting vehicles between 1955-1979 (1 potato, 2 potato, 3 potato, 4?).

I have also met with Zoe Starling and Mary Hauser, curators at the NC State Gregg Museum. I contacted them with hopes of learning more about maintaining archives, and for advice on developing a consistent system for recording my analysis data. They referred me to the museum at FIT, which maintains a swatch collection, and to www.DocuSwatch.com. (This is certainly not a sophisticated site, but the contact information is available, and they might prove to be a valuable research).

We also spoke quite a bit about the TIMMIE collection. This collection consists of late 19th to mid 20th century American textile history. Timmie Corporation of Wilmington, NC produced home furnishings and automotive textiles in its mills from 1952-1983. In the collection are swatches of fabrics and the original specs used to communicate between the customer and supplier. Unfortunately Nancy and I are perhaps the only ones outside of the Museum staff who have spent any time with this collection, and it is hidden away in drawers without any clear organization system (which would be a huge undertaking!). This collection actually sparked my research topic, but once we decided to focus on fabrics after 1955, we also decided to stick with the De Leo and Detroit books. Viewing pieces of this collection today, did, however, reveal the opportunity to use some of the notes written on each swatch regarding customer demand and pricing in the factor stage of the post-analysis literature review.

The final goal for this weekend is to conduct a full analysis of 2004, 2005, and 2006. For each year, I will prepare the vehicle data cards and analyze the fabrics by materials, structure, and design. This information will be recorded in a database and hopefully set the format for the rest of my study.

Wow...its amazing how much you can write when you just can't stop thinking at 4 a.m.!

Research Update

2009-05-11T11:40:00.016-04:00

Below are some of my main slides for my Marketing Research class's final research proposal. If you have having difficulty reading any of the slides, click on the image for a larger view. As always, feel free to contact me with feedback or questions: www.AutoTexDesign@gmail.com.

Marketing Fail

2009-05-05T15:30:00.001-04:00

If you haven't seen this yet...I thought you might all find it amusing!

New Email Address!

2009-05-03T18:04:00.004-04:00

AutoTexDesign@gmail.com

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to share my new email address with you. I want to thank everyone who has been reading my blog and sending me questions. I hope that my responses have been helpful and informative! This has been a great opportunity for worldly networking as I have made contacts from Egypt, Iran, Japan, Canada, and all over the US. I track my visitors to this site with Google Analytics and get an average of 9 views a day and have had almost 1,000 unique visitors from 70 different countries!

Moral of the Story- get out there blogging! Its amazing who you'll meet with similar interests!

And as always...please feel free to email me with ANY questions about textiles, design, automotive interiors and upholstery, graduate school, writing a thesis....

AutoTexDesign@gmail.com

Art to Wear 2009!

2009-04-29T20:25:00.017-04:00

Why not make it a 2 post night?! Especially with all the end of the school year excitement!

One of the biggest events to happen at NC State each year is the Art to Wear Fashion Show, a collaborative event hosted by the College of Textiles and the College of Design.

Art to Wear was initiated in 2001 by Anni Albers Scholars (my program!) with the help of College of Design and AASP faculty member, Vita Plume. Since its initiation 8 years ago, the show has grown from 100 spectators, to over 3000! Over the years Art to Wear has changed many features to meet the demands of its increasing popularity: it has had 3 different homes on NCSU's campus, studio classes have been added to both colleges focusing on the show, and the committee of students involved in all aspects from design, to communications, to fundraising and more has grown substantially! One thing that has not changed with time, is the extreme quality and creativity unleashed in every one of the student designs. The professionalism of this event is remarkable, and admirable! I am proud to have been a part of this event in the past, but I also enjoyed this year's experience as an audience member. This was the first time I had not seen the designers' pieces prior to the show, and I was as impressed as ever!

Designers

Vansana Norlintha "One Human Circle"

Courtney Hummel "Garnish Delight"

Alyssa McNamara "Rooted"

Katlyn Griffin "Absolutely, Maybe"

Hannah Goff "Bound"

Lauren Boynton "At the Beach"

Allison Russell "The Legion of Steam Underground Ball"

Veronica Tibbetts "American Dream"

Adrienne L. McKenzie "Rapture, A Masquerade"

Jessica Roush "Tribal Fusion"

Chase Kennedy "A Reflection of Rebellion"

Leigh LaVange "Frosted Heart"

Amy Quinn "Le Danse des Desserts"

Shelley Smith "Wanderlust"

Charlotte Guice "Nesting"

For more stories and images, please visit the following sites:

www.technicianonline.com/multimedia/art-to-wear-2009

- The Technician is NCSU's Student Paper

www.newsobserver.com/lifestyles/fashion/story/1498793

www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1490143

blogs.newsobserver.com/multi/april-23-2009-art-to-wear-fashion-show

- The News and Observer is RDU's Primary Paper News Source

www.flickr.com/photos/dgmckim/sets

www.flickr.com/photos/mattbell

www.flickr.com/photos/emilyem/

- These are collections from friends and spectators available on Flikr

www.flickr.com/photos/jennasjapan/

- And my photo set :)

Art to Wear Team

Director: Amy Quinn

Fundraising: Emily Cheng

Arrangements: Katie Skinner | Jay Ross

Photo/Video: Kiley Schiffman (Provided by Jeff Basladynsi, Saul Flores, Marc Helk, Grace Young, and Island Sound DJ's & Video)

Graphics: Katlyn Griffin | Sarah Gudely (Provided by Iris Chen and Toni Chester)

Jury/PR: Richelle Smith

Treasurer: Morgane Klareich

Communications: Katie Banner

Stage Moms/Seating: Amy Gray | Kenzie Morrison | Liz Howell

Hair/Makeup: Candis Shiflett | Jenny Le (Provided by Paul Mitchell Emerald Academy)

Faculty Advisors: Dr. Cindy Istook | Jan-Run Wan

Thanks is also given to Dean Marvin Malecha, Chandra Cox, and Sherry O'Neal of the College of Design.

As well as Dean Blanton Godfrey, Emily Parker, and Shawn Dunning of the College of Textiles.

The many sponsors, including Sunbrella, Tumbling Collors, Jerry's Artarama (and many more)

MC: Michael Perros

Model Training: G and S Talent Inc.

and of course the Jurors: Kate Kretz | Nico Morrison | Myriah Zaytoun

For more information, please visit the Art to Wear webpage at: www.ncsuarttowear.com

DVDs of the entire show are available for order from this site!

Also, if you missed the show, you'll be able to see the collections May 11 at some of the fashion boutiques at Cameron Village in Raleigh!

Great Video Explaining this Unique Event!

Summer Textile Exploration Program (STEP)

2009-04-29T19:52:00.016-04:00

Classes have ended- yey! So planning my summer has begun!

This summer I have 1 focus: thesis, Thesis, THESIS! In order to keep my sanity, I am already looking for new activities to fill my calendar and keep me social, rather than locked in the library. One cure to my isolation may be to help work with the STEP program of the NCSU College of Textiles.

STEP is a summer program for rising high school seniors that serves as a valuable introduction into the world of textiles. Each session is 1 week long and can host 28 students, who are invited to stay in campus dorms in order to get the full campus experience. Each morning, students participate in textile-related presentations and activities, including visits to local businesses and a tour of the NC State campus. After lunch, the students divide into groups depending on their interests in one of the following topics: polymer and color chemistry, engineering, apparel/clothing design, textile/fabric design, or business management. These groups will work together on a project pertaining to their topic, which will be presented at the end of the week.

Each afternoon students can enjoy free-time, or group activities such as bowling and cookouts. On Friday, presentations will be given to students, parents, and professors and a cookout celebration will be held to commend their accomplishments!

If you are interested, applications are available at: www.tx.ncsu.edu/student_services/step/index.cfm

The deadline for this summer's program is MAY 1st at 5:00: FRIDAY!

This year's Sessions:

1st week: June 14-19

2nd week: June 21-26

3rd week: July 5-10

4th week: July 12-17

Because of this deadline, I'm am sure high school freshmen-juniors will find this post more helpful for the upcoming summers. If you are interested in applying before this deadline, please contact Brandon Alley at Textile Student Services: bsalley@ncsu.edu, or you can always contact me with any questions.

For more information about the STEP program, please visit: www.tx.ncsu.edu/student_services

NCSU College of Textiles Research Open House

2009-04-09T13:34:00.005-04:00

Next Thursday, April 16th, the NC State College of Textiles and the Textile Association of Graduate Students are hosting the Seventh Annual Research Open House. The event takes place from 8:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. on the Centennial Campus. The day's events include recognized speakers from the College and the textile industry, CoT tours, and a poster session featuring current graduate work.
For full information about this event, including the schedule, speakers, directions to the College and contact information, please visit: www.tx.ncsu.edu.

I will be presenting my research as a work in progress. My research poster is posted below, as well as my poster from last year that outlines the product development process for my Splinter seating prototypes.

Committee Meeting 3

2009-03-26T21:19:00.015-04:00

Hello Hello! So what's my big news? I had another committee meeting this week- better yet- my head is still attached to my shoulders!

I went into Tuesday's meeting overwhelmed. I came out nearly nauseous from an overload of ideas. Wednesday I followed up with Nancy, and by Wednesday evening, life started to make sense again. I think every graduate student can relate to this vicious cycle. Today I spent several more hours reviewing this week's advancements and believe I am at peace with tackling the task ahead of me. Below is a rather lengthy synopsis of Tuesday's meeting and where I plan to go from here in order to successfully reach that ominous deadline.

During the Meeting

1) Updated Plan of Work Approval (Added Independent Study with Nancy in Jacquard Woven Design)

2) Adjust Timeline

3) Discuss Updated Outline

Updated Outline: An Exploration of Factors Affecting Innovation in Automotive Upholstery, 1950-2010

I have now clarified my purpose of study:

Determine trends and trend cycles in the automotive upholstery over the past 60 years. Based on these trends and industry interviews, understand what factors are involved in creating successful automotive fabric. From this information, develop predictions for future trends in automotive upholstery.

I have also finalized my research objectives:

1) What trends have recurred in the materials used in automotive upholstery?

2) What trends have recurred in the types of fabric structures used in automotive upholstery?

3) What trends have recurred in fabric design (colors, and patterns) in automotive upholstery?

4) What factors contributed to these trends?

5) Based on these factors and trends, what predictions can be made for future automotive interior upholstery?

In order to accomplish these objectives, I will:

1) Review pre-existing literature on automotive upholstery in order to better evaluate the fabrics’ materials and constructions. I will also review literature that explores trend cycles in order to understand how to document my findings, relate these to outside factors, and justify my approach.

2) Analyze the fabrics from the Top 5 Best Selling Vehicles in the US from the DeLeo collection. From the swatches, I will be able to determine the year, model and make of the vehicle, the materials, structure and fabrication method, and the fabric design (colors and patterns) of the fabric. I will catalogue this information and examine it using various statistical analysis tools (yet to be decided) in order to determine trends and trend cycles.

3) Conduct a follow-up literature review in order to understand what factors may have contributed to the observed trend cycles. These sources will focus on consumer, OEM, and global influences in automotive design and textiles. I will also complete my study on the F-Series (America’s all time best selling vehicle) in order to gain an in-depth understanding of what factors are involved in design during a vehicle’s life cycle.

4) Conduct industry interviews in order to confirm and validate the factors that I have determined contributed to innovations in automotive upholstery.

5) Based on these factors and trends, I will make predictions for designing successful automotive upholstery fabrics for the future.

Literature Review

We spent the majority of the meeting discussing the literature review, which was certainly a wise use of our time. Initially my thoughts were too broad and too vague at the same time. I think the main reason for this is because until Tuesday’s meeting, the literature review was the most intimidating part of my thesis (which shouldn’t be true), and this was keeping me from getting off to an efficient start. Our solution is actually the opposite of what is normally done; I will be conducting my primary literature review after my research. Most graduate students are strongly advised against this, but we felt that this was the natural order of progression for my study. I will still conduct a preliminary literature review, as discussed in Point 1 above in order to better understand what I am looking for and how to evaluate this information, but the majority of my traditional literature review will conducted after my fabric analysis. This way I will be able to focus my efforts only on the factors that actively influenced trends seen in the sample analysis.

Goals before May 12 Committee Meeting:

1) Complete TTM Research Proposal.

This is an assignment given for my Research Methods class, taught by Dr. Moore (my committee co-chair). For the proposal, we are a write an Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Prospective Benefits and Limitations, and create a Timeline/Budget, within a 10-page document. I have discussed much of this with my committee, but this assignment will force me to put it all on paper in order to get the ball rolling. This is also a great opportunity to receive valuable feedback before I am in too deep.

2) Begin Fabric Analysis and Cataloguing.

In order to successfully complete my proposal, it will be necessary to understand if my analysis process will be a success. I hope to analyze fabrics in the 2006 and 2005 DeLeo books, 10 vehicles total.

Networking and Portfolio Sites

2009-03-19T17:53:00.007-04:00

I'm supposed to be refining my research question tonight...but after a killer test on Wednesday, I think my brain broke :) Really I've just decided to switch my attention to something a bit more entertaining. This week that has meant joining LinkedIn, a professional networking website.

This has brought me to today's blog post: a list of some of the most lucrative sites I have joined, as well as some I do not recommend professionally.

1) www.LinkedIn.com

I just joined this network and it is currently top on my list. This is by far the most professional site, which I am mainly basing on the caliber of contacts that have joined. As described by a friend, "it makes me feel important having so many business/professional contacts!" Although it has been somewhat intimidating requesting contacts who I have not spoken with in months or even years, you are given the option to write a personal note that appears in their primary email account when sending a contact invitation. This was a great opportunity to reconnect with past professionals and colleagues with whom I have networked and keep my name fresh in the minds. So far the biggest convenience of LinkedIn is being able to import contacts directly from your email. The site shows you which of these are already members on LinkedIn and you can request them, or invite them to join. I still have a lot to learn about this site...which might be the only downside. There are just so many options for adding information and finding contacts and the layout is somewhat confusing. Regardless, it gets the job done.

Connect with me: www.linkedin.com/in/jennaeason

2) www.SlideShare.net

Second on my list is a feature that I found via LinkedIn called SlideShare. This site allows quick and easy upload of your powerpoint presentations. You can work with this feature directly from LinkedIn, or create a SlideShare profile at: www.slideshare.net. By creating tags, or keywords, for your presentations, users can search on a variety of topics. Also, in the 3 days I have had this account, I have been fortunate enough to have 2 of my presentations selected to be featured on the "Automotive Spotlight" page. Most impressive is the fact that I had no difficulties in uploading my presentation files, which are far to big for email. You can then download the presentation directly from the site. The only MAJOR disadvantage is that your file can be downloaded in original format, notes and all, which means the content that you might have spent months on, could easily be stolen and, um..."adopted". As a student, I feel that sharing knowledge is important and understand the risk, but in a professional environment, this is NOT an option. On the up-side, you do have the option to upload in a number of different formats, including pdf (which I think is my next step).

Check out my presentations: www.slideshare.net/AutomotiveTextileDesign

3) www.carbonmade.com

Carbonmade is the site I am currently using to host my design portfolio. The layout is simple, professional, and easy to navigate. The backend of the site also makes uploading and project organization very user-friendly. This is one account that I am currently paying for at a rate of $12/month (the "Whoo!" account), which allows me 50 projects and 500 hi-res. images and 10 video uploads. However, the best investment is the FREE membership, no strings attached. With this plan (labeled as the "Meh." account), you are allowed a respectable 5 projects and 35 images. You also have the option to turn projects off, or hide them, at any given time...perhaps you are catering towards a specific audience?

Check out my portfolio: www.HereIAm.carbonmade.com

4. www.flikr.com

Flikr certainly seems to cater to the more "artsy" crowd. I use the site for public viewing of my blog albums, which are hopefully informational and interesting, but many users of this site are working at a far higher caliber; set to impress the world with their photographic and photoshopic techniques. Users can comment on other's photos, providing what is often helpful feedback. The biggest drawbacks are failures in uploading, and the significant amount of time it takes to create an entire album. I also find it frustrating to navigate from the backend and while viewing. Nonetheless, it is a reputable home for your images.

Visit my photostream: www.flickr.com/photos/27362998@N07/collections/

While I understand there are tons of other networking, and especially portfolio sites, these are my TOP recommendations. Below are links to a number of other sites with descriptions. Please also comment on your favorites that I may have not mentioned.

5) www.myworkster.com

I joined this site over 2 years ago, when there were only about 20 other members from all of NCSU. I have not revisited the site until recently, and now that I am using LinkedIn, will probably remain inactive on Workster. If I spend any additional time on it and discover new advantages, the layout has changed significantly since my last long in, I will be sure to let you know. Certainly still worth checking out.

6) www.facebook.com

Anyone who's been in college over the past 5 years is all-too-familiar with facebook. I must be honest, I've grown to love the site. Its a wonderful way to reconnect or stay connected with friends and even family. Always controversial and confusing are the monthly changes to the site, which are sure to spark thousands of new "groups" protesting the updates. While I learn to accept some of the changes and forget the "old ways of facebook", the site has lost what I once considered a sense of professionalism. All the applications of mob wars and zombie attacks may be fun, but for me are just distracting. This site has revolutionized how many school groups connect and how friends plan the night's activities. It successfully connects you to large groups of people with simple note or event page. A college student not on facebook is a rarity, and in that sense, I think facebook has been the most successful at connecting people of like interests, but this is also a site I recommend for fun, not for professional use.

7) www.myspace.com

MySpace is essentially the original social networking site. I think that is also the most important thing to remember, that it is primarily for social purposes. I do not recommend this site professionally, and often come across crude material if I am browsing. I do however recommend joining if you are a music or entertainment fanatic, or plugging your own album. If you ever want to be on an MTV reality show, this is the site to join.

In future blogs I hope to add more site, especially portfolio sites, but I have not yet done much research into these. Some recommended by friends include: www.coroflot.com, www.viewbook.com, www.otherpeoplespixels.com, or my #1 recommendation of creating and hosting your own site. linked

3D Spacer Fabrics

2009-03-14T08:46:00.011-04:00

Good morning textile enthusiasts!

Keeping this blog is all about reporting on topics I find most interesting as well as serving of an account of my activities and research during my final semester of graduate school. This semester I am taking a class in Woven and Knit Structures and Properties. As a requirement of this class, we have been assigned a topic paper and presentation from a variety of categories. I selected spacer fabrics, specifically for automotive usage. I have been very interested in this construction technique because I believe it gives a fresh, funky, and innovative spin on the automotive seat. My research has converted me into even more of an enthusiast as I have uncovered the extreme benefits of using this material over conventional seating components. I have included my slide below, but these only touch on the surface of my research. As always, if you'd like more information on the topic or have any questions, please feel free to contact me by posting a comment or emailing me directly.

2009 Southeastern Automotive Forum

2009-03-05T20:31:00.005-05:00

Spring "Break" is anything but for the graduate student. My weekend, and week, of course started in the library- working on that lovely 3D Spacer Fabric paper. Of which I have 15 single spaced pages and am almost halfway through my research. The paper guidelines are for a 6-8 page paper. Oops...I think I have a long weekend of editing ahead.

But more importantly...the past days I have been assisting with the 2009 Southeastern Automotive Forum. I have been helping my wonderfully involved graduate professor, Nancy Powell, as we prepared to host the conference at the College of Textiles. The event, held today from 8:00-1:00 was a HUGE success with the largest turnout yet of over 200 participants!

The day started with a Introduction and Welcome by Nancy Powell, Dr. Terri Helmlinger Ratcliff (the Executive Director of NC State IES), and Morgan Blue (of UL-DQS). Terri's welcome gave the conference an optimistic start. She gave us hope as she compared a 1875 Wisconsin state legislation to develop a feasible and economical substitute for the horse. A patent given in 1899 (almost 20 years later) took the award of $10,000...a figure that relates to around $200 million in today's economy. But in 1903, as we all know, Ford pushed this product aside and said 'I can do better'...and he did. The point of the story is that things can always be done differently and better. The grandchild to this competition: Progressive Auto's X-Prize. The goal: Revolution through Competition. Partnered with the US Department of Energy and Discovery Education, the X Prize Foundation is offering $10 million for creating the most energy-efficient solution to automotive transportation.

The keynote address, given by Todd Taylor continued this positive vive and reported on automotive efficiency and sustainability of the industry in today's economic environment. Todd, of Honda North America, spoke on "Strengthening Characteristics and Efficiency During the Weakened Economy". Honda's philosophy since 1960 is inspiring to say the least: A company that Society wants to exist.

We then hosted 4 breakout sessions:

Simon Cobb, Chief Operating Officer of NCCAR spoke on "Disruptive Times Offer Big Opportunities in Automotive Industry".

Jerry Skaggs, PE's topic was "Putting Leadership in Energy Through the Draft ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard".

Dr. Mike Seibert, Assistant State Director and Director of Export Financing Services, SBTDC, hosted a session about "Business Success in Tough Economic Times"

and Phil Mintz, Manager of Continuous Improvement Services and NC State's IES, spoke about "Continuous Improvement for the Green Organization"

As you can see from these topics, the theme for the Forum, "Sustainability in our Changing Environment", was clearly using sustainability to its original meaning rather just in the trendy environmental way. The goal is to learn how to sustain not only the environment, but also the companies, the automotive industry, and supporting industries.

We the continued with Dr. Fred Gallasch speaking on "How Suppliers Can Sell Their Wares While Protecting Themselves from the Uncertainties of Dealing with the OEM's". Fred is the President of Gallasch Consulting Services, LLC, and is the Past Brand Manager for General Motors Corvette.

The day wrapped up with a panel discussion hosted by Simon Cobb, Rich Cregar, Jerry Skaggs, Mike Hensen, and Todd Taylor.

The Southeastern Automotive Forum was hosted by UL DQS Inc (Management Systems Solutions), The Industrial Extension Service at NC State (IES), NC Center for Automotive Research (NCCAR), the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), and the NC State College of Textiles. Please be sure to check out the links to these great organizations and see what is really going on in the North Carolina Automotive Industry (and the world).

And 1 more, very positive personal note for the day. Crystal Avalos and I were publicly recognized by Stephanie Rodgers of ATS for our First Place entries in the Automotive Design Competition....which led to some very interested potential employers!

Phi Psi Professional Textile Fraternity 102nd National Convention

2009-02-24T10:00:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone!

I just got back from one of my FAVORITE yearly events!- the Phi Psi National Convention. Phi Psi is a professional textile fraternity organized for the purpose of the social welfare of, and promoting friendly feelings between those students of Textile Schools. This group was created in 1902 at Philadelphia Textile School and currently includes the active chapters of: Alpha- Philadelphia, Eta- NC State, Iota- Clemson, Lambda- Alabama Polytechnic, and Nu- Southern Polytechnic State. (Beta at Dartmouth and Mu at ITT are currently inactive).

This year's convention was hosted by Clemson University and, as always, was a HUGE success!

The purposes of convention are not only to connect with other chapters at a social level, but also to take care of the year's affairs at the annual business meeting and to visit textile facilities. Thursday night started the event with registration and ice breaker trivia.

On Friday, we rose bright and early to tour Milliken's Design Center.

Milliken & Company is one of the largest privately held textile and chemical manufacturers in the world. Many graduates from all chapters of Phi Psi have pursued successful careers at Milliken, including Asae Nakagawa and David Giovannini, who both stopped in for a visit.

Our next tour was at Leigh Fibers Inc., where they specialize in fibers and textile waste recycling since 1922. The expansive wearhouse and plant we visited has been operating since 1961 and today is the largest textile and waste by-product reprocessing company in North America.

Our final destination for the day was the new BMW Manufacturing Center. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take a tour because of a new, not-yet-released product on the line, but we did finish the day with some fun in the Museum. Be sure to check out the My Photos link to the right for all the pictures inside the museum.

That evening we separated for dinner then met back at Clemson's student center for bowling, ping-pong, table hockey, and pool. Beyond that, most of us even enjoyed a night on the town, listening to music at some of Clemson's student bars.

Saturday was another big day, starting with the business meeting. At the annual business meeting, we discuss the rules and traditions of Phi Psi, extending membership, and hold the oral presentations, presented by each chapter.

Following the business meeting, the fraternity then headed to a low ropes course for team building. I heard this activity was "unbelievable fun", but decided to take some time to bond with the Eta alumns in downtown Greenville.

We then got back just in time to throw on cocktail dresses for the banquet and headed down the hall to the hotel ballroom. The banquet included delicious food and drinks, lots of dancing, and, most importantly, the awards ceremony. Awards were given in the categories of Written Report, Photographic Archives, Oral Presentation, and Best All Around Chapter (who presented themselves the most professional, mingled with the other chapters, and contributed to the success of the convention). I am VERY honored to announce that NC State's Eta Chapter swept the 1st Place award for all categories, and was recognized for Best All Around Chapter! Each year the competition gets tougher, and this year certainly proved that- so congratulations to all chapters!

For more information about Phi Psi, and how to get involved, get your school involved, or if you'd like to extend an invitation for a company visit, please, as always, feel free to contact me.

Three Dimensional Weaving

2009-02-16T21:24:00.008-05:00

Hey folks!

I realize its been a while since I last posted, thanks to mid-term season, but I'm continuously gathering fascinating information for your reading pleasure!

But for the time being...

For one of my courses, I am writing a report on Automotive Spacer Fabrics. I've just printed all my articles and checked out my books...so it looks like I have a lot of reading ahead of me before I can report back to you. Since this is a topic I am thrilled to learn more about, I'll be sure to let you in on this innovative (and environmentally friendly) advancement.

Until then, enjoy these images I found from a University of Manchester presentation on "3D Weaving and Woven Structures" (which is different from, but related to, spacer fabrics). These have multitudes of applications including automotive composites, medical implants, and protective clothing, and who else knows what the future holds for this versatile structure.

And, as always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about this topic and I will answer to my best ability (or point you to the best resource).

Research Update

2009-02-08T11:21:00.010-05:00

I had my second Committee Meeting on Tuesday, January 27...and its taken me this long to process it all.

I prepared for the meeting by presenting an estimated timeline of my research. To create this, I worked backwards, starting with my ideal thesis defense date: October 26 (9 months from now). I then included all other official due dates and dates for all committee meetings. Each of these were about 2 months apart. It was then a matter of filling in the gaps.

I also prepared a more detailed outline of my thesis. To do this, I reviewed previously published theses and analyzed the similarities. I created chapters for my outline which include: Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results and Findings, Discussion, and Future Research. There were, of course, sub-categories to each of these chapters detailing my plan.

When I entered my committee meeting, I was so proud of these 2 major accomplishments and felt like I was really ready to move forward with the research phase. When I left, I was more confused then ever- and the next week was one of the most stressful and frustrating I'd had! My advisors began sending me articles to reference and asking me questions in terms I thought I understood, but clearly did not. Conceptual Framework, Secondary and Primary Research, and Push or Pull Influences...these were all terms I'd used before and felt comfortable with, until after this meeting. I realized that everyone within the committee was using these in different ways, and by the end of it all, I didn't know how to make heads or tails out of any of this information and was incapable of answering even the simplest question. I am not one who gets discouraged this easily and knew I had to find the source of this disconnect.

I realize that this is another issue that all student researchers face. I have seen my classmates breakdown any given week because of misunderstandings. I have now, 2 weeks later, decided how I will deal with this and know that it is first necessary to establish a common vocabulary within the committee. Also, I feel fortunate that my timeline is different than most graduate students. Because I entered the program in January, I have 2 summers within the length of my program. I did keep this in mind when creating my timeline document for my committee, focusing the majority of my research during the summer months. My advantage is that I can spend this semester working to fully understand the research process and developing a strong and comfortable backbone for my thesis. My goal is to dedicate 10hrs/week to my research- no more, no less. This way I can continually make progress towards my thesis while focusing on my course-work and the 20 hrs/week for my RA, without overwhelming myself. Before I felt too pressured for time, but now realize that I was the only one putting pressure on myself.

Key Tip #4: When overwhelmed, take a step back and re-evaluate your situation.

Taking the time to re-evaluate the situation grants one of the biggest pay offs. I now plan to dedicate more time and effort to my Market Research class, which will answer all these questions about terms and processes. I also plan to read "The Elements of Academic Research" my Edward McCuen. These sources will both help me to develop a common vocabulary with my advisors and be able to answer the questions that confused me just a week ago. Basically, I was trying to do too much at once. Now, I am preparing myself for a summer dedicated solely to my research and writing. Joy...haha...but this does relieve so much pressure.

Key Tip #5: When in doubt, refer to the professionals.

The final documents I prepared for my second Committee Meeting are specific to my research and process. I began creating a DETAILED timeline of the past 120 years. I included anything and everything that I felt had an impact on the automotive industry. This list is still going and I plan to add to it every time I research. My goal in creating this timeline is to identify all the factors that could have played a role in the development automotive fabrics. There is no final plan for this information, but it is more fuel for my fire.

I also began researching the best-selling automobile in history: the Ford F-series trucks. I am looking at these trucks on a yearly basis, analyzing everything from the annually-changing grille to the bed size and of course the interior. This is going to serve as my pilot study. I hope that this study will enable me to make connections between stylistic eras and what was happening with the interior (based on my DeLeo swatches) and to develop an organizational system in order to evaluate all fabric that I plan to analyze. So far, this analysis is off to a strong start (from 1948-1960) and I hope to finish this analysis by my next committee meeting on March 24th. Of course I plan to report my most fascinating findings on the F-series to my blog audience!

NC State College of Textiles Open House!

2009-02-03T17:41:00.004-05:00

You're Invited!

The NCSU College of Textiles Open House is THIS Saturday, February 7th. From 10am-2pm, we our hosting this annual event in order to get future students, as well as the community, excited about the amazing things being done at the CoT.

We offer programs in Fashion and Textile Management, Textile Technology (that's me!), Polymer and Color Chemistry, and Textile Engineering. Most of our labs will be open, allowing an exclusive look into our one-of-a-kind facility and multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art labs. We'll even be running live demonstrations of PYROMAN, "the hottest man in the world", in our newly renovated Textile Protection and Comfort Center.

Pyroman Video

Throughout the Open House event, College of Textiles' faculty, staff, and students will be available to answer questions regarding our undergraduate and graduate textile degree programs, including our Anni Albers dual degree program and the new pre-Health concentration.

For more information, please call (919) 515-3780 and check out our website: www.tx.ncsu.edu

Come on out and see what makes us the

#1 Textile School in the World!

College of Textiles Bookmark Competition

2009-02-03T16:59:00.012-05:00

Please post your feedback.

Which is your favorite?

What adjustments would you prefer?

Ben Bruzga at the Durham Arts Council

2009-01-31T10:34:00.005-05:00

Ben Bruzga was one of the main team members for the Splinter Wooden Supercar. But far more than that, Ben is an incredible artist, which I got to see first hand this past weekend at his exhibition in Durham. His installation "Wasted" incorporated all used and recycled materials in order to create a beautiful scene comprised of cardboard trees, candy wrapper flowers, and an entire pizza box house. Please check out the pictures linked to the right, as well as his digital portfolio to learn more about Ben's work: www.thebrewfactory.biz All pieces from the exhibition are for sale.