Niles West fashion students went on a field trip and were given the time to choose the fabric of their choice and explore the fashion industry a little bit more. On Wednesday, October 5, periods six and seven fashion students took a field trip to JOANN Fabric and Crafts in Niles.

According to family and consumer sciences teacher Michelle Kline, the trip ties in with the curriculum for fashion as well as to provide students with the opportunity of choosing a fabric that best suits their style.

“We go to the fabric store so that the students understand how to select fabric for their individual projects. Our level 1 students start with pajama pants, so they get a choice of flannel, cotton, or fleece fabric, and the different prints they can choose to match with their own style” Kline said.

Students were excited to choose the fabric of their choice among a variety.

“It was exciting because I have never made anything on a sewing machine before and there were so many fancy options of fabric to choose from. I was able to choose a pattern I want. I chose elephant print because I thought it was fun and the fabric was soft” junior Sophia Izquierdo said.

The first level class starts off the year with a unit on learning how to use a sewing machine and sewing their own pajamas and pants. With every student having to make their own pair, it was essential to buy fabric for each and every student and providing them the opportunity to choose the fabric that best suits their taste.

Besides providing fabric for their individual projects, the trip also tied in with their curriculum of learning about the different types of fibers and body types.

“They are going to learn about different fibers and fabric types and collections of fabrics; what works best with different patterns, how to select patterns for their body types as well,” Kline said.

Students were able to pick up on these ideas since they got to experience it firsthand.

“I learned about measurements and how much cloth is needed for the specific sizes of pants,” Izquierdo said.

The second level students took a trip to Vogue Fabrics weeks prior for similar purposes.

“We went to Vogue Fabrics a few weeks ago and we usually go once a semester. We went to get fabric and materials we need to make clothes for the Niles West fashion show in may as well as class curriculum,” junior Vanessa Bittar said.

Many students had a great time and saw their trip as a stepping stone to future projects.

“It was so much fun. It was amazing to see all the fabrics, cloths, and threads they had, it was hard to choose which one to get. As a fashionista, I can definitely see myself heading to JOANN Fabrics outside of class on my own time. I plan on buying my own sewing machine in the near future and I will definitely need some fabric for projects at home,” freshman Zeenat Muhammad said.

Kline hopes students will take the the skills they have learned and picked up -such as how and where to get their own fabric- with them into the future.

“If they wanted to make something of their own outside of class, they would be able to do that. It really opens their eyes to all the possibilities out there,” Kline said. “When you grow up and get your own place, you can make pillows, sew pajama pants for yourself, or you could maybe do some alterations to your gowns.”