Full house greets Project Runway's Becky Ross

Becky Ross wants to design for real women. That's her proclamation from her Sunday, Nov 6, "Brunch with Becky" at Portland Sewing.

Real women are America's average women: 5'4", sizes 14-16. "They are the forgotten majority," she said. "We have plenty of clothes for the young and slender but any for the rest of us is hard to find and, frankly, boring." Ross is on the hunt for backers who will hire her or help finance her vision for her clothing line.

Her pronouncement was met with cheers from the audience. They peppered her with questions for two hours:

What was her favorite challenge? The avant garde challenge with the middle school art students. "I got many comments on the dress with the boxes, but I liked it."

What was her worst challenge? The team challenge with Anya and Josh Mc. "I tried to be a team player but it backfired." She hated the garment that purportedly came from her but she hadn't, in fact, designed.

Who was her favorite person on the show? Tim Gunn. "He's a real sweetheart."

Was she prepared for Project Runway? She was excited and ready to win. "But no one can be prepared for the hours and constant series of challenges." She slept for a week after she returned from the contest.

Would she do it again? "It's made me a much stronger designer. I have a much clearer vision of who I am and what I want to do."

And one of those things will be to teach a special class at Portland Sewing. Look for an announcement soon!

Visit Project Runway's Bryce Black @ StudioSKB.com

Keely DiPietro models the 3-in-1 cape, dress, skirt on www.studioskb.com Bryce Black stars on Project Runway July 28 Can't wait to see Bryce on the start of Project Runway at 8 pm tonight on Lifetime Channel? Then look for the story in US Magazine or visit his Fall 2011 line designed for StudioSKB. His skirts, tops, jackets and dresses drew enthusiastic applause at the April 16 Garden Party Fashion Show at Portland Sewing. They'll soon be on the racks at Radish Underground and Physical Element. Be sure to ask your favorite boutique for a piece of Portland fashion history.

Bryce Black, Becky Ross to show on Project Runway

Becky Ross (back row left) and Bryce Black (back row right) are competing on Project Runway, Season 9. Both studied with Sharon Blair.

Yes, it's true. I can now spill the beans and tell you that two of my students, Bryce Black and Becky Ross, are appearing on Season 9 of Project Runway.Bryce you know because he studied at Portland Sewing and designed for my line, StudioSKB, this year. He was featured in our April 16 Garden Party Fashion show where people applauded his modern, multiple use designs. You'll soon be able to buy his garments at Radish Underground, 414 SW 10th, and Physical Element, 1124 NW Lovejoy. Both in Portland.

Becky was in my Principles of Fit and Activewear classes at Art Institute.

Congratulations and good luck to both of them. Season 9 starts July 28.

And if you see Project Runway in your future, or you just want to launch your own apparel line, consider applying for our Fashion Forward Program. Applications are due August 17. Winners start mid-September.

Small wrapped top and varsity skirt designed by Bryce Black for StudioSKB. Modeled by Keely DiPietro at Portland Sewing's Garden Party Fashion Event April 16.

Song of the day: Back in Black

Gretchen Jones wins Project Runway!

Congratulations to Gretchen Jones, winner of the eighth season of Project Runway! She is the second Project Runway contestant to study with Sharon Blair, director of Portland Sewing. ( The other was season seven contestant Janeane Marie.)

Interested in competing in a fashion contest? Or just creating your own line? Check out the lineup of draping, patternmaking and sewing classes for Winter 2011. Come to a series of Rehab sessions. Or come to the PS boot camp we’re setting up by contacting us at sharon@portlandsewing.com

Portland teen wins $1000 Fashion Design Scholarship

Stephanie Linn just landed a future in fashion design.

The St. Mary’s Academy student won a scholarship contest and $1,000 worth of fashion design classes at Portland Sewing, an apparel design and sewing school in northeast Portland.

As a result, she will create a portfolio that could land her entry to the fashion design institute of her dreams.

“As cheesy as this sounds, fashion is truly my passion,” Linn says. “I have recurring dreams of meeting [designers] Karl Lagerfeld and Nicolas Ghesquiere, and after returning from a trip to New York with my dad, I can't stop thinking about Parsons and FIT. The truth is I can't see myself doing anything other than this.”

Parsons and Fashion Institute of Technology are two internationally recognized colleges for fashion design. Their alumni include designers Donna Karen, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs. Parsons is featured on the television show, Project Runway. Both schools require portfolios as part of an admissions application. A good portfolio can also help win a scholarship to such colleges.

The contest was open to full-time students in Portland area high schools who had a GPA of 2.5 or more. Each contestant created an original apparel design idea with sketches, interviews of influential people and an essay on fashion design.

Judges included Marc Murfitt, fashion buyer for Mercantile, Jennifer Baggett, product developer for Fred Meyer, and Laura Tempesta, product developer for Nike.

The judges chose Linn’s entry because of the richness and maturity of her concept. “It was fresh, original and complete,” one judge said. “It was sweet yet functional,” another said. “I would wear these garments.”

The scholarship was created in honor of Holocaust refugee Elisabeth Marie. In 1939, she fled Nazi-occupied Austria. She found her way to Portland where she opened a custom clothing business and became one of the first patternmaking instructors at Portland Community College.

Sharon Blair also taught patternmaking at PCC before founding Portland Sewing in April 2010. Portland Sewing is the first of its kind school in Portland. “We offer a range of beginning sewing classes for those who’ve never touched a machine to those who want to make patterns or learn how produce a professional garment or start an apparel business,” Blair says.

“We also see ourselves as a prep and finishing school for those seeking jobs in fashion design and the apparel industry.”

Blair studied in Paris, has a bachelors and masters, and advanced studies in apparel design and construction. She also owns two clothing lines, Studio SKB and SKPDX.

Some of her students have gone on to study at Parsons, FIT and the Art Institute of Portland. Two have competed on Project Runway.