Regardless of what her dad was thinking about her career choice, McDermott knew she wanted to get into the costume design business after she took a make-up class and a sewing class. During the show, pastel Charlie Brown prop will be transformed into a hat from Linus' blanket. McDermott compliments the way the fabric pops out on each side of the hat, and claps her hands joyfully as the novice designer plops the blankie-inspired hat on her head. Hats for the world McDermott, however, isn't the only one in the costume design room giving tips. A dozen or so students fill the costume design room, piecing together hats with buckram, a fabric that has been woven together with glue.
Hills stretches the material, forming the hat into a bonnet shape.
We just doubled our bonnet collection. The Saturday morning and afternoon hat workshop allowed Hills to get her accessories for her spring show in order. Although McDermott has been working on her designs for Charlie Brown and his gang, she has also shared her time with Hills in the hat-making workshop. McDermott says no one can pull the costumes for a big show together single-handedly. Hills, who is in charge of making 35 dresses, dozens of military uniforms, suits and accessories knows she could never do it by herself, just as McDermott knows she could have never pulled off the Charlie Brown costumes alone.