2nd Week with 3rd Year

Charlotte sent me into town with a list of zips and buttons and accessories she wanted me to find for her. This gave me an insight into what it might be like to be a designers apprentice or a designers helper. Charlotte seemed pleased i had found her 6 black headbands for her accessories to place a giant bow on top of.

When i got back from town i then had the task of making 4 giant floral bows. It was quite difficult trying to share the machines as a lot had been broken from such excessive use and i could see how frustrating this would be for the 3rd years with only 2 technicians to share between them all. I also felt sorry for hugo and lynn. I also came to understand why it is so important to become familiar with the machines for 2nd and 3rd year. Its a great experience of how a workshop mite work in the trade. I finished the 4 bows for charlotte and aswell as helping charlotte i think it helped me become more familiar of the machines and less scared of them. Charlotte was pleased with her idea and glad it had worked the way she had planned. It made me think i can wait to put my skills together from 1st year and 2nd year to make a final collection i know it will be stressful and sleepless but still very exciting! I am also still unsure of which pathway to choose, it also made me wonder had the tutors placed us with someone similar to which pathway they think we should take?  My 3rd year also asked me to go along and watch her styled photoshoot which should be good to see...

Task A... Interdisciplinary group reviews & Moulage...

One day tasks... We had a 1day task were from your research so far you had to create either a half scale garment... half a full scale garment... or a garment out of paper... I went for the half a full scale garment. From my research i decided to look at the cocoon shape, dawn was also looking at a similar shape, after talking to ian on how to create this shape we both went for different methods to see which would work best. I went with the rugby ball shape panels to create a cocoon and dawn went with gathering at the top and the bottom to create fullness in the middle. I really enjoyed this session and it showed me that if you put your mind to it you can get so much more done. Also that i will have to start setting my own deadlines much more! If you are focused or have pressure to get something done its often the case that you can do it. But without pressure you choose not to! Any way from this one day project i really liked the outcome from the cocoon shaped skirt and on the sleeves and this has lead me to do some design development based on this.. I would really consider doing this again in the future on a college day.

Group reviews was a great help i found out that i was pretty much at the same stage as everyone else just beginning or half way through design development. I am tad behind with designing fabric samples but i will have a good stretch this weekend at catching up with sampling. The one day project creating half a garment really inspired me for my final design so i have a pretty good idea at what point im going to make in my final garment.

On the other hand Moulage was pretty difficult... I had used this process before on my final major project on the foundation course only using a bias cut rather than the grain line. Anyway, my half garment was too difficult and worked out better with flat pattern cutting so i had to come up with a new idea to work with on the stand. I understand the process now though and i know its a useful skill for future projects!

Meeting my 3rd year

My 3rd years name is charlotte, Ian had previously told me charlotte may be quite awkward. So i was a bit apprehensive about meeting her but she was fine, very easy to talk to and my container culture project showed similarities with the ditsy floarl prints and designing for Topshop. So this was useful to see her final outcome and the quility and standard of finish that if expected at a middle market level. I really liked her fabrics she had chosen and it gave me a rough idea of the amount of money spent and were you can source fabrics from. Also the production work process she had gone through. Although she didnt have any sketch work with her or designing work with her so i didnt get to see any of that! Being with the 3rd years it was quite apparent that some people take it more seriously and spend more time and effort creating their final collection. I still couldnt quite understand the 2 different pathways seens as there course was different and had changed from the course we are now taking...

My first day with charlotte she was really quite busy doing her garments. So i was given the task of re-tracing her garments and neatening them up. Most of her patterns were quite simple, and only had a few extra pieces. I could see from working in the hub the difference between the more avaunt guard garments and the more high street designed garments. My friends had a 3rd year who had done mens wear and her work was very impressive, with some quite complexed patterns. I didnt finish all the patterns as i think i was being a bit too precise but thats how i would like somebody to treat my patterns! I offered to finish them another time or next thursday as i had my elective to go to (i would rather have stayed and cut out patterns) and she said that was fine! 

Although through talking to my 3rd year she was very negative towards the course and the tutors. But i think you will only get out of the course what you are willing to put in! All the tutors and technicians seen fine and helpful to me.

Interdisciplinary process

We were given a new project before easter and had some group workshops before then end of easter to help you get going with the project over easter. Part A of interdisciplinary process was the research 3 different aspects of metamorphosis... and do 5 sheets for each aspect. I choose camouflage, nature/insects and cosmetic changes to the human body. On our fabric workshop before easter we got to use the heat press and try to create different materials from ideas we had about the project. (unfortunately i fainted in the morning of this lesson and had to go to A&E so missed most of this lesson which i feel put me behind with the project as i didnt have many fabric samples) Over easter i became more interested in the camouflage side of metamorphosis and even more with moths and moths decaying of fabrics and moth cocoons. Above are some of my research sheets that started ideas of colours/fabrics/style and shapes relating to moths... I also began different knitting stitches to try and create a moth eaten fabric, using different types of wool to create different effects. My research shows interest in more dark brown, grey dull colours. This is different from other projects in the past.

Fashion, Art & Culture hand in!

Fashion Art and Culture hand in, at easter at home i finished my full circle net skirt, and basque top that was to resemble the 1950's couture dresses. I really enjoyed making the skirt and now know how to make a full circular skirt. but this was not what this project was about... It was about the final image. I stupidly did not take home my digital SLR camera and therefor had to use a simple digital camera, and without the lighting studio it didnt really work out very well! And add to that, that i was working too much when i was home to go to glasgow skate park to take the picture with a graffiti background let to a pretty dull image. I really didnt enjoy this project much, i dont know if it was because i was ill just before easter and that made me a little stressed... I have learnt tho to get things out the way before holidays, if you can do it before your hand in do it! I feel my image should have been stronger due to my digital photography elective but never mind! Its out the way now.

more more elective work

Here are some of my photographs taken out on location with a digital SLR, some have been taken whilst home in the holidays and i have tried to style the fashion photography photos. I really enjoy the styling side of photography. I really don't feel like i have learnt anything from my digital photography elective... i just wanted to get it out the way! Even when using the lighting studio ruth would set it up for you and get the effect you had in mind... so i still would'nt really have much of a clue how to use the lighting studio equipment 

More Elective work