23/10/11 Design Week 2

Monday:

I found the contextualising practise leacture on drawing very relateable today! (see seperate posts)

Tuesday:

Pattern cutting today seemed more complicated than usual! We had to use our tissue paper patterns and construct them onto calico. I ended up redrawing mine out so it was more simple to achieve and construct. Due to the sewing room shutting at 4:30pm I shall do this after my sewing workshop on thursday. Robin showed us how to add a button panel, collar edge and collar to our patterns which I took to fully and really enjoyed the results! It will be interesting to see all this unfold as I put the examples in my file for future use!

Wednesday:

A lecture on Knit today really took me by surprise. I have always dabbled in knit and left it. I have never been persistant, patient or forgiving of the time good knitwear takes to create. This lecture taught me how limitless kintwear can become is you give it all those qualities! After the lecture I found myself renting a book from the library on the basics of knitting. Before I have created a scarf (very basic) and attempted a hat, knitted animal and cup warmer - none of which I have finished! I need to grab my needles again and really get on the knitting bandwagon as this is definately something that inspires me greatly!

Thursday:

In the sewing workshop today, we learnt how to set in a sleeve and create a cuff stand! it was a bit tricky and I will probably need to practise more before doing it on a finishing garment, but I was still proud of my first attempt. After this I finished my tissue paper pattern shirt front and back, putting the oddly shaped darts in was hard at first but I managed to do it in the end.

Friday:

Today in tutorial my work was managed to be put together as my tutor found it to be a little bit 'bitty'. I have done quite a few design sheets in detail and these need to be traslated into more of a colection basis. My aims for next week are : use contrast in colour; create a template to suit my work; 6-8 complete 'looks/range; alter designs to get best possible idea; use the otoshiana technique through designing; bod big shapes; finish with a ange plan.

17/10/11 Design Week 1

Monday:

Contextualising practise lecture and seminar (see seperate posts for thoughts)

Tuesday:

Today in pattern cutting we developed ideas using a medium weight calico. I enjoyed this more than using the shirts as it gave me more freedom to create more avant garde shapes and sillouettes. I also experimented with tucks and pleats to create a swirling movement along the fabric, the photos below show my developing work. We also had a go at drawing a shirt in two differant ways, a simplified way that would go towards a manufacturing company and a trace down version of the shirt in life-size on pattern paper. At first I found it hard not to draw the shirt in a illustrative way so had to simplify my design a lot, but i learnt how in industry it is essential too otherwise the manufactuer will not understand the design as a whole.

Wednesday:

We had a breif lecture today on how our journal should be made digital and personal (a lot like this then) by updating my thoughts and processes every week I am helping myself through the breif and course aswell and updating my lecturers and tutors with how I feel with certian aspects of the course

Thursday:

The sewing workshop for today was on pockets! We learnt how to do a front trouser pocket (a lot less complicated than it looked); a back jean pocket and a closed pocket. (see file for the samples and more info)

Friday:

Tutorial today left me a on a bit of a downer. I showed my work up until now and it didnt seems to translate as well as it does in my own head. Although I was initally upset that my work wasnt translating very easily I took the criticism constructively and made more boards and edited my old ones to create a much simpler idea. Louise also gave me ideas on how to design well using ideas I have come up with already which made my work clearer and more directional.

10/10/11 Research Week 3

Monday:

Another contextualising practise leacture took place today (see separate posts for info)

Tuesday:

Pattern cutting today consisted of us using our shirts again for more inspiration and ideas. As my work is getting a sculptural and angular format to it, im finding this hard to do as softer shapes and a more draped sillouette is all I seem to be producing, which is making my work very confusing! We also learnt how to move a dart on a shirt, b taking an exsisting dart and scaling it up into a differant position on the pattern (see file of examples).

Wednesday:

Today after my second lecture by Alsion Welch, in which we looked at more journals that were inspiring and very simiplistic with a beautiful artistic flair. I managed to use the book from the reading list today 'pattern magic' and create a dress using the idea of 'holes'. Firstly i made a basic toile for an undarted dress, this was then cut into and tubes with flat bottoms inserted, I then drew on seam markings, cut it up, created my pattern on pattern paper and reconstructed the dress. I loved the vision of recontructing through deconstruction and want to take this further into my designs.

Thursday:

Today in the sewing workshop we discovered how to make differant zip fastenings in garments. These include: a fly front fastening for men and women; a concealed zip and an invisible zip. These are in my file for future referance.

Friday:

In the tutorial today it is the end of the research process for this breif, we managed to round up our work and summarise what it has to say for us! By creating mood boards under the titles of shape and structure, texture and pattern, trends, colour, consumer profile, detail and shop report or research will by directional and help with the further design process!

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03/10/11 Research Week 2

Monday:

Again we had our contextualising practise lecture, which always start me off on a very thought prevoking mood for the week ahead (see contextualising practise week 2 post)

Tuesday:

Pattern cutting today advanced a little bit further, which meant it got a little bit more complicated! We took in some tissue paper and had to create a fitted shape on the tailors dummy by using tucks, pleats and darts to get the best fit. It was really hard to do as the tissue paper kept tearing or creasing so a fitting sillouette was a struggle. We then transferred then out flat onto pattern paper, with a seam allowance to create at a later date.

Then we had to get a solid shapely object and construct a pattern to make it. By using masking tape, we covered the vertical and horizontal sides of it and drew a pattern on to add a seam allowance to on pattern paper.

Wednesday:

Alison Welch gave us a lecture today on how to research. By showing us sketchbooks and idea from previosu students and successful designers it gave me great ideas and inspiration for my own work, whilst feed my creativity by giving it no boundaries.

Thursday:

This was my first practical sewing workshop today. We learnt how to make differant seams such as: the plain seam; bound seam; top-stitched seam; piped or corded seam; french seam; and run and fell seams. It was great to finally use an industrial machine and learn how easy they are to use!

Friday:

Tutorial today made me realise that my work was a bit all over the place. I find it really hard to get one focused sense of direction and run with it as I usually never think its a good enough idea in my research stage! hopefully I can pull through an idea from all this random creativity!

Platt Hall 01/10/11

Just down from the Curry Mile in Machester is home to the most beautiful treasure trove of costume galleries I have seen in a long time, Platt Hall. After the scenic and ethic walk down I was greeted by a small Georgian looking building that homed some gorgeous items of clothing that made you think differantly to how fashion has developed and changed. They had contemporary 21st century collections including designer/high street collaborations. Then decade collections, war time clothing, period clothing and an Yves Saint Laurent special collection. Overall, after taking many first hand observational drawings I had a great day out.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park 28/09.11

A visit to the the Yorkshire Sculpture Park was a very differant museum experience. Its did take an anticipatingly long time to travel to get there, but it was worth the wait. The grounds displayed the large and artistfuly crafted sculptures beautifully, shapes, textures and sillouettes of the sculptures were very inspiring and I immediately thought of some ideas even walking round. Here are a few photos from the day out:

26/09/11 Research Week 1

Monday:

I had my introduction to using the mac suite first this morning before I got on with anything. It was good to know that the uni had a great set of resources that didnt require us buying our own. I loved how using the scanners and photoshop and can make your work even better and hope to use the skills Ive learned today in my design process. I also had my first contextualising practise leacture which really gave me an alternate view on thinking like a 'designer'.

Tuesday:

I have been desperate to visit the manchester city art gallery due to thier recent exhibition with 'Grayson Perry' as I have always admired his work from the BBC Culture Show. Here is a few of my favourite pieces from the collection including Perry's pot and Alice Kettle. This was my first ever pattern cutting practical session today aswell! Firstly we were given a basic shirt block, we had to draw on the notches, darts and grainlines ourselves and create a pattern paper copy. Then we went to create shapes and garment ideas on a tailors dummy usings two shirts. We found the two shirts restricted us a little, so when paired up to create a very large creation.Wednesday:

Today I went and visited 'Yorkshire Sculpture Park' its was beautiful day which really helped me to see the scultpures in thier best and truest form (see next post)

Thursday:

This was my first sewing workshop today. We learnt what all the machines in the workshop were used for. How to use the standard industrial machines and overlockers. There are some basic pattern blocks hanging up which look fantastic to have a creative idea with! The button machines have to be operated by one of the technitians, but the irons and heat press where fantastic for pressing and using interfacing quickly! Im looking forward to using this studio workspace!

Friday:

My first tutorial session with Louise was today. It was good to show the early direction I had taken to the breif to her and for her to give me feedback and direction for my next week of research. I left feeling like I had a lot more to do but with more of a direction and understanding. A good wrap up to the weeks work so far!