Indiegogo Campaign for collection 'Beauty Devours the Beast'

My recent project I've embarked on is a collaborative fashion collection which I'm doing with my mum. We plan to have our show next year in April. So we have a busy year ahead making all the outfits. It's going to be a challenge trying to make between twenty to thirty outfits each. The collection is going to be named 'Beauty Devours the Beast' and is going to be inspired by the elements.

We launched our Indiegogo campaign three days ago and have now got five funders. To reach our goal we have been sharing or link through all the social media sites, which we discovered has taken a lot of time to do. You can see our crowd funding page by clicking on the link bellow and it would be much appreciated if you could spread the word by sharing it. The funds would go towards the cost of the venue, fabrics, making booklets, paying models etc. You would be able to find our more by reading our story on Indiegogo. http://igg.me/at/BeautyDevourstheBeast/x/11611762

Ninth Week - Fashion Show

This week I just finished the finishing details on my outfits, and then I did a moodboard, final fashion illustrations and lay plans, which aren't quite finished yet. I still have more to do, but I can do this next week at college. On Wednesday was our fashion show, I came into college at 9:30am and stayed in Ashford till about 9pm, it was a long day. In between college and the show, I had to wonder around town for a few hours with all my stuff, which isn't easy when you have lots. I painted my nails while sitting on a bench, every nail in a different pastel colour. My models arrived at 3:30, which was good as we didn't get into the building till about that time. Then we went through a practice run, which was good as last year my models didn't get one, which makes them more nervous. Then I did all my models make-up and hair, and luckily the outfits fitted them all right as I wasn't sure before, because I didn't get to do a fitting as they were at Uni.

Once we were all dressed, we went outside for a group photo and individual photos. It was a long wait till the show, and my sister got a bad migraine, luckily Alice had pain killers, but I don't think they worked very well, well not till after the show. I think the show was successful, after all my friends/models got changed we came out to get a drink and socialise (I did make business cards to give out, but no one was around to do that) but by that time there was no drinks left and people were leaving, which wasn't very good, I think it would of been better to have more of an after party.

Eighth Week

This week I finished printing my merry-go-around skirt and added the scalloped top with the pom-pom trim, I'm not sure now if doing a zig zag stitch to put the fabric on is the best idea, as it hasn't all court, and I need to think if I should go over this again or leave it. I also sewed interfacing on to my lining and main fabric of my corset, to make it more stiff and then sewed that and attached it the skirt. I had another problem with the skirt being bigger then the corset and also one side being longer then the other that it didn't meet up, I had help from the tutor in working out how it can join together and what fastening to put on it. I haven't quite finished it yet and brought it home to add eyelets and boning. I also went on photoshop to edit my biscuit print ready to print out, I had help from tutor in working out how to lay the A3 pieces of paper on pattern paper so they all linked together, being that it was a circle skirt it was a challenge, not the easiest skirt to print on, I decided to have my circle skirt cut in four section then sewn together after printing as this would be the easiest way to do it. I digital printed these on by using the heat press, which was really hot after being on for such a long time. It's not perfect as you can see the lines where the pieces of paper overlapped or the white gaps in between, which I tried not to have, I tried my best in getting it right, which is what really matters. I haven't yet made a waistband but have the weekend and next week to get it done. I'm happy that I have two outfits nearly finished, just have under a week now to crack down and finish everything ready for the fashion show next Wednesday. It's very annoying that I got a cold this week (Tuesday night) as it's distracting me from doing my best and when I came home on the Wednesday I felt awful, had the worse headache ever and went to bed for about 5pm. I hope it clears soon as I want to be healthy and clear headed for next week. Today I'm thinking about styling for the catwalk and photo-shoot and will do some work in my sketchbook. I hope to do some making also and next week I really need to finish my layplans, costings and step by steps, as I don't want to get behind on my technical file.

Seventh week

This week I stared making, I started by cutting out my fabric and then I first made my cloak, I asked the tutor how I could have the ears standing up and had to adapt my pattern to allow for a slit to be on the hood, so a headband with rabbit ears could poke through. I then realised after making it that I should allowed a section of fabric to come out for the buttons, but by not realising it I manipulated the extra fabric to fit in with the hood. I have yet not finished sewing the buttons on and have taken it home so I can do it there. I was happy with how the cape turned out it looks beautifully with the lining. I also asked to have a screen coated, so could start screen printing, the first screen turned out very bad with lots of the emulsion running of the screen, so on the Wednesday when I remembered to take my drawing in, I had another screen coated and this time it turned out much better, not perfect as there was some pin hole marks on the screen, but I tried to cover this with masking tape. I started to print the horses on the skirt, I couldn't do all five horses in a go, as I had not positioned them accurately so they would go around in a circle, but I managed to do three at a time, apart from the two ends where I just did one horse, because of the angle. Some of the horses have marks missing, as it didn't print quite right, but hopefully this wont be noticeable when wearing the skirt. This was time consuming, so I didn't get it finish that day. The weekend I did lots of sketchbook work, analysing my visual studies, samples and illustrations. I also started thinking about props for the photo-shoot and location, and did some pages in my book about it. I also made one bag, by upcyling a stuffed unicorn toy and adding lining, a zip and straps.

Half Term - Sixth Week

I was hoping to do lots of work this week, but I haven't done as much as I hoped. I couldn't print anything off as we needed to get more ink for the printer, so I could put any images in my sketchbook to then analyse and write about, so I got to do this next week, so I don't get behind. What I did do was buy some fabric for making my outfits next week, I went to Whitstable and looked in the fabric shop there, I bought a trimming from that shop. Then I went into Canterbury the next day to see the fabric on the market stalls and bought most of my fabric from them and then went to C&H Fabric to get the rest. I think I might be needing to buy some more fabric for lining the coat and corset, so if I do need that, I need to do that next week. I also customized two pairs of shoes to go with my outfits. I made one pair look like a vanilla cake with pink frosting and the other to look like a purple ice cream. I like the ice cream shoes more, it was easier to paint those as they were leathery, while the other shoes were a textured fabric, so they turned out looking quite different. The medium I used to paint these were acrylic paint and 3D paint, I need to find something like glue to coat over the paint, so they last longer. I still need to add the final details of the cherry and strawberry on the tips of the shoes, which I bought on the internet. I found stuffed unicorn toys which I thought I could turn into a bag to go with my outfit, by unpicking the top and taking out the stuffing and then putting lining in and the handles.

I also bought two wigs for fashion show and photo-shoot. One has arrived, the other I'm hoping will come in time. I have the pink and purple wig to go with my merry-go-around dress, and the blonde and pink wig to go with my cape. I really want to make two outfits for the fashion show, so I have to crack down and do lots at college, so I can have both of them. I would model the dress and I want my sister to wear the cape with hopefully a printed skirt. I really need to make a daily plan for what I want to achieve each day at college from when I go back till the fashion show.

Fifth Week

On Monday I fished my first toile of my corset and I had to adapt it because it was not fitting right, it was to long and flappy around the bust. So I made a new pattern and made a toile of that, which on Tuesday I had to adapt again, for the last finishing touches so it would fit like a glove on my body. I also made a toile of my circle skirt which also needed adapting as I made it to big, I didn't measure it to the top so it would fit, only to my body. I then sewed both corset and skirt together and decided to have lacing up the back, I needed to make a placket for the skirt, which I did and that needed also to be a little bigger for when I make my final garment. I also made my hood and cape pattern and cut that out of calico to see if it would work, the hood was good, though I still need to make rabbit ears to go on that. The cape needed adapting, as the front and back weren't lining up together, so drew that onto my toile, and I needed to add an extra bit for the buttons. I was pleased that I managed to complete these as the dress and cape are important. Though I haven't made a bag pattern, but haven't decided yet what print and bag I want to have, so over the half term it is my goal to choose what I'm having and what to make to complete the full look.

At home I made some pocket samples which could go on a dress, I think they look really cute and like this idea. Then At college I did my screen printed samples, first by using a pink I made up on my tea party print, the colour to me looks more red then pink, so wasn't completely happy about that. When printing on either spotty or gingham fabric, I have found out you can still see lightly that pattern through the paint, though I do like having this fabric as a background, so need to think if I like this or not.

I also did some more supplementary printing of different cupcake prints and all over sweet designs, by edited the sweet out of the cupcake print and then randomly putting it all the page by copying and pasting. I really like the sweet one, but might redraw the sweet in another colour like a bright purple and pink, the blue background didn't go as the sweet was lost on the fabric, but the yellow looks good and the design pops. I also did some appliqué designs, like having bits of fabric to create my merry-go-around, I really like how this one has turned out as well.

Fourth Week

This week I have started my samples, I started by doing supplementary printing and had lots of trouble by scanning the images onto the computer. I found Photoshop hard as well and had help with cutting around my images and putting different backgrounds in. I went crazy with experimenting with different background colours, to see which one I like more, this was with my biscuit print, which I really like, but the cutting around could be done better and the background is a little patchy, so need to practice doing this more on Photoshop.

I have started doing pattern cutting, I started off by doing a full puffy sleeve, measuring it so it would fit around my arm. Then I made a circle skirt to my size. At this stage in time I have not made up my mind which outfit I would like to make, so I decided to start pattern cutting my two favourite and then chose which one I will make after. All my deigns have circle skirts so choosing to do that was easy and I knew I making it to my size as I was planning to model the outfit. I then decided to make a bodice block to my size, by getting my measurements put onto a mannequin and bolding the calico onto the body shape. Once I made the bodice block, I started with my first idea for the top by drawing the design on, which was the bib one cutting that out. I also made a peter pan collar pattern to go with that top. I then drew out my second design which was a corset and cut that out of calico, so I could begin make a toile of it, I first just used the overlocker to join it together, but then realised I needed to use the sewing machine as I was not getting the proper seam allowance.

I also put some of my drawings onto a screen to begin screen printing, I redrew my images again but with black ink, I hope to finish all my samples next week.