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.

Third week

This week it was my mission to complete all my visual studies, development work and illustrations. I worked really hard each day and stayed up most nights till about eleven, it took up a lot of time. I am happy with all the work I did, but still have lots more to finish. I still need to analyse my work, and finish a couple of visual studies.

But I have managed to have enough work to complete fifteen dress designs, ten bags and ten coat designs. Which is good as I plan to pattern cut, and make samples next week, this is because the fashion show changed dates and we have less time to do everything by.

I really enjoyed doing my development work. I love the merry-go-around idea with the pom pom trimming, I like the dollies with the tea party print, I can see this looking really pretty on a dress, and I like my repeat pattern of the biscuits, which I can see would be very striking when doing sublimation printing...I plan to design some shoes, which I will customize in a couple of weeks, when I've decided what outfit I'm making...I am now needing to get reviews on my illustrations, and do final illustrations after I've chosen what I'm making.

Second Week

This week I have been carrying on with artist research and primary drawing in my sketchbook, I have done about 14 pages of drawings, which I'm happy about as that equals to one drawing each day over the course of two weeks. Though I still need to analyse and evaluation all my sketchbook work, which I will try and complete over the next couple of weeks. I now want to move on to the next step, which is doing visual studies, developing embellishment ideas and creating fashion illustrations of a collection. I hope I can do all of that in one week, I was originally going to give myself two weeks, but because of the fashion show being changed so it will be sooner, I want to make sure I can get everything done as soon as possible, so I can start pattern cutting and making samples... I tried to sign up to be a member of this forum called My Asian Fashion, but something isn't working as I never got a confirm email which would let me log on. This is very annoying, as I was hoping to post my illustrations, visual studies and samples on there, so I could get reviews from people that like Sweet Lolita fashion, I will try to find another forum or figure out how I can use this one.