blog catch up

bit of a blog catch up, been super busy with final major project at the minute and had a whole day catching up on everything today (even managed to put a load of laundry in, forgot to take it out though ooops)

so heres a little catch up, final major project is going well, got a million and one things to do, currently pattern cutting and making up toiles. got a few ideas aside from final major too, for examples i'm planning on trying these

Teacup Candles!! super cute!!
a fantastically adorable way to change vintage damaged teacups that have outlived there usefulness, and all of these odds bits of candles that have pretty much run out!

will hopefully have another bit of a catch up once i've got some more of the pattern cutting and toiles done, at the minute its sort of a big pile of bits of paper and some pinned together bits of fabric while i figure out what on earth i've done!

much loves xx

p.s strongly considering planting a tree (or at least growing a really small one on the windowsill, since i lack a garden) in an attempt to make up for all of the paper and magazines i'm going through with this project!thoughts anyone?

start of final major project...sort of...actually sort of a book distraction

well after we received the really really long module guide in yesterdays very unpointless lecture (No sarcasm intended her, many of last years design lectures were very very pointless, having no focus on the fashion course at all, rather the lecturer just rambled about how much he liked animation) i've had another sit down chat with one of my tutors for final major project, and she's still quite happy with my entirely recycled/reclaimed/repurposed bridal wear concept yay!

so that being agreed, i've decided given the nature of my project i'm going to be wandering in and out of charity and thrift shop, as well as the obvious factory fabric warehouses for reclaimed fabrics, notions etc. It make sense to be constantly collecting things when they should appear, rather than wait until after I've finished all of the research section, prototyping sections etc only to discover i can't'

so on my charity shop wander today i found.....a book. erm....not even a really final major project or even a fashiony book..... its "life mask" by emma donaghue. i suppose a little bit project related as its based in the 18th century and talks about costume and masquerade, 18th century fashion being a bit of an influence in this project...but not really very related but it look good and i fancied reading it! i might be extra good and even blog a book review since its costume related when I'm finished, it will probably take me a while- i shouldn't really be reading new books when i'm supposed to be starting my research, but i need a bit of a distraction sometimes when i have a mental block! thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

much loves

final major project

yeyyyy!! both tutors approve of my final major project concept!!!

on that note i can now reveal it, i shall be doing a selection or pieces (possibly a small collection if i can get away with it) of entirely recycled/reused/reclaimed bridal wear! the only thing i'm aiming to use new would be thread, and only because i don't think i can really recycle thread while maintaining its strength. everything else, the fabrics, notions etc, unless i absolutely can't find it anywhere else!

and on another note, i am now the owner of a shiny new 13" macbook pro, after my last 17" macbook met an untimely end involving a bottle of beer.......needless to say no drink safe allowed anywhere new this one!

much loves xx

Some portfolio-related-ness

i spent the entire of yesterday in the library looking for inspiration for final major project, and found a few historical costume related competitions, so expect a LOT of new work over the next month-ish there will be LOTS! and i found janet arnold's patterns of fashion volume 1.......so there will be much much new portfolio ralated work!

VERY interesting new blog sort of dissertationy related...ish

well i'm trying very hard to write the first two chapters of my dissertation, feminism and it's affect on fashion design, and i've found that i'm more and more distracted by random blog-ness. Granted some of these incorporate feminism and its relationship with fashion, but more and more i'm getting distracted by other posts and reading very big chunks of blog rather than just the feminism/fashion post i started with.... its not helping me write very much.....

It has helped me find some very interesting blogs though, one in particular i've fallen head over heels in love with! seriously look at www.ayearwithoutmirrors.com! its the blog of phd student kystin gruys, living an intire year without mirrors, this includes using shop windows as mirrors, and looking at photographs! whats even more astounding is she's started her year 6 months before her wedding! shes starts her blog form the begining of her year, in march 2011, but i'm not sure how she's getting on with it because i'm trying really hard to make myself write dissertation instead of reading more of her blog.......

xx

summer update

okie so havn't really done much this summer, definately not as much as i'd intended to do anyway. bit busy with work at the minute, but had a few days of this past week so after a lovely evening n tonight with the OH he pushed me to start a dress like i'd intended to do all summer.

i've started an 18th century dress, based on a few sketches from nancy bradfield's costume in detail, and stills from a webste called recycledmoviecostumes.com, which picks up on all of the costumes used in period movies, all of which are used in multiple movies. examples include a costume used in marie antoinette, the dutchess and the magnum temptation advert!

my favourite dress from recycledmoviecostumes.com

i love the bow decoration down the front! it may be going onto my dress i think

next my sketches from costume in detail

and finally the start of the dress - en foureau back pinned (that was a pain- there has got to be an easer way of doing that), front partially sewn, and a little edgy time thing joining the shoulders and the top of the pleated back

there we go thats all for now, back at work tomorrow, but should have a bit more done tuesday when i'm off because a nice man coming to fit a new washing machine ..... after the last one has died a horrible horrible death ......

much loves xx

finished for summer...what shall i make now?

well uni all finished for the summer, and this year i've completed a marie antoinette 18th century inspired gown and an elizabethan inspired (queen elizabeth in elizabeth the golden age inspired to be precise but it didn't quite turn out entirely as i'd planned, pictures of that to follow in a later post what i'm less tired) gown. with uni finally finished for summer and not much to do i'm a little bit stuck on what to do next......

my sister bought me nancy bradfield's 'costume in detail- womens dress 1730-1930 last xmas so i'm considering trying something from that, either a robe a la polonaise, or .........nope decision made it'll be a post revolution robe a la polonaise, the bodice and back of the skirt cut 'en fourreau' meaning as one, pleated down the centre. i have no idea exactly how i'm going to do it yet but the sketch in bradfeild's book is just too pretty not to try it at least once.

i'll try and update this slightly more now i don't have uni deadlines etc but i can't promise, still have work! not sure quite how far i'll get with this one, it probably won't be finished until i go back to uni and get septembers bursary! i'll at least get as far as the main body of the dress done, i know i've got fabric left over from the previous two dresses- mains this one will either be gold like 18th century dress, with a bit of some white from the elizabethan dress, and possibly a bit more gold from my fabric stash! and then anything else i can find.........the trimmings probably won't be done until september, as well as finishings like binding.

the sketch from costume in detail, to give you an idea of what i'm intending to make.....if slowly!

more to come, much love x