ANOTHER WEEK

Last week wasnt fun it really was quite shit. Luckily my review went fine although we had to have a metting with our head of year yesterday so she could inform us of how worried she is that we are all so far behind!! Im staying calm though. It will all be done on time. It has to be!

Heres a better picture of the shoulder piece on a stand, the straps will be fastened underneath the arms.

Today i managed to complete another jacket! I feel so relieved that this jacket is finished now! It took so long to make and is most definitely the hardest garment i have ever made. I was on edge sewing this the whole time! My blood sweat and tears went into making this bad boy!

Its quite cute as you can take the front piece off to dress it down more and add a little variety to the wearability of it. I also managed to get a meter of my print onto fabric to make the top which features underneath this jacket which should be whipped up tomorrow! 

This week is a little more positive than last week! I hope it remains that way! Although i can see it going slightly down hill as we do have a project due in on monday which i am yet to start! Nothing like working under pressure!

SECRET PLANS UNDER WRAPS

I do have some good and exciting news which I am looking forward to unveiling! A great opportunity has been offered to me which will take place as soon as I finish uni. I can't let slip exactly what it is yet but i have been allowed to say "watch this space for Viennese Juiciness!" Excitement!

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

Thats been the saying of the week i think. Its been a really tough time leading up to this review and i cant even get myself to discuss the printing problems again it would take up my whole blog so far! At least now it is sorted! Half of my stuff is being printed at uni and the rest is being shipped off to some other company who will actually do it in 5 days. So next week i should about have all my fabric.

Heres a sneak peak at one of my small leather jackets / shoulder piece whatever you want to call it. Sewing from hell I tell you. The iphone pic doesn't really do it justice, though thought i would take a quick snap of a bit of it as a little preview as things progress. I managed to nearly finish my more intricate white one today, actually had a break down sewing that beast. Looking good though so it will all be worth it in the end! Its my review 5 tomorrow, not sure how i feel about it. I know its going to go bad as I'm really behind atm due to about a million problems. I just have to be confident and reassure them it will all be fine else i know I'm going to get beaten down! Fun times. 

ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER

Absolutely nothing is going right for me again today, the print I have been waiting god knows how long for was partially put onto fabric and by partially i mean 3 out of the 17 meters! The 3 meters that were  printed were printed wrong as the heated machine was not hot enough leaving faded patches, not a good look. So thats another trip to london to get more fabric. So i have to wait another day to print the rest after the machine has heated up properly! 

My leather jackets are all still in pieces i have to wait for my printed linings to sew them in as the lining has to be caught in with the facings so this holds me up slightly again! The white long sleeved jacket has a slight problem, where the leather has stretched on the top sculptured part of my sleeve the bottom section now does not match, so i have a couple of different options of how to resolve that. Neither of them I particularly want to do but thats what happens when you don't have the time or the money to toile things up again out of the final fabrics which is what they would do with things like this in industry.

So for my review on Friday they are asking for 4 outfits to be complete, thats 4 OUTFITS not garments OUTFITS. The majority of the class are no where near that mark for some reason with prints taking for ever and mishaps here there and everywhere that target is just not going to be met. Iv had little cry's and nearly puked a couple of times today, but i did have some good news! I was informed that I can use the sewing machines in a factory back home over easter which could save my whole degree! yes there is a glimpse of light! Lets hope tomorrow is a better day.

HALF WAY TO HAVING A PRINT

So of course my print wasn't completed. Its quite frustrating at this stage when it is completely out of our hands, having to rely on other technicians and technology isn't very reassuring. The majority was printed onto the paper, but with regular interruptions where the machine decided to run out of ink, or just randomly stop for a break. The paper is now rolled up waiting to go through the dye sub whenever that will be. (hopefully soon)

Running around trying to get my print out onto fabric delayed my sewing and still only bits of my jackets are sewn together, proving to be a very time consuming task. I am however quite happy tonight as i realised we have four weeks until easter, rather than the three i thought we had! Anyway im off to sleep. sleep is very precious at this stage. I am however looking forward to getting in the studio at 8 to carry on sewing my jackets! I'll post the progress at the end of the week.

LEATHER

Today I bought some of my final fabrics including my leather! Lots of leather :) I love leather its my favourite. Going to choose which colours and which type to get was the fun part, I went to a place near Whitechapel called Walter Reginald which had so many different types of colours and styles it was amazing! Leather Heaven. A massive warehouse with shelves and shelves full.

Managed to get about 14 skins in all i think. Its all getting delivered on friday I can't wait to have it and start sewing with it! I need to get things moving rapidly time is running out so fast! More stressed than ever today. 

PRINT SAMPLES

So im lying in bed with thoughts of fabric and print going round and round in my head, over and over. Today i spent the day running in between the print room and the dye lab trying to digital print onto fabric tests for my final print. After problems with the machine and freak outs on the technicians i think i have decided on the final ones. I was also dying fabric which i couldn't get in the right colours anywhere so i have to go through the slow process of mixing dyes to match the the right shade. Not a quick job. But they are getting there.

Now i have plenty of samples I am heading back into london tomorrow to purchase some fabrics and my leather skins so i can match it all to the print. Its going to be an expensive day. The thought of buying my final fabrics excites me, but also scares the shit out of me! There is so much riding on this collection it has to go ok! Heres a snap of the fabric printed today. 

I need to start things rolling now my tutor claims to be going grey and panicking for us as the year is so far behind. We are meant to have four outfits sewn up by next week. Most people haven't started sewing the finals yet! God help us. 

STUDIO FUN

As i mentioned before i didn't want to reveal too much about my collection before the final garments are produced. Im really enjoying the process of making my collection its really what makes me feel most satisfied and happy, although at the same time it induces a large amount of stress, sleepless nights and a few tears every now and then but thats all part of the creative process!

All my six outfits are toiled up, I'll have a final fitting this week and hopefully if all goes to plan I'll have all my fabrics sorted this week so I can cut out my patterns and send them up to leicester to the factory to be made up! Also my prints need to be finalised, had many test ones printed but still need to play around and make a few changes but they are getting there!

Im so excited to see it all come together and seeing all the hard work pay off. I aim to get in the studio everyday between 8 and 8.30am staying to till closing time at 8, so its pretty long 12 hour days but we manage to have lots of fun and keep ourselves entertained! Often this involves cupcakes to help fuel the day and keep us happy! Lola's red velvet ones from Selfridges are the cup cake of choice!

Inappropriate names for materials provide us with a giggle 

When all gets too much calms is our saviour, pro plus keeps us going in times of need and vitamins are needed to accompany the shit we eat in a hurry. 

Steph obviously hadnt been abusing the supplies...

Dont worry we saved her from suffication. 

So theres a brief update in the world of third year fashion design. I'll try to update a bit more regularly again as hand in is in the horizon (this makes me want to throw up). It really breaks my heart to think this could be the last collection i ever get to make, or if i hopefully do get the opportunity to do more it realistically wont be for a very long time. Why can't i be born into a rich and famous family?! 

HAPPY FUCKING NEW YEAR

Sadly the christmas break is over for my final year of studies, i had planned to do lots of work but i can honestly say over the past couple of weeks I've pretty much done... sweet.fuck.all. It was nice to venture back to my little village although at times rather boring and restraining, that is my own fault for not learning to drive! I've been back in the 41 slum, as me and my housemates like to call it, for a while now and I'm all settled back in (as much as you can settle in to a mouldy mouse infested house) and ready to continue the heart wrenching battle that comes along with creating a collection for a fashion design degree. I'm not too sure whats in store for me in the coming year I have been informed many times by tutors and students from last year that from now it will probably be the most stressful times of our lives! god and i thought it was horrible last term! As much as scaring the hell out of me it definitely excites me and it is definitely going to be the most satisfying year!

BOOK 77

I'd like to introduce my readers to a new magazine hitting the internet in the next few months the first issue has been printed and soo will be up online for everyone to access. The people behind the project include my two housemates Imy Smart and Naomi Brown a.k.a Naomi Styles. Below is a sneak peak at the current issue and a few lines about the concept. Make sure to become a fan on facebook to be kept up to date with the online development!

"Book 77 has been created for the decadent and dysfunctional. We aim to shock those who believe they have seen everything and invite those into a world of sexy, rich and obscene. Book 77 is the essential, quirky, classy and British magazine, which effortlessly combines enthralling journalism, fashion, stories, arts, sex diaries, letters and confessions for men and women."

Its a great magazine offering something a bit different for a change! It's perfect for anyone with a dark side!

HANDED IN

FINALLY! managed to over sleep this morning, woken by my housemate shouting at me to get up in time to make it to the printers before hand! So glad thats another thing done and dusted. Now back to the collection. So much to do never enough time!

YESS I HAVE FINISHED!

I can happily say that i have now completed the River Island competition print project! Its 4.03 in the morning which is a good time to finish before a hand in i think as I actually get to have some sleep!! Thought I'd upload a few things I'm handing in tomorrow first below are my

illustrations...

My illustrations were created using pen, scanned bits of fabrics, my prints and photos mixed up with some different filters.

My range plan above showing the whole collection and print variations. The gap at the top is wear i will be sticking my fabrics.

Heres another close up of an illustration i really hope i manage to get these printed ok!

and finally above is a quick snap of my book i got printed yesterday which cost me over £100 RIDICULOUS! at least it looks good, i did my layout so i had the print to the left my working drawings on tracing paper which had the print positioning underneath so you can see it clearly with out the drawing on top! (i think thats why it was so expensive!)

Anyway my alarm is set for seven in the morning to get everything ready! i wish i could sleep after but its back to working on the collection as i have an assessed review for that in 2 weeks, and there is ALOT to do! But now sleepy times, Good night.

ILLUSTRATIONS

On the last part of my River Island project now hand in tomorrow! Trying to finish my illustrations and range plan which I'm going to have to try and get printed first thing in the morning, nothing like some last minute stress before hand in!

Heres one of my illustrations I've been working on today!

LITTLE PEOPLE

My friend Jenna Morely used my two jackets in a shoot she styled a few weeks ago just got hold of the pictures which look so cute with the illustrations worked into them!


Heres my favourite shot with my Fringed jacket i made last year! Check out Jenna's Blog HERE to find out more about the shoot.

PRODUCTION

I just got back from a trip to a factory i have some connections with back home in Leicestershire, one thats actually still going! Anyway i took a couple of my toiles to the seamstresses that work there to discuss sewing my final garments for my collection! EXCITING! I'm so happy i have someone who can do that for me i know it will be made to a perfect standard and i have time to concentrate on the other side of my work! The leather work in my collection i will be doing myself though unless i find a leather speacialist cheap enough to do it. We will see.


They have some very interesting machines in this factory! Making socks, tights and jumpers etc something i haven't seen being done before! Pretty cool!

PRINTS

Last night me and my housemate with the camera went out and took some pictures of fireworks, lights and sparklers in order for me to create a print. Heres a few initial prints i made last night by edditing and playing around with the images on photoshop.





Still going to play around more but i managed to change the colours into some really beautiful combination's.

FUNDRAISING

Once all of our collections have been made an internal show is held for the judges, who will be selecting 20 students to represent the universtiy at Graduate Fashion Week in London. This costs quite a lot of money to set up there are so many things that have to be paid for and unfortunately the three grand we each pay a year doesn't cover it! So its up to us to get the money together! I think we are expected to raise about £4,000 to pay for a venue and good professional models. So its going to be a long proccess trying to raise that amount of money but everylittle counts at the point!


Today we put on a cake sale in our uni bar and managed to raise £168 to add to our stash! We have a long way to go but we have many different things being planned so hopefully by the end of the year we will have made a good amount!

MOVING ON

My first toile review went surprisingly well which i was pleased about so i now just have to move things forward and carry on! Today I started working on a dress that hopefully will be apart of the collection. I made a dress to go with my jacket last week but that was a more simple garment which was made to show the shape, silhouette and techniques that i will be working with.





I used paper again to get the effect I wanted , you can create structure and shape allot easier that way. I am going to stitch this top half together in calico tonight to check the fit then i will be using a more sheer fabric that has stiffness to it so that the fabric fits in with my concept.


I am using Halucination within my concept, the idea of something that is not quite as it seems, false interpretations, weird yet beautiful. So to represent that i am using structure showing a sharp and strong look but with delicate fabric in a more subtle feminine colour. The Outer dress will be masking what is really there (the natural shape of the body) and underneath it I will be using this amazing latex fabric i found in the cloth house to create a bandage tight dress underneath.

Anyway I'm off to go sew! I shall update later

BETTY SHOOT CONT.

So on Friday I spent the day with Alexander Jordan and Miss Carla Grima's legs for a photoshoot that will hopefully be going into the next issue of BETTY. Can't show any of the pics yet of course but here are a couple of shots of two of the Locations shot by Alexander Jordan.

The colours and the lighting on these shots were really beautiful.

Oh what we will do to make sure we can return the shoes unmarked!

NEW IMAGES

Alexander Jordan has just sent my some new retouched images he'd been working on from the Femme Fatale shoot we did many months ago. He managed to get some great close up shots which shows the make-up i did really well. I love the stuff we used on the skin to giver her face a good sheen! Any way here are the images...



I adore the one where she is screaming! Remember to check out Alexander Jordans Blog and Website!