Spent the last few weeks at the shop for works ex, met new interns and got to know others. Worked on fixing costumes and changing the window display. Can't believe we only have 5 weeks left on second year uni. WOWWWWW! so scared/excited about next year. final year. 
Had a lot of problems throughout this year with our course though that i would really like to sort out before we start next year, completely knocked my confidence and my creative side which isn't good when he course is named 'creative arts' so hopefully we will get something sorted becuase there are a lot of un happy bunnies in our class this year.

im back,

hey heyyy, so i went home for a week or two. and i have been back i just haven't updated in a while. i'm still bad i forget all the time to keep updating. But yeah im back and back at work experience, and getting on with my synopsis. done a lot a lot of research about body image. reviews, magazine articles, website articles on celebrity image. it's awful how much criticism women especially get in the media. it's really interesting reading about it all though. i like to think i'm a slight feminist, but what 21st century woman isn't ? i'm all for EVERYONE being equal.
But yes going home again tomorrow to celebrate my birthday, so excited to be home and see everyone. Just finishing up some work and going to pack and watch a movie.
x

Home

After a well deserved and well needed break at home i am going back down south this afternoon. In all fairness i love being home but i love living with my girls and having my own room. Had time to chillax at home, see a few friends and spend time with the family. i also miss our man wall, yes man wall.

(as you can see nicola enjoys it.)

But it's time i get back to work. I have such a huge craving to draw again. It's been so long. I also really want to start making my own clothes, tried to get a denim style t shirt dress the other day and the chest would not fasten but from the waist down was way too big. (this constantly happens with me) so i thought maybe i will take on the task of making my own dress ? when i get a bit of extra cash obviously as im very poor at the moment but i think i may take that on. 

So i think this week will consists of shopping (for food, i have nothing in), brain storming ideas for my synopsis, drawing, sewing and going to the theatre on saturday.


 Can not wait for the theatre, going to see Sweeney todd i wouldn't be surprised if you see me singing my heart out to every song. I also get to spend the day in london with nikki and laura , really looking forward to it!

Anyway my train comes in two hours and im all ready and packed, my aunty showed me how to crochet last night and i've been practicing im taking it on the train with me so i will look like a little nana crocheting away. Im aimng to make a scarf, lets see if that happens ey. I'll try update as much as possible. i still keep forgetting i need to give myself reminders, stick it on my wall in capitals and bright red. 

Dockyard!!!

Onnnn wednesday me and laura went to the dockyards which are like really old. It was so sunny and lovely and i took a few pictures because we went on the boat. I also made my own rope! FUN!! and i got to keep it which i was overly excited about! I like my history so i really enjoyed myself the fact it was sunny and warm that day also made it nice.

 There was an actual proper police box, i wasn't sure if the doctor was actually here or it was a real life telephone box, who knows ??? 

 oh yeah they had some fancy walking sticks and i liked this one it was green with little flowers all over, wow whats happening ti my hair here i don't know i was just enjoying my walking stick.

march 1st

Spent the day sorting through the clothes that had been dry cleaned along with selling things on ebay.

The Woman in Black

Went to see the woman in black today, very good. Visually beautiful, the lights and colours used make it look so beautiful. Daniel Radcliffe is rather good, strange watching him as someone other than harry. The costumes are beautiful and the set is AMAZING!!! would totally recommend it to EVERYONE.

25th feb Titanic

Went to the shop to do the Titanic themed window, got both windows painted once over but the gloss didn't dry in time. We got the railings spray painted  and pinned together and had a little mess around with some costumes for the time period. i think we did a pretty good job considering what we had to go from. (the dummy definitely looked like rose)

24th feb

Started on the dress i brought home from the shop. I cut out the fabric for the frills and unpicked the bottom on. This took sooo long it was stitched over about four times. But that is finally unpicked, just have another layer to do. 

Costume

So i spent yesterday unpicking a very large ruffle of a dress. Took me so long, an im not overly fond of unpicking blah! but i finally got the layer off, now to conquer the top layer and attach the new fabric.

Costumes.

When i was dressing the mannequin in different costumes i rummaged through and found a few i really really liked. some of the costumes were so beautifully constructed.

40's/50's style dress. So detailed, covered in small beads and sequins. Absolutely gorgeous but so tiny around the chest and waist. The corset underneath the dress is so beautifully constructed just an all over beautiful dress.

 Showgirls outfit : I think this is possibly my favourite I've come across so far. Covered in sequins all over. You can tell there has been a lot of hard work but into the costume. Again it is so small size ten if your lucky. the corset inside is so pretty, and the fabric at the bottom look as if they have been singly made and sewn on. The dark blue ones are made to look like dollar bills and in between netting and lace. By the looks of the costume i would say that the sequins and beads have been hand sewn on, showing how much work has gone into the costume (it is very heavy due to all of the sequins and beads.) There is also a lovely head dress to go with it.

day 4 and 5 (17th &18th feb)

Friday and Saturday I was working at the shop.

Friday mainly consisted of sorting through costumes in the laundry room. ironing them out, hanging them all up and putting them all away. This doesn't sound like a lot but it took soooo long sorting through everything. I also photographed the rest of the clothing that was going on ebay and tidied up the shop a bit. 
Saturday was list day, wrote down everything that needed to be written down and put onto ebay. I also sat down with Brian and we talked about what we were going to do this coming weekend with the window display. 

16th feb 1950's

The petticoats and skirts finally got finished completely on Thursday pretty proud of everyone involved i think we done very well considering none of us had ever made either garments before!!

Had to miss working at the shop on Thursday because of making the 1950's clothes, way too much to do got a bit worried things wouldn't get finished but as far as i know everything went smoothly. Again i think we done pretty good as we hadn't made anything like that before.

I know Fiona took the costumes for a fitting and there was a few problems with the jackets but i think everything got sorted out and the jackets are now complete.

1950's CCC

Haven't been to work ex this week, going tomorrow though. Had so much to do for the 1950's clothes. Finally started the jackets on Monday got the cut out,pinned and stitched at the seams. worked form 11am to 5.30pm on them, wen in again Wednesday bit there was interviews all do so i felt like i got nothing done. Went in again today at 11.30am and got back at 5.30pm. Almost almost finished the jackets. Got lining and cuffs and other little bits to do tomorrow but i wont be there because of work ex. Really enjoyed working on CCC though i feel ive learnt a lot about patterns and research and pattern making and cutting and construction of costumes and garments. Considering this wasn't a taught project but we have had a lot of help of colin our tutor. I really have enjoyed what we have been doing. Although i don't like the idea of many different people working on one garment as when you come to do the next bit its been done or done in a different way to how you would do it, but we are working to a deadline (that was today but is being tomorrow instead) so i guess it was whoever was there at the time. But i get to learn about costume and everything so im happy.

Day 3

had my 3rd day or work ex on saturday, no trains were running meaning i had to get a bus instead of the train. Wasn't too much of a pain because it only took a few minutes. Took loads of photos for things that need to be sold on ebay, tidied up a bit more and re arranged things. Had another rummage through some costumes and tidied them up a bit. Very short day as i got there at 12 and finished at 5. Good day.

Day 2

Day two of work placement, can't get used to getting up before 8am haha. It's so bloody cold, get three trains there and it takes an hour and a half but enjoying being there so much. Today i dressed a mannequin in different costumes and took pictures which will later be added to facebook and the website. Got to have a good look at how the different costumes were constructed and enjoyed trying to match them to a time period. Some of the dresses were gorgeous and very well constructed. Fixed a few costumes too. Really enjoying myself and learning  how to do things off my own back, being pretty much in charge of the shop floor includes a lot of organizing and tidying up. Looking forward to the next few weeks working here. 

Work placement,

First day today, and ti was rather cold in london. I had a great day though got to rummage through a lot of costumes and a cupboard full of bits and bobs. Mainly made a plan of what i was going to be doing for the next 15 weeks and this list is pretty long. Going to be learning a lot about how to run a bussiness, how to work with clients, how to create outfits and fix costumes. Along with a whole bunch of other stuff. Brian is so lovely and great to chat to feel really comfortable working in the shop even though im by myself most of the time. But i don't mind sitting hand sewing and tidying a costume shop, it's like narnia in there. 

Finally got the 50's skirt all sewn together, just need to hem it at the bottom and add the poodle, i will post a picture as soon as it is finished!!! I start work experience in the morning, 7am wake up call.

old skool

Just been looking through my files and found one from college which had a few bits of work ,but it also had my fmp work in there. I created a dress using mixed media things such as paper, plastic, fabric, clay and metal all based on the theme of 'nanas sewing box'. i think this was and still is one of my most favorite things from college that i made, probably one of my favorite to date. I miss college, would totally go back if i could, i miss all my messy drawings and messy sketch books. I think i may start drawing again, like i used to in college. I guess a portfolio of sketches of costumes would be pretty fab. If i do a good job that is.

1950's circle skirts

Started to create the circle skirt today after making the toile yesterday, luckily the toile went very well (apart from the length but that's fine it can be hemmed) so i could start making the skirt without changing anything. I cut out all the parts last night (double 1/4, single 1/4 and two half 1/4 and a waist band) so that i was ready to pin and stitch together today. spent three and a half hours at uni pinning and stitching but i didn't get it finished. Fiona is taking the skirt and jacket for a fitting tomorrow so i just need to attach the waist band and add the elastic and a few hook and eyes to keep the skirt closed up at the side.

1912 -Titanic Dress

When i went for my interview for work experience Brain explained that he had a client coming in who was going to be going on a titanic cruise and wanted a boarding outfit and a dinner dress. We talked briefly about how we could create both outfits and what they may look like. I said that i would have a look and find some research to help with the designing and styling of the dress. I had a look online for dresses from the time. I come across a blog (http://madameguillotine.org.uk/2011/03/18/titanic-fashion-1912/) that contained a lot of images of dresses from the time, some of these dresses are amazing and gorgeous. The fact that they are period dresses from the time, original pieces from the time, here are a few of the dresses.

1950's

                                      (circle skirt pattern and calico for toile)

The first project i am working on is a 1950's costume project for a charity production. The list of costumes to be made are two circle skirts,2 mens jackets,2 petticoats, and 3 headscarves. I have taken on the role of creating the circle skirts and jackets. Only just started with it all so far i have created my patterns and made a toile for the circle skirt. Started to make my diary to keep track of everything i am doing. I also start my work experience on Thursday i will be working at a costume shop in Sydenham London so i will keep up to date with how that is going to.