en finito!

yay i have finally finished my swimsuit! had a few difficulties - the twin needler seemed a bit moody at times - same as the elasticator - however fingers crossed it is a well finished garment as i unpicked one heck of alot! the only problem with unpicking is that sometimes it can do the garment more harm than good - so i tried to be careful with unpicking - someparts i had no choice to unpick because it looked craphouse.  i don't mind the wool- i personally don't think my garment looks that different from the sample with the fabric,  the cotton lycra did cling to the body but i kind of liked that!  anyway, it is all done now - here are some photo's from when when i goofily tried it on - excuse my fat legs!

Ideas about my fashion illustration

this is the fashion illustration that I have been working on.  I have taken the background from another picture as also seen in my blog - and also started off with my original drawing as seen below.

i am satisfied with this picture - i love the background and the colour- i love the mottled and blotchy look as this aligns with my concept and swimsuit.

i have had a fair bit of trouble with illustrator and getting a look that reflects my concept and something also aesthetically pleasing. but...it is a journey and I am only just at the beginning of it.  Looking forward to more skills to come!

Here is my original drawing...:

fabrics for capsule collection

i found my fabrics!!! i discovered this really cool soft cotton blend with a sweet pattern on it, and a beautiful deep red velvet that i will use in alot of the garments I think.  I took photo's so here they are :-)

Swimsuit - sample review and journey leading up to it

the journey of my swimsuit!!!!
issues:

- getting the right lines on the back of the swimsuit
- elastication is hard to get perfect
- the twin needle struggle in sewing through large amounts of fabric - and tends to put holes in my garment around vital places.
- getting correct shoulder seams and a nice clean line around the entire body.

I lost my first sample which was done in this beautiful blue shimmery kinda of lycra fabric.  Soooo i am a little dissapointed, but I did resolve many issues that I was facing.  The pattern making issues i faced were changing the seam line of the cape so that it didn't go into the shoulder seam - as there was too much fabric meeting at one place.  I also didn't know how to fit the cape in the low back, and how to put depth of the cape in the pattern. Gillian helped wonderfully with this though!  I also was unsure about what hem to put down the sides and on the bottom of my cape - but through sample review it was decided to have a rolled hem (baby overlock) - as this is cleaner and neater.  My only fear of this is that it will go really curly, but i will try my hardest not to stretch the fabric at all when putting it through the machine.  Other issues.....the lining i found really hard because often the overlocker wouldn't catch the fabric - and then i would have to unpick it and then the fabric would stretch out of place...a vicious cycle!  the resolution to my problem is to be more careful, not rush and possibly even do a stay stitch before i start on the overlocker.  At times i'm trying to make sure it catches 6 layers of fabric - no wonder some get missed. 

Overall I'm pretty happy with the garment, it was exactly the look I was going for - plain, simple, elegant, luxurious, visually pleasing and aesthetically significant - i love design really simple but somewhat effective - and I'm often displeased with my final garments as they can be too simple etc etc....but i'm really happy with this one - now for the sewing of the real thing!!! :-)

Summer 78-Yann Tiersen

more inspiring music: Mother's journey by yann tiersen

YANN TIERSEN - NAVAL

this is the music i would want for my presentation next thursday.....

yann tiersen - favourite piano composer!

 this is my favourite piano composer!! he writes the most beautiful songs.  I feel as if this song posted explains my concept and capsule collection - a mixture of beauty and torn emotions in the fashion industry.  I came across Yann Tiersen in the movie Amelie - and since play a few of his songs on piano.  If i could record my piano music i would upload them but i have no idea how!

please watch this youtube clip - it really is wonderful piano music!

but wait...i found more!!!

just found more natalia vodianova pictures from china vogue.....such an amazing photoshoot with the most vibrant colours and a really raw beautiful feel to it.  Any collection i create i really want a raw beauty that natalia brings to her photo's.  i am in love!!!! with this photo of the chair..i think it is so quant and eerie however arty and beautiful ...i cannot explain it in words!!!

you will see what i mean about natalia's organic beauty...here are some photo's.. beautiful clothes...beautiful lighting....twisted colours...love!! i would love to incorporate this into my collection...as my concept is slightly twisted aswell...

some inspiring pictures...

I have been really inspired by some recent vogue magazines that have come out - especially a photo shoot in vogue china!! my most favourite model is natalia vodianova...she always has the best photoshoots!!!

here are some pictures....ideas for model poses and fabric use for my capsule collection.

I have been blogging in my head how my swimsuit has been travelling - however as for internet blogging i forgot to write it all down.

my next post shall be of my journey through my sample to my final.....the deadline is coming near!!!

I will also keep you posted on how my capsule collection is going...currently working on the woven part of the collection....haven't really finalised anything but will upload them asap!!!

Jersey week!

this week we were looking at jersey designs. I am really looking into a capsule collection that is quite feminine and flowy - still in alignment with my concept. I will be incorporating hoods and capes throughout alot of the designs - and my fabrics will be quite rich and in beautiful reds and blacks.

my target customer is between 18 and 35. She enjoys looking nice but not necessarily standing out of the crowd. She does like the attention of boys, but for her elegant clothing not for tacky push up bra's and skin showing left right and centre. She is inspired by audrey hepburn, and therefore sticks to a quite classic look - but will most certainly be noted for being well dressed and an articulate eye for style. Therefore my designs are in accordance with this target customer, and I will make it design-savvy through the beautiful reds and blacks in the fabric print, and rich expensive fabrics will be used to ensure a beautiful flowing garment is created.

here are some ideas for my jersey fabrics..... :-)

i'm feeling creative

i just did a few random drawings to get the feel of trends, and fabric draping to see what i would like to incorporate into my collection. here are some random quickies to show you

new designs for capsule collection - cover ups

ok so i've just done some new drawings for the capsule collection - a tad confused about a 'cover-up' - i think it is used quite broadly so my designs range from formal to slouchy cover ups.....so here they are!

fashion menopause

i've been feeling a little bit menopausal in the fashion department...one day i am really excited about designing....the next day It's the last thing i want to do.

i get irritated, excited, overwhelmed, my self esteem goes up then it goes down.

but as long as i get it all done right?!

so i am going to use this blog more....I had no idea that there was actually a mark allocated to it....completely my fault for not reading the criteria sheet - the dumbest thing i ever did!!!!

so anyway.

capsule collection.

thoughts?

I am going along the lines of a deep red. lots of layering. not tacky frills but really classy, rich, quirky lines. I'm thinking a little bit oriental like junya watanabe or yohji yamomoto... in line with my concept of course.

hoods. draping. rich cottons? maybe wools? really rich fabric. cotton satteen?

i'll have to investigate. i shall do some designing on sunday and show you what is happening in the brain of adele.

I find it quite funny that i'm really only writing this to jane and dean - my teachers (the only ones that are reading it) - so a shout out to you guys haha - hope you're still awake at the thought of reading more of my posts about fashion menopause.

no this is a once off subject. i will be a stable confident designer from here-on-in. :-)

l'élu

l'élu - the chosen one!
this is my design - i would post my technicals - but ashamedly I did a pretty bad job of them - so will be re-doing them in Illustrator. c'est la vie!

the design has a hood on the back - and low cut neck and quite a low front with a shelf bra inserted. the cape is full which will look AMAZING on a cat walk - and just walking down the beach in general.

so. yes!

looking forward to mastering swimwear. and stretch fabric. slash wool (which i'm allergic to - hehehe should be interesting).

i love learning new things! always a challenge but the end result is definitely worth it!

draping effects

here are some photo's that I took a little while ago and only just uploaded them.

I was just experimenting with the fabric and the drape - also having a bit of fun!!!

yeaaaaa so....we got our assessment sheets back today.....hmmmm - not quire what i expected. Soooo....no way am i finishing on a credit for a subject - i shall work very hard to get higher marks from here on in!!!

didn't realise how important technicals were - they have always been bottom of my list...they are now near the top! but we did illustrator today....and things are looking greener on the side of technicals - i'm good with computers so I think i'll be able to create a much better quality technical drawings for the crowd.

I have started doing my pattern for my cape....it seems quite simple at this point - but i want to concentrate on getting beautiful draping and nice lines on the body so that the swimsuit is as flattering as it can be!

I have done a few minor changes to the swimsuit....but i am very happy with the chosen design - now for implementation!!!!

i am not naturally great at sewing - but I am a very hard worker so hopefully this will balance out! I shall upload more photo's as this process unfolds....

:-)