Thursday 19 March 2009

19th March 2009

Taking over my life...Aaaarrgghh!!

As you can see I haven't posted anything for a few days...mainly because Intarsia has been taking over my life!! We were shown this technique recently which allows you to create shapes other that horizontal lines on the knit machine which works really well for the designs I've come up with for my final garment.

It just happens to be really fiddly and time consuming but will hopefully be worth it in the end!

Friday 13 March 2009

13th March 2009

All that glitters is not gold...


Here are some photographs I took of Victorian Ladies Jackets I was shown last week. They were beautiful on the outside and even more so when i looked at the construction and detail on the inside. My tutor showed me them after I'd shown her some of my other Victorian research. When you look more and more at them you notice new areas of detail that adds to how amazing the jackets are...I want to take details from areas like the whale boning and the fabrics and apply them to my designs. They are also an example of how different a womans silhuette would have been during the Victorian era because the jackets were so tiny I thought they were for children...yes slightly jealous!!!


Thursday 12 March 2009

12th March 2009

Click...

I think I can safely say i get the whole blogging phenomenon!

When I found out it was actually part of my 'Laundry' project to set up a blog I wasn't entirely covinced I would be able to keep it up...

But...I've just realised I haven't even checked my Facebook page in the last 2 hours so I think I'm here to stay fellow bloggers!

12th March 2009

Cocoonage...!



Not something I'd planned on researching for my laundry project...but I find these butterfy cocoons really inspiring, this image especially. Balenciaga's innovative designs, the 'Cocoon Coat, 1954' especially lead me to looking at them. I'm hoping to come up with garment designs by mixing up cocoon shapes with other areas I've been researching.

12th March 2009

Inspiration...Cristobal Balenciaga






There is no way around it...this man was a god! During my last brief (Shape Making) I looked at his designs from the mid 1900's because of the way he created silhoiettes with unique extra space between the body and the garment. This was towards the end of the Victorian era just as byers were wanting a change from the traditional fitted Cictorian garments. He was clearly influenced by traditional eastern clothing such as the kimono which would have been completelty innovative to western fashion in those days...

These are some of his designs that I pretty much love...with LOVE!
I think these cocoon, streamlined shapes would be a perfect silhoiettes for showing off a detailed textile design...knit maybe!

Wednesday 11 March 2009

Sketchbook...





11th March 2009

Laundry...

Laundry is the title of my latest brief and it is up to me how i interperet it...

Broad brief + Fussy Aim = HELP!

...So i started to look into the area which i'd been researching for the dreaded essay which was 'Laundry' as an environmental concern. I thought about recycling garments or using waste products which lead me to knitting with waste products like binbags or VCR ribbon.

My work has developed from that theme now to Victorian Laundry because of photographs I was shown by my Knit tutor Annie of an old Victorian Laundry which were very beautiful and inspiring. From looking at Victorian Images and paintings for inspiration i've become interested in the Undergarments of that period which were very structured and fitting to the body. Rather than the shapes of the garments themselves I've been looking at the detailed surface pattern and markings on them which ironically were never intended to be seen...these garments have started to inspire knit designs for garments which is what my final garment designs will all be.

I haven't strayed completely from my original recycling idea as i hope to use old knitted garments to take the yarn from for my new designs...