Textile class - mood board in progress!

These days, I seem to be constantly out of my comfort zone! That’s okay - keeps the brain alert.

Abstract created from oldest daughter's reception

I’ve never been ‘artistic’, partly because I didn’t get the chance at school as I was always in the pure science classes. Later, I took up knitting Aran jumpers while I was sitting around on call. I also did some paintings which were more or less paintings by number! I had various other tries at different things - card making, stamping etc. Later I took up machine knitting and that lasted until a move of house, a need for massive renovations and somehow it got forgotten about. I started my sewing journey with the intention in there of machine knitting fabric and making it into a garment. That’s a way ahead yet, though. So apart from photography and music, which are recurring themes, our house wasn’t artistic - though all three daughters did art at school and went on to do non-science subjects.

Eryngium

Onto sewing. I quickly discovered that I couldn’t just take a pattern out of a packet and make it. It wouldn’t fit, for one. If you’re altering size, you may as well alter - the sleeve length and style or whatever. Is this the beginnings of design? Okay, not yet. I took up pattern cutting - mainly on the flat but with an element of draping and now that element of design was expected. I’ve struggled.

We’re in the process of making a mood board and continuing (!) our sketchbook. Originally we had been set a remit of creating a signature garment for an on-line company catering to the over 40s. I found I did have some ideas as I could relate to this. After all, 60 is the new 40! The younger ones in class couldn't relate, though. As we were falling very far behind schedule - people missing and having to catch up later etc - our tutor changed the remit. We had already spent some time gathering images but that time won’t be wasted. Now this task would coincide with our final project rather than there being two separate projects.

Now my task is to create a mood board around my mother of the bride outfit. My sketchbook will show development of ideas. My final project will be designing and making up my MOB outfit. The timing is just right! Originally my remit was too wide - I had included the whole wedding, so this narrower scope is more comfortable.

Donna Karan

I have been gathering images. Our tutor advises going to the work of the designer - if we go to high street incarnations, then the design is diluted and we will produce something that is even further diluted. I think I can see that.

Donna Karan

Donna Karan

When I heard what some of the others were going to do, I thought an MOB outfit was too boring - however, my tutor advises me that that’s not the case. I need to focus on simplicity of design, good cut, good materials - there is nowhere to hide bad workmanship!

Diane von Fursternberg

Roberto Cavalli

Okay, there is a bit of a theme going on here! Our tutor says that she can tell when one of her friends moves as buyer to another store as she can recognise her signature. I'm not going to be attracted to things I don't like or can't wear. Though I'm not sure if these styles are quite right! My intention is to go shopping with my camera - the things in the shops don't fit (too short on the whole - waist height - hem length - sleeve length etc) but will give me a better idea of suitable styles. Oh, and none of the above show any lace - there might be some!

My mood board needs to show feeling, mood as well as inspirational photos. I can feel it - but can I show it?

Wish me luck!!

On another note, I’ve had a diagnosis of a systemic inflammatory arthritis - affecting my hands and wrists mainly at present although other parts of my body are also affected. I’ve been started on medication which could take 3 months to work but yesterday had a steroid injection which may relieve things a bit in a couple of days. Fingers crossed. My GP started me on new medication and I’m having a few side effects, so I’m not a happy bunny at present. The diagnosis is not brilliant news but at least the disorder is treatable as in being kept under control not cured - and it could have been far worse.

Wedding and Textile class

In the coming months, my main sewing focus will be on making Helen's wedding dress,  which I can't post about. I'll keep notes and perhaps post some after the event. I need to do that for my own benefit and will also need to submit detailed notes for my college course, as the dress design and construction will be my course project.

Also wedding related,  I'll be making the two bridesmaids' dresses, for Helen's two older sisters. I think I'll be able to post some general things about them. There are a lot of new things I have to learn. These things include design elements which hopefully I'll be able to learn about in my pattern cutting class, and construction elements.

Our course this year has changed. Whereas previously I did separate pattern cutting and garment construction technique classes, these are rolled into one this year. I think this is helpful as the two components will be more integrated than they were last year. Then,  if I designed and drew up a pattern, it probably went no further - I only went on to make up the golf crops to complete toile stage. So this meant that I didn't consider every component of a design. This year, it seems that construction of the garment will be an integral part so presumably all elements will have to be considered. That's great. It's also essential for what I'm doing.

I will try to include time to make my own MOB outfit. I'm not rigid about not buying RTW, though I do find it difficult to buy it. I haven't decided what I'd  like. For my oldest daughter's August wedding,  I wore a sleeveless dress and bolero and felt comfortable. Helen will be getting married when it is cooler and I need to work out how best to take that into account.

My friend V has just returned from a business trip to India and has brought me quite a few metres of raw silk and of saree silk. She took a sample of David's kilt fabric to match a couple of the colours in it. I want to make myself a raw silk long skirt to wear when he is wearing his kilt; this is not wedding related, sky-high it could be. I haven't seen the silk yet;  hopefully I will pick it up tomorrow. I have never sewn with silk. Another learning curve.

V offered to get the silk for me; originally I thought this would be for wedding and/or bridesmaid dresses but we're not yet at the stage of choosing fabric. We are further forward with the designs. We've pretty much decided on the wedding dress design and I need to practice some elements. There were a few tweaks to the bridesmaid dress design, but I'm happy that I see the way forward. Helen and I quite fancied sand washed silk for these two dresses but my tutor advised that was difficult to sew with so I'm considering alternatives. Suggestions?

I've made a close fitting toile for Helen. I haven't yet fitted it to the little dressmaking model,  Missy. It will then get padded to Helen's size and will allow me to work on a closer proximity to her shape even when she's not here.

I've been to two of the textile classes so far. These have largely been a revision of earlier dart manipulation work. We've looked at bodice, sleeve and skirt. Another change is that we're going to be working on standard dressmaking models (UK size 12) rather than trying to make garments to fit ourselves; fitting took a lot of time and I'm still not happy with my trouser block. This means that we can concentrate on design and construction.

Last year, I found I had to do a lot of work in a very short time at the end of the course; this year I've started thinking about the final portfolio right from the start,  hoping that will make it easier. I'm writing up our classes but these don't make exciting reading so I won't specifically post about them, though I may mention something I discover that I didn't know about before. This week, that's about sleeves - it may be obvious to you but I hadn't realised - the lower the sleeve cap, the wider the sleeve and the closer to the horizontal it is.