My degree is finally over

Well today was the deadline for my Final Major Project. I managed to get 10 finals handed in as well as all the stuff we had to hand in to go with it, my portfolio was a lot heavier than I anticipated. It was a very strange morning at uni, i don't think many of us really knew what to do with ourselves.

I am relieved it is all over although really can't believe how quickly this year has gone by and I am left wondering what I am going to do with myself!

here are a few pics of my final pieces.

Easter holidays

I thought I would let you know what I have been up to over the Easter period. I have managed to work on some of my final samples and instead of working at one until it is finished I like to do a little of one and then a little of another so often feel like I am getting no where.

I have been wanting to print at home for quite some time and have often thought I could use my old A1 drawing board as the base for it. After a talk we had at uni my Maria Thompson (I think that is her surname) who printed all her final samples by using hand cut stencils I decided this was the way forward seen as how I am not really keen on printing. So I have made up a printing surface (well its not a table) and have been using it today. I must say I am pleased with my results but just wish I had mixed up a few more colours to print with before the holidays.

sneek peek

Here is a sneak peek of what I have been up to over the past few weeks, with a few images of my design development as well as one or two printed samples, although none of them are finished just yet as I will be using my embroidery skills on most of my samples to give it that eye catching zing.



The image on the left is my development and the image on the right has been printed but will be embroidered into making the image pop out at you.

printing progress

I was so happy when my fabric from Whaleys turned up on Tuesday. Sadly I was at work and had to wait until Wednesday morning to pick it up from the Royal Mail sorting office. I had a hurrenously busy day on Wednesday such that I did not get a chance to dye the fabric that night, but did manage to, very early on Thursday morning!

With dyed fabric in hand I went into uni on Thursday to start on my printing, of course after I mixed up my dyes to print with. As always things never seem to go to plan but with a little bit of tweeking here and there I have finally managed to get 1 sample printed and it is waiting for me to work my magic on it over the weekend with my embroidery skills.

Oh note to oneself - must be more careful when using screen with metal framing as it can turn out to be a lethal weapon!!!

the end is in sight

It has been far too long since I posted anything. Since my last post I have been working hard on my development stage, there have been days where I have been chasing my tail but I do now feel it is all coming together. I feel I have a good range of sample designs and also have sorted out the koda traces for 6 of my 8 designs as well as 2 co-ordinates. I have another co-ordinate in my mind but it's not out onto paper as yet.

I have been dreading going into the dye lab as I never seem to get the colours I am aiming for and usually feel my time is wasted in there. Well yesterday I decided enough was enough and I had to brace my fears, get in there and get some colours mixed, otherwise I would have everything ready to print but no fabrics dyed! I took my colour palette in, like a good little student, and low and behold after only a one or two attempts I actually have the colours I was aiming for!

After dying an assortment of fabrics (cotton lorn, cotton sateen and Worsted twill) I have decided I much prefer the Worsted twill to work with. Typically I only have enough of this fabric for 3 potential designs so last night I logged onto Whaleys and ordered 6 metres of it. Hopefully it will get here VERY soon so I can get it all dyed and start printing.

I will get a few pics up here tomorrow to show you my progress. They will only be my black and white design layouts but at least you will get the idea of where I am going. Oh just in case you don't know I am aiming my collection at women's fashion wear.

still drawing

I had planned to do more drawing today but got sidetracked as ever with housework, cooking and baking. As tomorrow will be my last day for drawing and coupled with the fact I only have 7 sheets so far, I really need to pull my finger out as the saying goes.

I am aiming for this whole project to be more organised than any of my previous ones and I therefore decided to log onto www.photobox.com and upload my photos to create a photo book. I should get it by next week so I hope it turns out as well as I am expecting it to.

I definitely need to start on the development side this week and I already have a few ideas floating round me my head. I would also like to get some fabrics dyed this week too. I already have one of my fabrics sorted which is a cotton lorn that I bought metres and metres of in the summer. As I am wanting to use light-weight and heavy-weight fabrics together I am going to buy some heavy-weight linen and light/heavy-weight wools to try out together with the cotton lorn.

One of the lecturers at college on Friday told me to have a look at a book called All Wrapped Up, it contains pictures of gift wrap from the 1960's. After I had looked thorough it I went straight onto Amazon and ordered it! It has some really lovely papers in it and you can never have too many books - can you?

Threads for Life

Well the major project is well underway but I am still at the drawing stage. I was recently thinking of changing my whole theme as I wasn't sure I would have enough media to draw from but after speaking to one of the tutors on Friday I have decided to stick with it and take it along a different avenue.

I went to Hexham on Saturday with a friend hoping to gain some inspiration and to gather some drawing material, both of which I gained, although I spent possibly a little too much money.

So here I am on a Sunday with plans for more drawing today. I have included some pics of my mood board for this project - Threads for Life as well as a few of my drawing sheets although I still have some work to do on each of them to finish them off.

New Year - 2010

Well I went away to Spain for 10 days over Christmas and arrived home to a blanketing of ice. It was that bad even the taxi driver wouldn't take me to the bottom of the street so I had to brave it with case down the small bank - much to the amusement of the neighbours I am sure.

Well today is the start of a new year, lets hope I get through it without any major traumas. I awoke this morning to a few inches of snow covering the whole street. It looks beautiful knowing I do not have to go out in it. Since taking these pictures the sun is now shining and outside looks so beautiful.

Well I have had a long break from uni work and unfortunatley it cannot go on, so my plan for this afternoon is to work on my disseration some more and try to get it almost finished as the deadline is looming. over the next few days I will have to start drawing at some point and sort out some sort of brief for my final major project!

While I was away in Spain I got to thinking I might change my major project, not the theme but maybe the end product. I will see how things go and assess at a later date - and see how confident I feel (which will really be the deciding factor).