Final constructed peice

Above are the Front and back views of my final pieces, overall i am really pleased with how they have turned out i feel they look just like my original sketch and the colour palette, fabrics and print have worked well together, i feel the piece is wearable and has fulfilled my aims and brief, however i would have liked to have made a another piece to go with this outfit i feel it was not realistic in the given time frame and this outfit challenged my skills more than i had expected so to make another piece may have been unachievable.

I have found this project a real experimental and  skill and knowledge Developing process helping me to push my designs and confidence with other materials and techniques which i can further build upon in the future and have gained and learned lots of new processes and how they work on different surface and fabrics and how this may effect the finished look all knowledge that is important as a designer to ensure the piece designed and developed is reflective of the design .

Constructing the peice

Continuing on from my last post here is an update with some images from my construction Process. It took approximately 3 weeks to make both the top and Skirt with a few small problems and challenges along the way but overall the process went well and i managed to keep on target and within the time i had allocated for Making.

To help me during the initial pattern cutting and learning to pattern cut process i used a few pattern cutting books, in particular  'Pattern Cutting' by Denninc Chunman Lo this book is brilliant and really helped you to understand and make the pattern and all the important elements to consider whilst pattern cutting, i used it in particular to create my basic Skirt, bodice and dress blocks and then manipulate and altered the pieces to make them shorter and the shapes desired and then to create the design detailing to add onto each. this process was quite technical and i had to keep reading over the instruction to fully understand what to do but the book was very informative and really helped me. the finished blocks and patterns were just as i wanted and fitted the mannequin just right.

the whole process i feel has really challenged my skills as the fabrics i had chosen and the intricacy of my pattern meant i had to take extra care to ensure i didn't snag or pull the fabrics and there were many stages of the construction process which i had to create my self in order to make the pieces fit together in the desired way as my pattern was a one off and there were no instruction of the best way to put the pieces together.

Overall i have really enjoyed the process of seeing my garments take shape and didn't have any major problems, except when putting the zip into the top i found it was quite fiddly to do a hidden zip into the chiffon as it moved and then discovered once it was sewn in that it was too short and made the top not fit onto the mannequin. this meant i needed to purchase a longer Zip and UN pick the old zip out and put the new one in. i tested the length of the new zip first and found, fortunately that that was long enough to allow the top to comfortably fit on thew mannequin making the top wearable. all i had to do then was sew it in.

in the Next post i will put pictures of the Final garments up and do a small evaluation of it.

My final design sketch

Just to Update here is the sketch of my final Design after it had been developed, the Top and skirt will be produced using White Chiffon and Red Cotton, with the chiffon over the red cotton to produce a pink Hue, and then the Print will be in Black to add contrast on top of the white chiffon.
the Design was inspired by the fins and anatomy of the fish such as the fin shapes, gills and eyes. for example the centre of both the skirt and top will feature a Jabara as sampled previously to reflect the layers in the eyes and gills and the sides of the skirt will have fin shaped chiffon detailing to add the textural element.
The colour palette was developed from the fish also, and reflects that dangerous aspect i wanted as red is often the colour for danger. I really like the design and chose it as it allows my to test and try new techniques in pattern manipulation and cutting and tests my skills  further because of all the design detailing. but it is also modern and wearable, and relevant to the current market, but at the same time is a achievable in the given time frame.
The fabrics are also light weight and reflect the movement of the fish and can be printed onto well.

Print Sample from Screen Print

Just a quick update on the Screen print, i had my Screen developed at college the other day and have since created a few test samples on my chosen fabrics of Chiffon's and thin Cotton, overall i am really pleased with the way they came out, however the first few tests didn't work out to well particularly on the larger design as i hadn't perfected the technique and the correct angle to scrape the squeegee across the screen, but the dots came out fine. below are a few of the test that didn't work to give and idea of how they didn't take to the fabric because i was scraping the wrong way, you can see where sections where missed and how blotch thr print came out.

In the bottom image you can see how the print missed section and was unsuccessful yet the actual transfer onto the fabric worked well and as i had wanted blended into the fabric well and could still be seen through similar to the laser printing technique of applying the print. however the dots in the Photo above have worked really well and have taken well to the chiffon fabric. through practise and perfecting the technique i was able to print the other print design repeatedly the same and fully which was a  relief as these first unsuccessful prints had concerned me as it would have meant making a new print design and screen had they not worked.

Below is a comparison of how the print looked once i had masterd the technique and the blotch not so good print next to it to the right. these were a test on the thin red cotton i would use for my final piece.

overall I'm really happy with these samples, even though the printing process is lengthy the ink dry ed really quickly on the fabric which made reprinting on top much quicker and smudging not possible. 

Further Print Developing using CAD and sampling

Continuing on from my last post this one shows my developing Prints using CAD, specifically Photo shop. Like i explained in my last post i wanted the print to give an edgy feel to the piece yet be modern and compliment the design which would also be relatively modern yet constructed to traditionally flatter the female form. so i wanted to develop a print that would compliment and blend with the design but also challenge my skills and techniques, so i chose three designs to develop in CAD to do this, and exhaust all the possible design layout and design style options.

below are a few of my print designs using CAD.

The above four samples for possible print design where created using photo shop tools such as, cloning, effects, magic selection, duplicate, layering, etc and the process for each was similar as my knowledge and skills using CAD are not very advanced however i really like each of the results and would use any of them for my final design. this technique of creating a print design was time consuming to start as i was not too familiar with how to use the program but once the basics where mastered the results where good, and the finished images where polished and could be very varied. Photo shop is a great tool for all sort of CAD image editing needs, it can create many different results and has many tools to help with every possible need i.e editing, changing effects, colour, merging,cloning and many more but it can be difficult to master and can only be learn ed through practise and trial and error. it can really develop an image in ways that wouldn't be possible by hand and is a tool that i will use in the future particularly for print developing as it gives the designs more depth and a polished edge.

The bottom two print designs i particularly like as they blend well together and make the viewer look at the design more closely, and i feel would compliment my final design well finishing it rather than overpowering it. however i feel they would work best if they were laser printed onto fabric because of the small detailing and intricate pattern and this method of print is not available to me so i will have to simplify the design and create the print using the screen printing method used in previous projects. creating possible three separate design on a single screen and then hand layering them up while printing them myself. however this is probably the best available option and i will be able to perfect my screen printing technique.

To ensure that i stay on target i will take the three main prints and have a screened developed from them in the next few days at college and test the prints on my fabrics to ensure this method suits my fabrics.

Further research into the work of Georgia Hardinge

whilst carrying out further research into Hardinge i came across some of her early 3D pieces that related to my own ideas for my current project. the piece i was drawn to is pictured above, i was immediately drawn to the construction and textural design that has the 3D element. the piece takes a 3D shape and repeats it placing it in the most flattering way on the form which causes it to almost mold and flatter the figure because of this placement.
this really interested me as it shows how placement can also effect how the end result looks on the figure and something to keep in mind on this project and future projects.
further images of the piece below, and another piece from the same collection showing a similar repeated textural design .

The pieces have been created in cotton fabrics in single colour tones of creams throughout, focusing the attention on the actual textural detailing on the design and also works well to create the textural detailing giving them a sharp crisp finish.the textural element is a repeated 3D structure continues and repeats in a flattering placement on the entire design.

the piece reminds me of the spines of animals and fish with a modern twist element i feel the designer was trying to reflect in the pieces.

this design would have required advanced knowledge of pattern cutting and manipulations as well as both advanced and basic sewing and construction skills, and a good understanding of placement to flatter the form.

as mentioned previously this piece interests me as it shows how a structured Textural piece can be interpreted and created to both flatter and be wearable. elements i wish to incorporate into my own designs. it also has a similar textural construction to my ideas for this project and gives me ideas on how i could  intrprets the shapes and feature of the fishes. 

like i discussed on my last post i feel this designer style of wear ability in intriguing designs that are both modern and constructional inspiring is what makes this work and the designer inspirations to both my self and other in the fashion industry. and will continue to both inspire me for this project and future projects.

Young Designer Georgia Hardinge

This post is further research into a designer i came across recently whilst looking for secondary research of how other designers interpret 3D design and that really inspired me both for this project and personally.

The Designer is Young International designer Georgia Hardinge who studied in Paris at Parsons school of Design in 2008, and then returned to London to set up her own label.she has been noted as one to watch for the future.
what inspired me about her design was there striking prints and intriguing design but wear ability, with hints of architectural detailing and darkness, yet always flattering the female form. design element that i myself as a designer am always striving to achieve and put into my own designs her similar style to my own is what made me initial interested in her work and how she creates modern yet structured pieces from her inspirations. this interested me as it widens my own knowledge of techniques i can use for this project and in the future through my own career in the fashion industry, but also helps me as a designer to progress and build my own style and be individual.
One of the things i was drawn to was her unique and vibrant prints which i learned were often created by applying acrylic paints onto a page and then folding them onto the other page which caused the paints to merge and spread into intriguing patterns once opened out, which whit the use of CAD were then developed into finished sharp print designs that were later laser printed onto fabric. this is and interesting technique and one i would love to learn how to use and develop my own prints from in the future.below are some images of this technique.i really love the shapes and bright colours used and the fluid modern effect produced.

above initial acrylic patterns , below CAD developed prints 

I also was inspired by the way she takes these prints and applies them to feminine fabrics like chiffon's, but to make them more modern by complimenting them with similarly modern structured feminine pieces with 3D element within the designs. like the pieces pictured below from her AW 2012 collection.

For these pieces Hardinge has used similar fabrics to those that i wish to use for this project, a combination of light cotton and chiffon that drape and move elegantly on the form, the colour pallet is also similar to some of my own and compliment each other and the design well flowing throughout the design. i am really inspired by the use of structure and 3D design combined with the feminine fabrics on the piece to the right as it has elements that i have envisioned my designs would have for this project and is interesting to see how another designs has used them to make a wearable yet modern and unique piece that flatters the form.

here the use of CAD has given the piece through the unique print a modern yet distinctive edge that i wish to create in my own piece now and in the future.

whilst continuing this project i will refer back to this designer to help me  design develop and interpret my ideas but will also refer to this designer in the future as her style is similar to my own, so i am interested how she will interpret future projects.

My Print Development

Having been inspired by the the combination of hands on and CAD developed prints by Hardinge on similarly light fabrics which i also intend to use for this project i decided to try these techniques for my own designs for print from this project. As both the CAD and hands on technique would challenge my skills and develop the knowledge of other techniques and how to develop them  for my future reference.

I had already created a few ideas for prints such as the spotted detailing on some of the fish from my primary research and wanted to develop them using these techniques. I began by experimenting with the hands on technique taking inks and paints, placing them on a piece of card in a pattern and then folding the card in half and squashing it together similarly to Hardinge which when opened gave a new repeated pattern. this technique proved intersting and i quite liked it which i created a few testers to exhaust the technique and results fully from, eventually deciding on two particular dotted samples that i could refine and develop through CAD. Below are a few images of these designs.

I feel these designs have an almost edgy look and add that element of danger from my theme which i have chosen to create within the print and some of the colour palette, yet they are also delicate and feminine enough to reflect the femininity in the final piece.

i liked the final result of this experiment but as mentioned above wanted to take it further and possibly combine another print to go with these dots. so i began to do some further research into how i could develop a print using this technique of ink and paint squashing further, and came across some artists designs inspired by the physcological tests of ink blots on paper called Rorschach.

below are a few of the design from my secondary research.

Above are two designs by Artists without names to them but i was drawn to the almost anatomical elements all most reflecting the shape and movement of the fins or the fishes patterns or spine detailing created UN purposefully from the simple technique of ink blots squashed then opened to reveal the design, again the technique is similar to Hardinge but using only black instead of colour which for this project i feel would be most effective to my own pieces as it gives the contrast and edgy feel to the design, may be to contrasting if i where to use to many colours within the design.

inspired by the more detailed ink blot designs above i began to create my own in a similar manner, which i created several different designs from to fully exhaust the technique and because i quite enjoyed the unknown result that would be achieved and the hands on technique to create a unique and individual print design that i could further develop. i had created quite a few possible designs and had to narrow it down to the most effective and also my favourites that most reflected my theme. below  and the very top image of this post are a few of these designs.

I liked all these design in particularly as they looked like different anatomical features of the fish, for example the fins, skeleton, the outer shape of the fish viewed from above in an abstract way, but each was unique.

I really like this method of developing prints as it is quite easy and not expensive but gives very different results and different colour can be used, but is not suitable if a defined design is to be created and reproduced using the same method many times as it is quite unpredictable, also it can take quite a few tests to create a piece that you are really happy with and really detailed design are not really possible, but it is a technique i will definitely use in the future.

After looking through my designs i decided on one particularly print as shown below and at the top of the post which i felt reflected the edgy  look and interpreted the fins and anatomy of the fish in a unique way and would compliment my dotted print design well.

i really like this result and feel it has enough detailing to give a more modern and advanced look to my finished piece as well as compliment a modern yet beautiful and edgy design. however like i mentioned above i will develop both this and the dotted print design above further using the CAD method Particularly Photo shop.

Further skirt sampling and designing on the stand

Continuing my samplings using the pattern magic books i was inspired to try a pattern cutting and manipulation process that had similar designs to my own and i felt could relatively easily be altered to better suit my designs once the basics had been mastered, above is a photo of the process and possible design from the book. i was particularly interested by the in construction pattern and design that add the detailing but within the actual construction making them a different colour and then altering the pattern to give more flare to the skirt yet all on a feminine fitted silhouette that flattered the figure.
The idea of the striped pattern placed on the silhouette to flatter the form and add the desired design detailing, then combined with the flared skirt which would give a flowing loose fit on the form whilst moving, where similar ideas to my own for some of my own design developments from my primary research. for exaple i had been really inspired by some of the stripes and bold patterns on the fishes which i had imagined similar to this design and could be developed further all in light flowing loose fabrics.
 this book was quite informative on where to begin and how to create the design shown so i decided to toile the design as a possible basic pattern and silhouette that i could use later. the book began by explaining the basic steps such as creating the basic bodice and then developing it to include the stripes and flares which was a bit more challenging but helped me to understand how and why the construction was and should be created for the basic bodice to fit properly. however the design was created using only one half of the full pattern to save on fabric which had to be noted and would need to be altered for the entire pattern if i choose to use the pattern.

below are some images of how i began to design this piece and how i decided to alter it.

 the photos show the calico toile for the design with markings drawn on where and how i wish to place the patterns/ inserts.however i decided that i would rather have the inserts in chiffon and flare out rather than creating them from the base fabric, this way i could print onto the chiffon and create a more unique to my designs and project, piece. this was the first alteration to the design and was not to complicated as i just swapped the placement of the inserts the next was to incorporate some of the other samples i had tried from the pattern magic book again these where both the round and folded jabara's which as shown in the last photo to the right would be placed on the shoulders and in the centre of the top of the bodice just below the neckline. this photo also shows the chiffon pinned to the marked places on the skirt which would be flatly sewn into the top and gradually flare out after the waist into the skirt, these pieces would also be printed onto and when moving would gracefully and fluidly move reflecting the movement of the fish and their fins.

  Overall i quite like this design and idea as it is modern and unique but still incorporate aspects such as a wearable flattering silhouette and fluid movement in the design which could also be produced from lighter fabric, which all fulfil my brief and is also challenging enough to test my skills. however it could be further developed through sketches and toiling. but i would like to if i have time to make this design as an extra piece for this project and really challenge my skills.

Below are some primary photos of the fish and patterns that inspired this design and others in my sketch book. all these photos show the bright vibrant modern patterning i was drawn to for this particular design idea which could all be developed further if i choose to later on.

                                  

Sampling Skirt ideas on the Mini Stand

Following on from my previous sampling posts and designing within my sketch book i was inspired by some of the ideas for skirt shapes in the Pattern Magic Books as mentioned in previous post,  that gave a desired unrestricted movement to the fit and related to some of the ideas i had for skirt shape at the start of my research. one of these techniques was  the Kakurenbo design which with the use of a wiggling line on the waist line added a concealed flare in the waistline producing a nice unrestricted drape to the skirt.
i liked this idea as it appealed to my ideas of fitting to the body with a loose flowing unrestricted yet structured skirt. below are the image of the instruction from the book.

This technique i tried to achieve by following closely to the instruction in the book but working on a mini scale to save fabric. however working on the smaller scale had the down side of making the construction very fiddly.  however i did manage to simplify the design for the smaller scale and the results are below.

i like the finished result but would obviously want to develop the pattern to my own specification and shape inspired by my primary photos, for example putting the skirt lower on the waist and making it shorter. however this pattern was quite advanced and complicated which i feel my skills may not quite be capable of at this time so i may take this technique and simplify the idea through developments to help me establish my final design. it is also a technique i can see my self using and developing further in the future once i have thoroughly developed my pattern cutting skills.