Fashion Design - a scary prospect for me!!

Evening Bloggers,
I started a GCSE Textiles course at my school in September 2012. In the build up to this, while students were taking their options, there were various open evenings. Many of the students asked me 'Miss, if I take Textiles,will you teach me how to make clothes'. My response was 'I cannot promise you that I can teach you to make clothes. My training is in soft furnishings and children's play rooms, not fashion and dressmaking. I probably will not be able to teach you to make a garment from scratch but I can show you how to customise a garment'. I thought it was best to be honest.

Having said this, it has always been my plan to learn more about fashion design and making clothes, for my own interests but mainly to enrich the students experience of their Textiles course. I did quite a lot of 'customising garments' during my teenage years but was never really happy with the results. I guess my confidence was and still is lacking in this area. As you know, I have been making lots of different types of textile panels using lots of different materials but these are mainly decorative pieces to hang on the wall. Following a 'pep talk' from my friend and talented SEO Carolyn Clayton www.seofreelanceuk.co.uk last weekend where she reminded me just how much I used to work with clothing, I thought it was time to sort out my dressmakers dummy and get over my 'issues' with fashion design!! Also, I found this amazing lady on Facebook. Her advice to me was 'go for it! sewing is really fun off the beaten path.you just have to keep stitching and it will turn into something interesting, I promise! ♡  In time, I aspire to create something similar to her most amazingly funky garments but it could take a while!!!!!http://www.gibbousfashions.com

Here are the results of my customised vest top with hand and machine embroidered panel with angelina fibres, ribbons and lace

This turquoise crushed velvet top is a garment I have owned for approximately 10 years!!! I have loved it in the past but have not worn it for at least 2 years. Partly because It is/was a size 18 and having lost 4 stone over the last year and a half, I am now a size 14. It was in my bag for the boot fair!! If I had planned to 'take it in' now is the time to do it I figured!!! The main feature is the patterned textile panel which was my first attempt at using water soluble fabric. This panel has been sat in my sewing room since last September. I finally found a use for it!! I also added some organza ribbons and colourful lace (purchased in Turkey last year). I am pretty pleased with my customised top, I know for sure noone will have one the same anyway!!! It is now a snug size 14 and I hope to be brave enough to wear it!!

I have also started making a garment from scratch today. Watch this space................

Taj Mahal Textiles

Good evening readers,
It has taken me a while to get around to creating this next post. I feel like there has been a bit of a 'creative lull' recently. Having said that, I have created a few new textile piecec over the last few weeks. I think that I have not written about them because I have felt they were not quite finished and ready to publicise. Having said this, I am going to upload some images tonight but I still plan to work on these pieces a little more so they are effectively works in progress.

This one 'Sacred Spirits of the Taj Mahal' is a combination of ideas. I love India, I love the people and their attitude to life and in some cases, poverty. In my experience, the poorest Indian people still have a smile on their face, have little and would happily give whatever they have. Their faith, family and motivation to survive inspire them to get on with life and make the best of what they have. The Taj Mahal is one of those inspiring places where one may 'feel' superior forces are at work. I have included a small fabric 'Sacred Spirit' label from one of my latest 'Joe Browns' garments. Many of these garments are made in India and I suppose the price we pay in England for something made so cheaply in India is a direct reflection of the economic differences we may or may not be aware of. We all have our 'Sacred Spirits' though which may be places, people, memories and we tap into these when we need them.

 

I created this piece using transfer dyes on silk/polyester fabric. The drawing is waterproof pen and I have machine embroidered in the details (I still plan to add more). Please let me know what you think. I will post another image when it is finally finished!!!