Bournemouth Uni

Hi Guys! :)
Its Abi and I wanted to tell you how my interview went at Bournemouth Uni, after applying for the Costume course there.
After the 2 hour trip we eventually got there, I had a nap in the car, then waking up to find that I was more nervous then I had thought. So when we were in the car park I cried yet again about the whole uni thing and felt that I couldnt face actually going through the interview, which afterwards, felt a little pathetic and silly because once I eventually went in everybody was really kind and helpful.
   First they called us up in a group of 6 and showed us the classrooms, and told us to lay our portfolios out on the table, then we told to go and sit somewhere else, so we could chat and ask quesitions to the students about what its like there, while the tutors went and looked in our folders without us there.
   Then they called us in 2 by 2, and I was the first to go in thankfully, and the tutor I was with asked me to talk about one project, and I had chosen the wasp one because that one was my favourite and I felt I could talk about that one more, and she said it was very 'Graphicy' which I didnt really want to hear. Overall I thought that interview went okay, however I was worried that my folio wasnt as 'Costumey' as the other students, and there seemed to be not many oppintunities to discuss my love for costume, so I felt like I didnt come across as the person that I wanted them to meet, so it wasnt a surprise then they told me I didnt secure a place there :(
     However, im trying not to let this get to me and im not letting it doubt myself of managing to secure my place at uni at all. So ill put this down to expirience and hope that my next interview will go a lot better.

hi im tedi and all i can think is

TODAY IS THE DAY

Finished!!

Finally finished :) Just a few photos of my final skirt, now to make the necklace with Ellie tomorrow!!

Our logo...Not very clear but we are called Ornellow

Adding the zip...took forever! But i think it looks okay :)

Random...Just showing the lining

Amy :)

CAKES!

Hi,
Sorry for late post but theres not much to report, I finished my skirt (the blue one was mine by the way) so just doing bits of book work. However I got a fabulous book for xmas, the Humming bird bakery recipe book and made the red velvet cupcakes I have been dying to try. It has loads of other nice things, very American but I like that kind of stuff!

Sorry for bad quality photos but its so dark and dreary here.

Anyway who else is psyched for the Oscars tonight! Why are they always on a Sunday? Im going to try to watch as much as I can, lucky we have a lateish start tomorrow.

See you then

Charlotte xx

P.s

Check out my blog for amazing bits from russia :)

notjustanLBD.blogspot.com

Ish x x x x

NIGHTMARE!

Okay, i'm having a bit of a panic here girlies! I have misplaced my sketchbook for our skirt project. I left college in a bit of a fluster on Wednesday before Russia and have only been working on my actual skirt since. I have looked everywhere and I might have stupidly left it in college but just in case could you maybe have a little check if you picked it up by accident or think if anyone saw it? It was just one of the normal A4 ring bound black one with lots of purple bits and bobs poking out of it and a plastic wallet in the middle?


Thank you so much you stars

Ish x x x

London Fashion Weekend 26/02/2011 !!

I went to LFW today!! It was absolutely fantastic!! My Mum and I went together, up early for the 7.44am train, we arrived and had got there, and in by 9.15am :)

It's held in London [obviously] at Somerset House, and was even better then last year!!

We went in for the 10.30am catwalk, and here is the little movie [click the link!] I put together of all the clips I took [my camera wasn't great, and if I move a lot i'm sorry, I was concentrating on the actual garments not how I was holding the camera!! lol] it's just over 5 minutes long.

The first collection was inspired by the movie 'Black Swan'

The second and third Collections show the very much in season use of colour blocking, and the final Collection, by Mark Fast [who is starting to make a name for himself amongst celebs] is covered in jewels and tassels, and includes block colours too! I loved these Collections, and is a good comparision to last years pastel shades.

London Fashion Weekend

Afterwards we looked around all the designer clothing, and oh myy, they were gorgeous. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. Especially some of John Galliano's work...

[Who, by the way, if you haven't heard, has been suspended at Dior after he allegedly made anti-semetic remarks to a couple in a cafe after a late night drinking session - the drinks most likely drank due to stress over Paris Fashion Week where Dior is always in the spotlight]

And, with items at the reduced LFW special prices...my Mum said I could get something... and well, I couldn't resist ...

So with an original price of £665, I now own a John Galliano dress...

Bought at the reduced price of...

£59

No kidding.

There's nothing wrong with it, it's not some end of the line piece...it was simply, a London Fashion Week 'special' ... well, I'm certainly not complaining!!

So yeah, i'm pretty happy with today :P hehe :)

Jennnnnny :))

LOTS TO CATCH UP ON!!

I have not liked that I haven't blogged!! I'm dissappointed in myself :( ...so I will make this one worth itt!!

Art has been pretty busy, i'm not going to lie, I think everyone is rather stressed out at the moment and could do with a loooonnngg break...BUT keep working hard girlies it'll be worth it in the endd!!

My gold project is going well, but still i'm feeling the pressure to finish it, however I found some fantastic gold inspiration out in Russia, and was rather annoyed that I didn't have my skirt on me in many of the buildings...doing a photo-shoot in any of the rooms in the Hermitage WOULD HAVE LOOKED PERFECT. But nooo, life isn't fair, I didn't have the skirt on me [wasn't even in the making at that point anyway] and well, now i'm back in England... there is just nowhere nearby as good as those rooms...

SAD TIMES GUYS...Sad Times :'(

Here are some examples of the GORGEOUS rooms...

I KNOW, I know, they're perfect...made me want to cry too. Maybe this yummy looking hot chocolate will cheer you up and make up for it?

No? Understandable...but it sure helped cheer me up in -20 degrees temperatures...!!

So...anyway, Russia was ace. ALTHOUGH... I had one slight problem... [and I know Gayle is going to read this but oh well...] everyone only got a gift for Ivan at the end?!? ... yeah, sorry guys, but I didn't agree with that... soooo I'm thinking of making Gayle a thank you present :) I wouldn't know what to get Mark or Deborah...but Gayle deserves something too, as i'm sure Ivan wasn't the only one stressing!! So yeah..justtt sayyying...

Soo, back from Russia, I sleptt quite a bitt, I was shattterrredd!! Then, got into full on skirt making [hence the delayed blogging, all I had on my mind was Sew, Sew, Sew, Eat, Sew, Sew, Sew, Eat, Drink, Sew, Sew, Eat, Sew, Sew, Sleep...] ... and how did it go you ask?

Well...

Toile number one, going by Gayle's diagram... got very, very confused [how, I don't know] tore it up, resorted to scouring internet for a different one...

Toile number two...TOO SMALL. How? Don't know either. Followed everything right and...no. Wasn't fitting. So I thought, I'll draw it out again and make it wayy bigger...

Toile number three...STILL TOO SMALL. Okay, now I'm wondering where my Ghetto Booty has appeared from...and why the HELL this Toile won't work...

Now, all that frustration in one day = no pattern paper, no Toile fabric and one very tearful Jenny. So, Mum went out and bought more fabric [isn't she lovely?!], and I did some book work and took an early nights rest.

Following day. New material, fresh start. NO PATTERN PAPER.

Slight issue? Not really, i've never used it before... BUT I do know how to now which is the point and it worked for the skirt train so I do have proof I CAN do itt!!
Soo, I grabbed my dressmakers white pencil and got to it.

I made it up, using what I had learnt from the other Toile's, re-taking my measurements [yep, not changed at all] ... annnnddd.... IT WORKED. Fitted like a dreammm. AT LAST.

I then tried out the front triangular panel...IT WORKED. And then, before I ran out of motivation, and before things had a chance to go wrong, I started the real deal. Here are some images of the Toile and the real skirt coming together:

Sorry about the pictures being sidewayys!! But yeah, it's coming along well, OBVIOUSLY you are wondering WHERE ON EARTH IS THE GOLD??? But don't worry, my rule was contrasting colours, and there they are. The Train is GOLD and the black triangle will have gold embroidery on it too. The waistband [still to come] Will also be gold. And I may add gold elsewhere too :)) so DON'T PANIC.

So anyway, that is it for the moment!! I've another post to make, but the video for it is still in the making... soooooo, goodbye for nowww!!

Jennnnnnyy :))

Oops...

Post below was from Becca by the way!! :P xxx

If you have some free time...

Hey, if you haven't seen it already, I watched this documentary on Alexander McQueen last night, and if you love him as much as I do ... would recommend that you take a look! Its on 4od called 'McQueen and I'
Have fun and hope you all have had/are having a good half term.
Cya monday xxx

My Skirt So Far!

So here is my skirt so far, its not finished yet - still need to hem it and fit parts to me and neaten parts up and embellish it etc etc =]

the little triangle on the left is like 3D and the 'sash' part goes round the body too. looks abit shit here but hope you like it so far =S havent tried it on fully yet so we will see what that looks like tomorrow =]
hope you all having a great half term!
courtney x

Toile.

Hiyaaar. Hanna here.

Skirt is going well, only a little bit left to finish. (:

Popping to the dump inabit to have a browse for a chair.

Tomorrow I will be drilling holes in the 1kg of shells I purchased.

Fun times.

Just dropping by with a shneaky peek, this is my toile!

Hope everyone's enjoying their half term! xx

Heeey guys its loraa

Got back from russssia on monday it was amazing here are some photos of the trip, so much amazing art work there.


Church on the spilled blood




Inside the church on the spilled blood




St. Isaac's Cathedral



Anyone with an interview at Derby??

Hey girls,
I have no idea if anyone else has an interview at Derby uni this week (or in the future) but if some of you do, I thought I would let you know how I got on yesterday...
So, my interivew was for Textiles Design but I'm sure that the format will be very similar if not the same for the fashion girlies :)
First, they look at your folios first, without you there and you are interviewed by one member of staff and two third year students - this was actully really good (as with my other interviews, I didn't really get to talk to the students) but it also allowed you to hear their opinion of the uni/experience/course etc.
Anyway, when they were looking through my folio, they gave us this sheet of paper with a brief outline of the course but also some potential questions that they might ask you.
Here is what it said:

• Select a piece/series of work that best demonstrates your capabilities as a designer.
• Explain your reasons for choosing to study Textiles.
• What could the University of Derby offer you that other courses cannot?
• Discuss any artist or designer who has influenced your thinking or your work.
• Name a public figure that you admire and explain why (for this one, I would personally recommend that it isn't anyone textiles/fashion related)

So thats the info that we got given :) pretty straight forward. ooo and also, before your interview they ask you to select three pieces of work that you think demonstrates your skills as a designer. (A tip: probs chose your most recent work) I chose two sheets from my folio: my objects of desire project, altered images and my origami sketchbook :)
And one last tip: SMILE! I promise you, they are lovely! (and as a matter of fact: so have all the other people that have interviewed me :D)
Hope this is helpful
Becca xxx

My trip to the dump!

Helloooo Its Amy here...So for the next project I went on a hunt for a chair, found out im NOT a fan of the dump!! It was gross, sorry to anyone who may like going to the dump but its safe to say it's definately not my thing :D

But anyway here's my chair, pretty basic and bit battered but hopefully once I've finished with it I may actually want to sit on it. Hope your all having a fab half term, see you soon!! :) x

MY CHAIR...

I didnt post on friday as I slightly forgot... But I have good reason. I found and baught my chair for the next project for a bargain price of £3. The skirt is kind of not even being constucted yet until tomorrow evening as my toile didnt work so I have resorted to actually pinning my fabric to my body. Anyway I am tired so it is bath and bed for me in about 2 hours if I can hold out! Hope everyone is enjoying their half term so far... P.S I know the chair is fairly ugly but so was my last one until I revamped it.

Skirt!

This post is a little overdue, but with good reason. I have basically spend 24/7 on making my skirt so I can bring it to my uni interview on tues, and heres a pic.

all thats left to do now is a film review, scrapbook, 4x a3 sheets on my ideas for costumes and background research. Stressed. Very.

Its 1/2 Term at last!

Becca here, and today, I think I am the most unmotivated person in the world! I swear since this morning I have just been sitting at this desk, daydreaming and doing NO work! But hey, I guess everyone has one of those days.
So, I have my third interview at Derby on monday, so you should think that I would get a little motivated at that and ACTUALLY do some work, but you are SO wrong! (I guess there is always the weekend!)
But apart from that, the rest of my week was some what productive :

Ok, some my laptop is now playing up and it won't let me upload ANY of my photos! But they were basically of the prints that I eventually put onto fabric. I will try to do it a little later but the cinema awaits! (Have I got my priorities sorted or what??)
Until later when I will actually show some of the work I've been doing ... ooo and I will also let you know how the Derby interview goes, as I do believe some of you other girlies have interviews there too :)
xxx

Lucinda here :)

Just thought I would do a sneaky blog about this website: http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/

I am loving it! Look at her personal blog under about/contact :)

Embellishments

So i've started to experiment with embellishments for my skirt, and ive decided to go down the more floral route...

The first one is constructed by cutting two petals joined together in the middle in different materials and then bunched all together with a pearl in the centre (if that makes any sense)

and the second flower is made out of folding ribbon.

I'm going to go with the top one as it will give alot more texture and interest to my skirt, and also give it a bit more of a feminin touch!

hope you like them =)

courtney

x

Hewo its Nicole :) Hooorayy

Havent blogged in a while SORRY GAYLE hehe...
Anyway so im currently looking into aztec patterns and sticking a few in my book and also have the waist band sorted thanks to Ish... sorrrry :( ... i also cut out my pattern yesterday and have my four pieces ready to sew together... I KNOW RIGHT, im so on the ball (for once) ..
thought i might show you the aztec pattern that is going on the skirt as the waist band!
hope you likey :D

Nicole

the wonders of smartphones!

Being the dedicated blogger I am, I have gone to the new extreams of blogging from my blackberry on the coach on the way to the airport. Hello Russia! I would have waited and written a blog when I got there but the internet would have cost me a bomb soooo I guess I'm not thaat dedicated! Anyway I am all set with my skirt project and will hopefully upload
Some photos when I'm backk!
Jess :)

RUSSIA! in T- 5 hours!

Brownie Heaven!

Becca here.
So, its my mum's birthday today and to celebrate, I thought it would be the perfect time to make birthday brownies! :P Thought I might annoy all of you so, I decided post about it, because if I do say so myself ... they are AMAZING!!! (ask courtney: she's has them before)

Since taking this photo and blogging about them, they've already gone :( sad, sad times :'(
Anyway, until tomorrow, when I ACTUALLY blog something of (textile) importance! xx

Izzy

Oooh had some fun dying my fabric tods

It looked better when it was actually in the process of being dyed, now its all rinsed and dried the colours are too blocky

Plastic Pincers

Hiii it's Iz. So, my skirt is all about lobsters and the main focus is on the 'pocket' which is actually going to be a big fat lobster claw. The idea is you put your hand in and it looks like you have pincers, AKA have 'become' the lobster. We decided the best way of doing it would be vacuum forming with plastic so I had to make some nice big clay claws (clay. takes. ages.) to serve as the mould. It's quite tricky because you have to make sure there are no 'undercuts'- ie it goes smoothly down at the sides- or your mould gets stuck. I went and formed them today with Georgie, unfortunately the red plastic was too thin and broke, so i had to use white and will need to spray paint them red (thanks ellie for the spraypaint!!) But anyway, here is an inside look at the magical vacuum forming machine...

Before...

During...

After!

Just to be special I also made some papier mache claws from the same clay mould which look quite good, but I will use the plastic because it's more 'professional'.

And that was my day. Envelope, you have been pushed.

Kate Cusack

 

Hey it's Lucinda :) I was googling zips and came across this designer called Kate Cusack. She uses unconventional materials to create a variety of products.


Make from Clingfilm.



Make from Bubble wrap (Woman looks slightly scary...)






Sponges



Clingfilm.



Brooch made out of zips.



Bracelet made out of zips.



Necklace also made out of zips.

Here is her website:  http://www.katecusack.com/
I'm also going to add her blog to the list of blogs we follow if I remember how too! :)