Final Evaluation

My intention for my SDP was to under take a project that would help improve my skills, knowledge and professionalism in construction. I knew that Costume Store was the ideal choice for this but totally under estimated how intense the project would prove to be. After submitting myself for this SDP choice it was later reveled that the project would be split between 'Costume Store' and 'Breathe'. Although I had no real interest in 'Breathe' at the start, it seemed interesting and a great project to be involved in.

The shirt was the first garment the project started off with. It was a fairly simple garment to ease us in with but still presented itself as a challenge. The actual fabric we had to use was the first issue to deal with. It was easily damaged when unpicked. This made me a lot more aware of materials durability and the importance of accuracy within my work. The next test I had was with its placket. After unpicking it too many times I ended up damaging the front piece. From this I've learnt that sometimes a mistake is better left untouched or you run the risk of damaging your work further. Although pleased with the end result, I was disappointed  to discover that I wouldn't receive my buttons in time to complete it.

From the start the work space available was problematic. We had to share the studio space throughout the project with other projects. Leaving my shirt behind one evening in, I returned to our next scheduled studio time to discover it had been moved and stained. Annoyed by the incident it has provided a good lesson for me not to leave my costumes unattended, caring for them is one of the most important things to preserve their condition.

The breeches was the next garment made. The fabric was a wool cashmere with pin stripes; a challenge itself to work with. The most problematic element of this garment was the front fall flap incision. Unfortunately my incisions made frayed and as a consequence distorted its appearance slightly. From this mistake I've learnt to handle garments with care when working on them. However, I do believe that this garment helped to improve my hand sewing skills due to the amount involved to construct them.

The final garment made was a Victorian Blouse. This garment really did embody the independent aspect of the project after Dexter had an unfortunate accident. I was most afraid of producing this garment, especially without any assistance. However, I stayed calmed and transferred all the previous knowledge gained recently to construct it. The most problematic aspect was the organza pleating. It had a specific pattern and needed to be as straight as possible as it was the main feature of the blouse. It was very hard to control the silk organza, even after being starched. If ever faced again with a similar fabric detail I've learnt that time and care is extremely important as fabric like this is difficult to control and easily damaged.

'Breathe' was the other element of my SDP project. At the beginning I was very resistant from working on it due to not being originally part of 'The Costume Store' project I'd signed up for. However as soon we began I enjoyed it and found myself looking forward to working on each week. It became almost like a stress relief. For 'Breathe' I worked on the 'Hunter' group, creating two cloaks. It was a nice change from the strict, grueling aim for perfection of  'The Costume Store'. I really enjoyed being more creative/ experimental with the materials available and interpret the wacky designs of the 'Breather's'. This side of the project felt a lot more satisfying/ rewarding to work due to the knowledge that our hard work, skills and knowledge were going towards a live project.

Reflecting over my work produced for Costume Store there is a great deal of evidence that I have improved with my technical skills. I'd never attempted to construct a garment using only a sample as a guide; deconstructing it visually in order to construct a copy. Considering this my problem solving skills, and confidence with making, have improved considerably. It has also become apparent to me that I'm much more motivated when working from a design/ purpose and creating a much more textural body for work. My overall opinion of the project is a little mixed. Although I did enjoy certain aspects of it factors effecting 'The Costume Store' side of the project (Battle for the Winds over running, absent tutors, buttons missing and not enough fabric given out) has been very stressful and effected the potential standard of work I could've produced

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Costume Store - Victorian Blouse

I returned to work on my blouse this morning with much fear and dread of tackling the next component to attach; The collar. I'd never really had much luck with attaching collars in the past, especially the first time around. The collar for the blouse was a double layer of organza so mistakes weren't an option really.. To begin I machine sewed the two pieces together, bagged it out and then top stitch. It wasn't too bad so I left it instead of running the risk of damaging the organza. The next tricky task was to actually attach the collar to the neck of the garment. Because of its moveability, and bad past experiences with collar attachments, I tightly tacked it in place. I was very pleased with the result...

 The next bit was fairly simple (folding the inside seam under, pressing and top stitching) and the only things left to do were the buttons and button holes.

After a very stressful and fast paced week I managed to get the blouse finished on time for hand-in. I knew the blouse was quite large but was a little bit shocked by just how large the end result turned out to be. 

I'm not as happy with it as I'd liked to have been, after a few incidents, but for my first attempt at a period blouse I don't think it turned out too bad...

Costume Store - Victorian Blouse

After Dexter's accident which occurred last week the costume store had had no with their blouse construction. To make matters worse he was in possession of a few key items needed to complete our garments; lace and linen covered buttons. I already had my lace but needed my buttons to finish the breeches and shirt. This left me really worried and stressed out about what would be done but after email contact with him Amy, the supervisor, told me to hand in the shirt without the buttons but do the button holes and only attach the gold buttons on the breeches, leaving the linen ones and mark tacking where the button holes would go. This was one concern lifted but I was still really worried about the construction of my blouse...

When I'd last left it I had just made the pleated detail and was ready to attach it to the front panels of the blouse. From examining the sample I worked out the organza was attached using a straight stitch, topped off with a zigzag stitch for extra security. The lace on the sample blouse had been machine stitched. However from previous experience, and now my growing standard, I decided to hand sew it on. This would be more aesthetically pleasing; leaving a smoother finished, almost magically attached decoration. This was simple enough to do and I was quite pleased with the out come (despite disliking the colour combination and fabric choice made for me..).

Once done I began the task of creating the button stand. We'd been instructed to create a separate button stand unlike the one the sample had, which was just folded over and top stitched. I thought this would've been fairly straight forward but found this wasn't the case. Yet again it was really hard to control the organza smoothly and to catch the multiple layers of the blouse (organza, blouse fabric and lace) together. I was extremely disappointed with the first and second attempt as some how the button stands became distorted and different widths. Determined for a neater look I completely took the stands off and redone them from the beginning, which resulted in a better button stand. Once happy I then attached the front to the backs...

After this I attached the sleeves (first tacking together and then machine sewing). After the sleeves I began to over lock the seams. Before now I'd never had a problem with over locking. It was unfortunate the last studio day we had to work on it was also the first years costume parade for their last project. The space available was very limited and tight to pass through.. It was just may luck that someone knocked into me, whilst over locking, in an attempt to slip past me. The result was a small cut into my blouse body near the under arm. This left me totally heart broken and lost with what to do next; redoing the blouse wasn't an option at this stage due to the fabric left over and the time we had before hand-in. Before having a break down I got myself together in order to deal with the problem. I came up with a basic solution to repair it and the incision wasn't very noticeable after.  

After the incident I found myself stressed and worked up. This is not a good emotional state to be in when working on such a finely stitched garment and so decided to take a break and sew on the rest of the lace to the cuff. It was only when doing this that the second horror story happened; I ran out of lace for the cuff. Having trusted the amount of fabric specifically given to me I had no reason to question whether it was enough for the whole blouse. I was very relieved that I'd chosen to do this now and discovered the error sooner rather than later and so went to Amy, the supervisor, for assistance. As the lace wasn't from around here we had to have a look for a similar looking lace. One was thankfully found and the dilemma now avoided.

Shortage of lace on cuff...

Breathe - Hunters Cloaks

Since working on the second cloak last I'd managed to dye, construction the cloaks shape and complete half of its textile work. I was really pleased with its progressed and made me really positive for the days session. First of all I continued to finish off patch working the cloak and once finished pinned it to a mannequin with the base attached. My next task was to work out how to attach it to the base costume as in the design there was no obvious neck ties etc to be interpreted. As Kate, the designer, was around to consult I decided that the best method would be to use poppers as a temporary solution. Once this was done I began to consider the best was to interpret the netting which is draped over the arm and visible at the front of the cloak. To do this I started to play around draping net over the shoulders and around the front of the cloak. This had a really nice organic charm to it; wild, free and linking to fishing/ the sea. 

Once I'd secured it all in place I began to make the shoulder pads visible on the design. It looked like a big furry pad resting on the shoulder, however there was a sample in the hunter folder of a much more textural piece; net with lots of short tied on lace/ribbon/string/rope. Taking this sample I began to make my own. They looked a little bit too flat when placed upon the should so made a small pad for it to rest on and be attached to. It was then worked into a little for a more aged/ distressed appearance. Like the other cloak I attached elastic arm bands for secure movement and then draped the net over and stitched it in place; thus realising the design. 

I was pretty pleased with the end result of the second cloak. After the previous cloak I was much more prepared for making this one; knowing what things to avoid when stitching the base cloak and to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Out of the two, its definitely been my favourite to construct. 

Costume Store - Victorian Blouse

This week is the second week we've had to work on the blouse (2 weeks until hand-in). I thought I'd had everything under control with the construction of the blouse so far, and decided to work on it up until a point I'd need to consult our tutor, Dexter, with the next construction stages. However, at the beginning of the week he had an unfortunate accident and was signed off due to an injure. I was really worry about the way in which the project would now develop without assigned teaching support. Instead of panic I decided to seek help from other tutors on our course to begin the next stages of assembling the blouse.

The next stage in constructing the blouse was the pleated front bib/yoke. At first glance it seemed simple enough, a piece of pleated silk organza cut in the appropriate shape and attach to the front pieces of the blouse.  Despite the appearance of its simplicity this wasn't the case. Dexter had left us with instructions of how the pleats were to be formed in order to form crisp, neat pleats, important due to it being the focal point of the blouse. The instructions left me pretty confused. After trying out a combination of folding and pinning solutions I accepted defeat and sought the help of another tutor. Together we managed to work out the pleats fold combination. 

After working out the fold combination I tacked down the main line I needed to follow when machine sewing the folds. Despite being aware of what I was doing I still found it pretty difficult to work with the silk organza. Before even beginning working with it I'd starched it 4 times to stiffen it and give it more control. Although this did help the organza proved very difficult to work when sewing on the machine and I didn't manage to get all the pleats perfectly even. Undoing the stitching for something like this isn't really possible to do without damaging the organza, and because we'd ran out of money for the costume project I excepted the outcome and will take this experience into consideration when it comes to working with fabric like this again.

After pleating the organza the next task was cutting out the bib/ yoke detail piece for the front of the blouse. I laid the patten on top of the organza and to my horror found that I didn't actually have enough fabric to cut the whole pattern out. Instead of panicking I took a moment to consider the situation and how to approach it next. Placing the pattern piece as tightly backed at I could, I drew around them to see how much wastage was left. Luckily there was just enough waste pleated organza to perfectly attach to the section of the bib/ yoke missing. Once happy I then cut out the bib/ yoke and joined on the separate piece of pleating to it. You could never tell that this was the case as it produced a smooth finish. This is the result...

 

Breathe - Hunters Cloaks

Since the last session of Breathe I'd made a good process on my cloak. After relentlessly cutting shapes of fabric, net, fur, leather and suede I had managed to cover the cloak in a way which resembled the design but as my own interpretation.  The next this I had to tackle was the fastenings and shape. 

In the design the character is swooping the cloak upwards, revealing the inside slightly. When looking at this feature and my creation so far it looked to heavy and drowning for the wearer to be able to do this. So I decided first of all to slash into one side to create a slightly slanted shape for ease of moveability and to lighten it. The next thing to consider was the ways in which the wearer would control the cape. Previously as a group, me, Kim and Naomi had discussed that each cloak would have a series of elasticated arm bands. This way the wearer would have complete control of its movements and would also create extra security of staying fastened. 

As the in the design the cloak is quite heavy looking and more closed over than the others I decided that eyelets / tie rope would be a nice way to finish it and  for it to be fastened. This is the result...

The only thing left that I want to do with it is to stitch down some of the fabric sections more and to add some barnacles which were previously made in the Breathe Club sessions.

This wasn't the only Breathe work I managed to produce this week. For this part of the unit it had be stated as a requirement that we needed to produce a bod of work for assessment. A lot of us in the group were very worried and distressed about the content/ extent of the 'body of work'. As a result had individual tutorial with our tutors to come to an understanding of what we needed to produce for assessment. It had been decided that along side this cloak I'd need to make a second smaller cloak which another girl was meant to make but hadn't had the time. This is the design...

From the design I could see that this cloak was a lot smaller in length and in width; only going half way across the back. After establishing this I drew up a pattern, similar to the last one but half the size,cut it out of fabrics available, machine stitched it together and then took it to the dye room to dye it the same rusty colours as the other cloaks.  Once dried I began work on it straight away. Having done it previously I was fully aware of how lengthy it could be to made such a patch work style cloak. However this time I came up with a systematic/ time efficiently cutting method for the patches in order to use my time left effectively. 

This is the result at the end of the first day... 

Costume Store - Victorian Blouse

On Thursday my fabric arrived at uni from the supplier just in time for my next costume store working day on Friday. I was a little worried that I'd be majorly behind on Friday as the vast majority of the class had recieved their fabric on Wednesday meaning they could have cut out, tacked and started on their blouses by now. However on Friday I was quite surprised, and mildly pleased, that half the class were in my situation and the other half had barely got anywhere with drafting their pattern. Now in a more positive mind set I began to prepare to myself for tackling the blouse.

My fabric, previously mentioned, was silk cotton (bleached agre)  in neutral soft colours of cream, brown etc. It seemed a really unusual choice of fabric for a blouse due to its strange texture and thickness. It reminded me of parchment paper and the natural weft of the fabric produced a pattern lightly wall paper like. It was very different to everyone else's floral/plain/thin striped fabric, which I quite liked. After ironing my fabric, folding it to the salvage and pinning down my pattern pieces, I set to work cutting out the sections of my blouse.This how I started off...

Whilst the fabric was folded salvage-to-salvage pin the pattern pieces down. Draw on the pattern require of the separate pieces and add on a 2.5cm seam allowance on each one.

Sew up all the darts; 4 on the back piece and the 2 on each of the front pieces. After this is done press the darts flat; darts on the back being pressed towards the center back and the darts on the front pieces being pressed towards the center front. Pressing them in these directions will help them to stay flat when worn/ applied to the body.

Now start on the sleeves. Cut along the incision line at the bottom of the sleeve. You'll need to bind this to create as smooth finish/ stop spreading a tear. From the top side sew your binding along the cut you've made making sure when you reach the point to stop the sewing machine, pivot the needle and then sew downwards. Fold the binding, press and top stitch down. On the inside of the sleeve make a small at the top of the incision/binding. This means you can pull the points over each other giving a better finish (flatter...).

Sew the seams together and press open/flat.

At the bottom of the sleeve fold the pleats and pin in place. Next pin the cuff down from one point of the cuff opening to the other, pinning over the pleats. Sew the cuff down and then fold over to top stitch. Top stitch down, press and then top stitch around all the cuff.

At this point I've now managed to construct both sleeves ready for attachment, buttons, embellishment and the darts in the main body of the garment. The next area I need to address is the organza pleated yoke and collar of the blouse which I will begin during the next assisted costume store session in the studio. 

Breathe - Hunters

Today's session was spent continuing the textile work I'd started previously on the hunter cloak. After consulting with Kate any preferences of leather/fur/suede combinations she had for this cloak I set to work experimenting with the resources available.

I found it really difficult to begin with working with the leather/suede combinations chosen when layering they with the more netted, layered, textured layer I'd started previously. The shapes I cut just seemed too smooth, bulky and focused. It resulted in me becoming very frustrated and stressed out, needing to take 5mins out and refocus on what I wanted to achieve. Out of my frustration I ripped some paper near by on the desk. Looking at the shapes I'd made I then took these and played with them, lying them in the cloak when flat on the ground. I inspired me to get looser with how I was treating the fabrics available to me, cutting out rough/jagged sections of fabric to play around with in layers. The result was this...

So far I'm really pleased with the appearance of the cloak due to this combination of layering, colours and fabric. It's resulted in the cloak looking very wild and textural, qualities I wanted to aim to achieve. 

I'm almost half way through layering all over my very large cloak, and despite being pleased with its progress  I still think it looks a little primitive at the moment. Once done I'd like to develop it a little further through breaking it down to give a more sophisticated appearance.  

Breathe - Hunters

After making the base cloak and dying/painting it base colours to work on the next task to tackle was to begin the fabric layer segments. Kate had decided specific leathers and furs she'd like us to work into each design but we were a little lost with how to start approaching the more rough, course layer. 

Luckily Grace approached us with a textile sample she'd made previously. It was a very simple but really effective textile sample of which she'd layered different textured, loosely woven fabric and embroidered together with circle stitches to look like barnacles and keep with the ocean tie to the piece. The end result looked great; really worn, textural and ruggered. We all decided to take this sample on board and try it on a large scale over our cloaks for the more layered/ textural layer.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get started on this until my cloaked had dried from the dye painting I'd done on it so I had to wait to get started on this during the 'Breathe Club' evening on the following Wednesday. As soon as I got started the technique felt very easy, fast and effective for what we were aiming to achieve. I really got into trying out the various layers, distressing some to give it a more worn out, battered look. As if the cloak had been through harsh times/environments. Although embroidery with machines isn't my strongest point it didn't seem to matter for this. The slightly off shapes holding bits in place gave an edge to its detailing; ethic style. I even began to experiment trapping some of the barnacle being made during the workshops in the layers to give its detailing a more 3D appearance. I was quite pleased with the end result for the top layer and the progress its made so far..... 

** Front View

** Back View

** Close Up 

Costume Store - Victorian Blouse

Today we were briefed on the final garment we'd be constructing for costume store; a Victorian blouse. Just like with the shirt there was a possible 3 blouses we'd be working from, and we'd be need to construct them in different sizes to each other. The blouse I'd be required to make was blouse 1.

**View of front of blouse

** Side view of blouse

** Back view of blouse

** Close up of front of blouse; pleated yolk detail

I was then informed that the size I'd be required to construct my blouse in was a size 16 and I'd be using a silk cotton (agra bleached) as the main fabric for the blouse, organza for the pleated detailing and lace for all the trimmings in a mixture of creamy colours. Unfortunately my main fabric hadn't arrived yet so I couldn't actually start the construction of the garment. To start off I did as I had previously done with the other two garments and examined the example garment and the pattern provided. The overall look of the garment was quite structured compared to the other two blouses. The shape is quite fitted due to the use of darts at the waist in the front and back pieces. Even the sleeves were quite fitted to the body (no gatherings etc). Due to the sharpness of the basic shape it doesn't appear too difficult to construct compared to the other two blouses. The main focal and time consuming point will certainly be the pleated detailed yoke/bib at the of the blouse. This will no doubtingly require time, patience and precision in order to achieve perfect symmetry. 

Since I wasn't able to make a start with my blouse I turned my attention back to my breeches. Since my last blog I'd managed to make quite a bit of progress with the construction of them. All I had left to do was to attach the waistband and finish off all the hand sewing needed to conceal any raw edges etc. I'd actually really enjoyed the construction of the breeches. It was a good challenge I think I needed as a costume maker in order to develop my construction/ problem solving skills and confidence in making. The hardest part I found was the flap construction at the beginning. I'd cut too far into the line needed to attach the yoke so found it difficult to get the pointed detailing to sit flat/correctly. I've taken this into account as a learning curve/ experience to remember the next time I'm faced similar construction situation. 

By the end of the session all that is left to do is to sew on the buttons to the breeches...

Breathe - Hunters

Leaving aside the Jesters for one moment I decided to focus a little bit on the 'Hunters'. I'd been given the task of making on the Hunters cloaks which needed to be quite textural and structural. I'd be working along side Naomi, Kim and Danielle to make the cloaks. The Breathe girls had told us that they wanted the capes to be different but work along side each other, like a unit, but still be individual despite all the design looking a like.
This is the design I'd be making a cloak for...

We decided as a team that the first thing we needed to do is make a base layer/cloak for each one to then be worked upon in slightly different ways. To do this we started doing some research in pattern books for ways to construct cloaks/ collars. By mid afternoon we'd all decided that the best approach would in fact be using a pattern similar to a skirts one which is made up of quarterly sections. From this we drafted a basic pattern that we used systematically (adjusting in length for each cloak design) to produce each cloak time efficiently. 

Since we all worked as a team to make the cloak bases the easy part was over and done with quite quickly. The next task was to make sure the cloak draped appropriately on a mannequin before preparing to have a group discussion with the designers and Adele our tutor. 

During the meeting we began to share ideas of how each of us had a vision of the final outcome and how we develop the ideas into a successful conclusion. We all agreed that the inside of the cape would have concealed arm band that the wearer could easily slip into/out of so that they would have control of the cape at all times instead of being downed in a mass of fabric. We also spoke of the different textural qualities Kate (the designer) wanted to achieve. She spoke of how her inspiration had come from Indians etc but soon was drawn onto another path after we all spoke of warriors such as the Vikings. To me this seemed much more of a logical source to use for inspiration considering the theme, resources available and idea for how to style/ fix the cloak at the end. 

After leaving the meeting I began to research images of the Vikings to source inspiration for how to fashion the cloak. Many resources inclined that they would have worn heavy woollen clothing in order to stay warm (including cloaks, tunics, trousers etc) all secured in place with metal brooches. Baring that in mind and looking at visual references I came up with this kind of look.. 

** Front view

*** Side View

*** Back View

This type of design was all done by pinning so when it's complete it could be pinned and then stitched in place. The next job to do will be to dye the base cloaks autumnal/ war like shades of reds/browns so to keep the unity amongst the designs and provide a more interesting base to work with on top and be visible underneath.. 

Costume Store - Breeches

As soon as I was able to I cut my top fabric, whilst backed to the lining pieces I'd previously cut, and tacked them together in order to begin to construction of the garment.

Afterwards those of us who were making a pair of breeches sat down as a group to examine the sample breeches provided to by Dexter. By doing this we began to discuss the possible order of its construction and the specific ways it might have been put together eg; slip stitching, top stitching etc. It was clear that to see that the order of its construction would have to be considered specifically before we began making it. It had a few elements which could prove to be a hassle if neglected and set how efficiently I worked on this garment eg; pockets, yokes, waistband etc.

From our group discussion we all agreed that the first thing we'd each have to tackle would the front of our breeches; the front flap. It seemed to be the most complex piece of the garment and would have to be pristinely finished because it is the focal point of the garment. We then all agreed that the next thing we'd have to tackle would be the pockets. Examining the pockets, then doing a little research (and from my own knowledge) it seemed to me the breeches required a small 'Welt Pocket' and a 'Western Pocket', a pocket commonly found on jeans/trousers.

Before actually diving straight into the construction of the breeches I felt I need confirmation that the ideas we'd had as a group for how the garment would be made was correct. We all spoke to Dexter together clearing up any confusion and being reassured that our instincts had been correct on must things. Upon hearing this I was very pleased with the progress I'd felt I'd personally made in the last few weeks. Normally I'd have no idea how to construct something without look at 'step-by-step' guides and following every way possible. However now I felt a lot more comfortable constructing a garment by examining an example garment first to try and figure out its construction before consulting the instructions provided/tutor. It feels like I'm beginning to progress my skills and confidence as a maker, making my eye for detail more sharp/accurate and focused. 

Breeches Instructions;

• To begin I first sewed up the centre front of the breeches, pressed the fabric and pressed open its seam allowance. Next I cut down the central lines marked tacked inside the pointed details on the front of the piece. This would then release the flap. The cut down this central mark tacked line is the length of the yoke.
• Make lining for the flap and attach to the top of the flap going 'right-side-to-right-side'

• Next prepare the yolk. This is done by sewing down the front part of the flap and along the bottom of it. Trim seam allowance and then bag the piece out. 
• Pin down the other edge of the yoke to the mark tack on the edge of the flap line cut made on the garment piece, top fabric ONLY. Machine sew this down

*** When pulled over with top fabric facing up should look like this

• Attach the lining to the garment piece by slip stitching and concealing the inside raw seam edge

***  Now return to the front flap of the breeches and continue to attach the decorative strap/pointed detailing

• Pin down the detailed strap against the other mark tacked line on the front flap (next to the one originally cut down to release the flap). Sew all the way down past the cut point matching up the mark tackings
• Next fold the flap around and then press. Tack all of it in place for precision (especially to obtain a good sharp point detail) and when happy with its position slip stitch in place. 
• Slip stitch the yoke to this detail on the inside.

Breathe - Workshop 1)

The first bit of problem solving I have to tackle in this part of SDP is creating a workshop on how to create the skirts for the 'Jester' characters. There are 5 skirts to make, a fairly large amount for us to create. Here is an example of a costume with the skirt element...

As a group we looked at the designs, analysed them and began to think of ways to construct bits and pieces used to customise the base costumes. We thought that the collars and the skirts had a fun, wacky patch work quality to them. The skirts looked quite simple, just attached to one side of the base costumes trousers. We all agreed that it would be probably best to use the 'Breathe Club' Wednesday evenings to our advantage for these aspects of the costume due to the amount needed to be made. After speaking with our supervisors it was agreed that the collars and skirts would be done next Wednesday (18th April) as a workshop exercise. I would come up with a workshop session for the skirts.  

The construction of the skirts must be straight forward, quick and easy to make due to our time frame but also baring in mind that some of the volunteers working amongst us will be disabled. After trying a few different techniques to make a patch work skirt the best method I thought and tested was a weaving method. The result looked like this... 

I did it by simply using a combination of trimmings and recycled strips of cut plastic bags. Here is how I did it...

• Pin a selection of trimmings downwards along a length of ribbon. Make sure main ribbon is long. Repeat on second ribbon.
• Machine sew down the two lengths of ribbon so both strips have the trimmings attached. Then machine sew both the main ribbons together so the trimmings criss cross each other.
• Take the first ribbon running lengthways and weave it under and over the ribbons running downwards. Repeat this action with the next ribbon lengths ways but in an opposite weave. Keep alternating the weave pattern until all ribbon lengths are woven.
• Pin the final woven ribbons in place. 
• Add a final ribbon running downwards and machine sew it to the ends to secure the weave. 
• Machine sew length ways along the final woven ribbon.
• Leave the ends of the ribbons/trimmings at different lengths and loose.

It was very simple and fast to construct. It could then either be top stitched to the base costume trousers or attach a channel at the top so could be threaded with a belt. The end result is quite fun/ vibrant and could be then worked into by others with paint etc. breaking it down for a more 'earthy' appearance of the 'Breathers'. I also liked how easy it was to incorporate different types of materials such as fabrics and plastics to create a clash between textures and colours. To me it seems like a good interpretation from the design. My next step is to show the sample to the supervisors and see their response and if its suitable for a workshop.

Breathe (2)..

After returning back from Easter we had our second 'Breathe' meeting for this unit of my SDP. By this time all the designs for the production had been finished and finalised so we were allocated our designs and teams we'd be working in.

Here are some examples of the designs/ groups...

I will be working on bits and pieces for all there of these groups. For the 'Jesters' I will be working along side 3 other students to make hats, collars, skirts, breeches and sleeves. There is a lot of work for these costumes so we began discussing various ways we can produce the custom elements for the base costumes quickly, effectively and efficiently. We thought that elements such as the collars could be done during workshop run sessions for the 'Breathe Club' being held after studio practise time on Wednesday evenings. Myself and one other student decided we'd work together to come up with a workshop plan as a solution. More complicated aspects would be tackled during our Thursday studio sessions...

The other 2 students I'm working with for the 'Hunters were absent during this session so we didn't get a  chance to have a discussion for how to tackle the design work. However I did come up with a few ideas which I spoke with my supervisors to. They were ideas on certain materials we might use, textile processes etc. The main elements of these designs are the cloaks and the headdresses. They want a more structured, layered appearance so lots of problem solving will be needed for these costumes. As well as working as part of a team in this unit for hand in we will have needed to have constructed our own individual element of a costume(s). I got the choice of which 'Hunter' character to focus on as well as helping with team pieces/ workshops. For this design I will focus on construction the cloak..

I was also going to focus making on a pair of breeches for a 'Jester' costume however another student in the third year wanted to help so she will now be doing this. I was then asked if I'd help make a skirt for one of the 'Rebels'. I really like the design for this so I wasn't unhappy about the swap. For this design there was talks of using lots of recycled plastics as well as other types of materials. This is something quite different and quirky from what I'm used to working with so I'm quite excited to take on the challenge.... 

Now having the designs and seeing what we've got to work with I'm a lot more motivated and enthusiastic towards the project. It's something very different from what I've worked on previously in other units and from the costume store side of SDP. Instead its very creative and inventive. I think it'll develop my creativity as a costume maker further, challenging me in ways to construct garments and using materials I'd never thought. Already it's helping me to work as a team player and as a leader when thinking of possible workshops to run in the 'Breathe Club'....