Breathe

As part of SDP the costume store project is also joined with another on going project linking to 'Battle for the Winds'. This project with called 'Breathe'. The costumes for this production were a collaboration of the designers from second year costume students and finalised by professionals. 

We we briefed about the project in the first week of SDP were we talked through the costumes concepts etc. It had been decided that performers in the production were being divided up into 6 different groups; 

• Jesters
• Rebels
• Hunters
• Collectors
• Builders
• Elders

Each of these groups would have individual costumes uniting them as different collectives/ 'tribes'. However as they are all 'Brethers' the individual costumes would be built upon a base costume to unite them as a whole. 

The base costume is comprised of a dyed t-shirt and trousers which are then reworked with paint and then customised for the different performer groups.

Example of base costumes... 

We were treating the first sessions of Breathe as a warm up team building session and to really get to grips of what the project would entail. For the first day we were trying to get as much of the base costumes completed ready for next term.

As the session drew on it became obvious that the project as a whole was far too big for the third year students alone to handle. Myself and the costume store students were originally angry and confused as to why we had been forced upon the project when we'd decided it wasn't something we wanted to do. However, as more of the information about the project was given to us and the more we learnt what we'd be involved in it became more of an attractive opportunity to develop confidence, team work, textile and perhaps construction skills. 

Costume Store - Shirt

To begin the construction of the shirt I first examined the example garment provided by Dexter. By doing so I could familiarise myself with all the seams and other construction techniques used to assemble the garment. It was made clear to us that the majority of the unit would be done independently. This is so to develop my awareness of garment construction as a maker to a higher standard; noting important little details, being able to figure out construction order and confidence. 

Once I had an idea of how to construct the garment; gather stitches used in certain places, assembling order etc. I spoke to Dexter to confirm and have corrected my self thought instructions. From then on it seemed like the construction of the shirt would be fairly straight forward and simple however there were a few problems I experienced. 

The first problem came when I had to attach the placket at the front of the garment. Unfortunately I'd snipped into the front of the shirt were the placket folded through an opening too far. The snip kept stretching forming a tear in the garment. It took me quite sometime to manoeuvre the placket then into an appropriate position so the tear would be covered and not spread any further. From this experience I knew I'd have to be a lot more careful with any incisions needed when constructing garments. To be a good maker I need a keen eye for detail so I can't afford to keep making little mistakes such as this one.

The next dilemma I faced was to do with the sleeve. Myself and another girl making the same shirt noticed that the heads on the sleeves of the example shirt had been gathered all the way around. However we'd been previously told by Dexter to only gather at the head point. To find a solution I did a bit of research into sleeve construction and period garment wear. It became apparent that we should follow the advice given by the tutor and not to follow the example shirt. Having gathers all the way around the sleeve head would make it quite bulky/ voluminous, especially if gathered at the front. The historical research (images, patterns) indicated the shirt was gathered just at the eye of the sleeve head. Once this problem had been resolved I continued with the construction.

I carried on putting the cuffs on, overlocking etc the shirt until I encountered another problem with the shirt with the other girls constructing it. When it came to the collar it turned out the piece we'd cut according to the pattern was too large to fit the neck hole. It became too late in the day to figure out a solution to the problem however Dexter agreed to help us resolve the matter another time. This problem made me realise that I should have checked the pattern properly with the other girls who were working with it. If we'd done so we would've been able to fix the problem sooner and carry on completing the shirt. This is a valuable lesson though to have learnt; as a maker always check the patterns you've been given to work from. Especially if you haven't drafted them yourself...

Research example 1)

The Start of my Self Directed Project aka SDP..

Having just handed in my CIC; Battle for the Winds project for assessment I can now start to think about working towards. This project was enjoyable at times to work upon and at others time consuming and testing/ frustrating. It gave me a chance to expand my knowledge and skills of textile techniques, devices and crafting skills (knitting). I was also a big eye opener for me just how independently each maker was expected to work , the standard expected of my work and the importance of time keeping. 

For this project I'm baring all the lessons I've learnt in mind in order to push myself to achieve the highest standard of work possible which will be eventually reflected from my grade. Time keeping, motivation and accuracy will be the key to success for my Self Directed Project.

At the start of the week the year group as a whole was introduced to this unit with a brief presentations on 'Learning Agreements' and 'Work Planning'. When reflecting on my past efforts with CIC my time planning for my work was poor. As a result I let my standards slide which reflected on my work. This is something I'm very keen not to do again with this unit. 

Later in the afternoon I had my briefing. The area I've decided to focus on is 'The Costume Store'. This will involve creating a collection of garment for the AUCB costume store to be used at various times/ purposes. The weeks of the project will be divided into working time for different garments;

Weeks 1& 2;

- An Edwardian Shirt

Weeks 3, 4 & 5

- 18th Century Breeches OR Waistcoat

Weeks 6, 7 &8 

- Victorian Blouse

The construction of each garment will be done in a simulated workroom environment and each of the garments will be a test of my construction skills; accuracy, neatness and precision. 

I was allocated shirt 3 out of the 3 possible options. This is a standard Edwardian shirt in the style of a 'Pie Crust Shirt' ..

I will be making this along side 2 other girls. In order to be time efficient  we're learning to work as part of a team; helping each other to figure out the ways the shirt could've been constructed , cutting out of top fabric in a systematic way etc. I've learnt a valuable lesson from another shirt team who's pattern wasn't correct to begin with. They instantly started cutting top fabric without examining the pattern only to discover its errors. Mistakes like this can be costly in terms of money and production time. From now on, any pattern I've been given to work on will be double checked to prevent any potential mistakes. 

Dexter, the tutor for this unit, then gave us the first stage of instructions for constructing my shirt. So far this week I've been working at a steady pace and almost finished the first stage of the shirt. I've been taking my time and treating the garment with care and as a result have achieved a neat, crisp and accurate piece so far. This has made me motivated for the up and coming weeks and given me an idea of the pace and standards to work at and excel. 

Tasks for the week; 

• Complete the write up of my 'Learning Agreement'
• Write an 'Action/Work Plan'
• Complete Shirt up to instructions given
• Background research on shirt
• Continue CIC/ Battle for the Winds

Bibliography

Belange – Grafton, P. (1993). Victorian women's fashion cuts - 277 different copyright-free designs printed one side. Dover. New York

 Bradfield, N. (1989). Costume in Detail 1730 - 1930.  London, Harrap.

Davis, R. I. (2000). Men's 17th & 18^th century costume, cut & fashion - patterns for men's costume. Players Press

Ginburg, M. (1982). Victorian dress in Photographs. Batsford. London

Grey, M. (2008). Textiles Translations: Mixed Media. UK, d4daisy Books Ltd.

Rushton, P. (1999). 18^th Century Costume in the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside. National Museums and Galleries Merseyside. Liverpool

Stewart-Jones, H. (1998). Rocks, shells, fossils, minerals & gems – the complete collectors companion.UK, Grange Books plc.

Styles, J. (2007). The dress of the people : everyday fashion in eighteenth-century England. Yale University Press. London

Grey, M. (2008). Textiles Translations: Mixed Media. UK, d4daisy Books Ltd.

SDP Learning Agreement

The project that I have decided to take over the next 9 weeks for SDP is 'The Costume Store'. The project will involve me producing a total of 3 finished garments from different time periods. The garments will be an Edwardian shirt, a Victorian blouse and a pair of full frontal breeches or a waistcoat.

As part of 'The Costume Store' I will also working on the 'Breathe' project. This is linked on from our previous CIC project of 'Battle for the Winds'. The 'Breather's' are inhabitants from the beach of Weymouth in the production of 'Battle for the Winds'. As part of the 'The Costume Store' I will be working with 3^rd year designers to help make and complete the ensemble of costumes used for the production in the summer. The costumes will be constructed from a base costume then reworked into the designs. This will be done over a number of Thursday daytime sessions at uni and during the evening at the 'Breathe Club'.

I decided that as a maker this project would be the most beneficial for me to work on instead of the other options given for a few reasons. There hadn't been a great deal of sewing needed for my previous project in CIC so I felt very inadequate as a maker compared to my fellow students. This project would present me with enough time to practise and refine my construction skills already learn and help to develop them to a higher standard in preparation for next year (level 6).

I also believe that the project will help to boost my confidence and in my work and capability as a maker to work more independently, seeking advice only when 100% necessary. The project is being run just like a professional environment without consistent help on hand. Instead it'll help me to be logical with construction methods, examining the example garments present, examining the patterns, researching construction methods and working with others as a team to produce a finished garment. This will be valuable again for level 6 as I'll have to be much more independent with my work.

Furthermore I see this as an ideal opportunity to help boost my portfolio. As I haven't been involved with many construction projects during my study time this will be an excellent chance to produce a new body of work for my professional portfolio to show potential employers after graduation.

Although the 'Breathe' aspect of the project wasn't originally part of 'The Costume Store' I still believe it'll be beneficial for my development as a costume maker. It's another opportunity to work on a live project and work as a member of a production team similar to the type of work I might expect to endure in industry and in the next year of my degree.

For assessment I'm aiming to produce as part of 'The Costume Store' 3 finished garments of a high standard. The garments will be a Victorian blouse, an 18^th century pie-crust shirt and either a pair of frontal breeches or a period waistcoat. From the 'Breathe' aspect of the project I'm aiming to help rework and create as many garments for the production as possible. Both my work from 'The Costume Store' and 'Breathe' will then be recorded, discussed and reflected upon in my online blog and final written evaluation.

Battle for the Winds

To kick start this blog I thought I'd let you know a little about myself and what I've currently been doing...

Recently I've been working along side my fellow student on a project called Battle for the Winds. The costumes were based on different counties in the South and had been each assigned different colours of the rainbow. The costume makers were then divided at random into different counties and each assigned a unique character to construct a costume for. 

For this project I was given the county Dorset. Dorset's theme was that of nautical, gnarled, decaying sea folk, linking it to its heritage of ports, fishering etc. The character I was assigned to construct a costume for was the 'Polo Neck Wind Gatherer'. 

During the course of the project I've had some up and downs, learnt some new skills and techniques to be applied to future projects. The costumes still have some work to do over the next couple of weeks but so far the out comes are looking amazing, communicating not one the designs concept and character but working well as a group.