well... ive began my trend boards and ive been trying to keep calm and not to get frustrated about using photoshop the truth is at first it was driving me crazy! but i have gradually learnt some skills...... i think! i started completing my gothic board and im quite pleased with it so far but beacuse im new to photoshop i find it pretty time consuming.
One tool that annoys me loads is the lasso- i mean its soo tricky to cut out an image with a really clean line around it beacuse as soon as you start on photoshop you become soooo obsessed with every little line, image and colour and the more you look the more things you find to correct !
But .. the main thing is i think my board has turned out (so far ) slightly better than i thought it would, but that might be beacuse i had a low estimation of what i could do on photoshop !

We had our last lesson of the term and I had my cad session which was really helpful. At first I kept getting behind because I’m not that good with computers but then I kind of got it – Though I think the cad handbook is going to be my bible when I’m doing my trend boards at home !!
We also started making and designing our river island accessory for the competition. My charity shop item was an umbrella and I’m attempting to make a necklace from the metal structure inside but I will see how it goes …

On Thursday I went into town because I felt like I hadn’t been in many designer stores for my trend boards, we decided to ask for any magazines from this season and I was sooooo surprised that I got loads of really good stuff !!

In fact the man in flannels after being really nice and helpful, even ran after us as we went out the store to give us these hardback books with amazing photo shoot pictures inside!! I can safely say I’m going back there every season and requesting him – he was so sweet!!

Today we had to create mood boards surrounding the phrase ‘container culture’- I focused mine around what the human body contained and I really liked putting the images together onto the page. At the end of the day we all looked at each others wok and wrote post- it note comments. My comments were …….

Nice composition like the black and white

Like the mix between black and white and colour

Looks amazing really original

Unique ideas well done Ella!

I was quite pleased with how it came out and I’m looking forward to starting my trend boards. I have cad tomorrow so Photoshop should become clearer and easier to use I hope?!

We are also having a workshop for a river island competition where we have to create a new accessory from charity shop bought items ….. So far I ‘ve bought a dice game and an umbrella, I’m not completely sure what to do with mine yet but I no I want to use the metal rods in the umbrella to form a structure forming a cuff bracelet or something.

I forgot to add- we had feeback about our trend board parctice in class mine was as follows:

• good image choice

• bordering on too much information

• in future avoid hand rendering

We had tutorials last Tuesday and we discussed what we had found from the shops so far. I was quite pleased with the feedback because it helped me focus on what I needed to do this week and keep me going in the right direction .

We got our marks for creative approaches to fashion and I have to admit I was quite disappointed with mine at first. I got 57% which is a 2.2 .(and the average was 60). At first I was quite upset but when I read through my feedback and flicked through my work again I did think well at least I’d know what not to do next time. I’m trying not to get hung up on marks because as long as you pass year 1 marks don't really count, but its difficult. I found it quite hard in a way because the way of marking is so different to A– level art but our tutors already warned us not to be too upset because the way of marking is different and its at a different level. I feel a bit better about it now because I can see what I’ve learnt to do and what not to do. When researching I should have used mainly other sources and not just related to fabric. Then I could relate these shapes to the garment I’m designing. I also should have experimented more with the photograph and considered the angle.Also I think I focused to much on illustrating my work for the mark making task when I should have been experimenting with the type of line etc.
So I guess whatever the result at least I’ve learnt some important stuff from the project!

ok, I haven’t written in a while. I’ve been so much more chilled out since those last two projects have been handed in but I’m so eager to hear what marks I got ?!

For our new project we were set into new groups, which was good because I made friends with some new people – we had to answer the most random questions but it was quite funny. The idea of it was to become more aware of where we could buy materials etc from. Also to teach us not to feel awkward when going into higher end shops. This linked to our new project which is based on trends- I went with some of my flat mates round some shops and we took photos of garments in the changing rooms. Most of my photos came out quite blurry! But it was quite interesting to see some really unique garments in shops I’ve never been in before…… plus it was fun pretending you could afford those items for a day !

here are some of the photos ....

Today i went into college to give in my creative design realistion project - im relieved to have it out the way but at the same time im kind of nervous to see what i get ?! its weird to think thats the first thing ive ever made - im proud that ive made something - and even though it might not be the best made garment ever i think i still learnt so much for the next piece i make.

It was creative approaches to fashion deadline today - it was really relieving to give it in and have it off my mind !! My creative design realistion project is in on friday so i will be able to focus on our new breif soon, which is on tuesday. I can't wait til we get feedback for our projects though - im really interested to see what the tutors thought of my work .

The roles reversed and I got crystal to model my garment - I was going around the concept of a fallen angel - I havent chosen yet which photo to go with but here i some of the choices.....

Today was such a good day -Crystal asked me to model her top for creative approaches - when she first suggested it I was a bit scared but I loved it !She wanted to back comb my hair which was a terrifying thought - I have to admit! But I actually quite liked it. I was like Spiderman!! hanging of scaffolding and the bridge ! I can't believe how much fun I had doing it so I've posted some pics of me risking life and limb in the name of fashion !!!!

Creative approaches update!! I started manipulating my garments in college - at first I was a bit blank but once I began cutting up and unpicking the items to manipulate, it all started to come together. I posted some pictures of my work in process.......

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I haven’t written since reading week so I’ve just posted some new parts of my creative approaches to fashion sketch book and some illustrations . We are starting to manipulate our garments this week so I‘m going to sketch out some final design ideas later.
Really enjoying design realisation at the moment, at first I thought it was all going over my head but I’m finding it really exciting now- next week I am putting together my dress so who knows what will happen?!!
Also i had my first proper illustration class and i loved it - we had to capture an image put in front of us in a certain amount of time ,with different ways of using media - we went from using our left hand to drwaing to the beat of a song, to drawing on eachothers work . I'm quite looking froward to next wednesday .

I did some illustations today, The task set was to draw a friend on different bits of paper, so I took some random pics then did a few sketches ..

I really enjoyed today, we brought in barbies and manipulated fabric upon them and the half scale bodices. I think I created my favourite one on the half scale bodice. Something I learnt today was not to pin into the manikin to much and to pin the fabric to each other, as pinning it to the bodice does not give a true idea of how the fabric will fall. Also pinned to the manikin you can not tell if the whole garment will work as a whole. We went round the room looking at other peoples work and writing comments, comments on my work were as follows :

“love the way you’ve layered the different fabrics ontop of each other, really interesting”

“confident illustration”

“Innovative idea -Don’t forget we to have arms!”

“Really great texture created in this drawing”

“edgy shapes- v good”

“ really like the shapes of the folds with the different materials”

“Like the way it looks fluid”

It was actually really nice to have feedback upon your own work but also to give other people feedback on theirs, suggesting ideas that will help them.
To practice on a larger scale we worked with partners upon a full scale manikin. My partners' word was tied and twisted so it was cool to incorporate that into gathering up. I was really pleased with our outcome, we used the large sheets of paper as a basic starting point for the bottom of the dress then we worked over the shoulders one focusing upon gathered fabrics the other focusing upon tied and twisted then they combined in the middle and across the back .

I went home last weekend ( 4th-5th Oct), it was really good seeing my family and it was nice just to tell them face to face what I’ve been doing and telling them properly about my projects. My mum was really helpful and sent me back up with loads of scrap fabrics to use. On Tuesday we brought ten images into our creative approaches to fashion session and we used the image to create interesting shapes on a model. I think I learnt quite a lot from the lesson, though at first I made the mistake of focusing to much upon my models, wasting time upon faces and putting in background washes, which I was told stops the flow of ideas when your trying to create new and interesting shapes. Next time I will definitely focus more upon the shape and save the model drawing for illustration. I also have decided that my image could have been better and if I had chosen one with actual objects in it I may have been able to create more innovative shapes. However I’m going to take more photographs for my project and then I will do a similar exercise with a more ideal photograph .
I also got two books from the library today they turned out to be really helpful: one is focused upon my chosen designer Hussein Chalayan and the other looks at culture within fashion. In both books I’ve found some really interesting images that I’m going to photocopy and work over.
Friday was actually really interesting as well, I found the work on seams we had done upon the industrial machines, the Friday before quite difficult and it dragged me down a bit. So I had presumed this Friday to be the same but it was so good it got me really excited about design realisation again. We looked at dart manipulation and created step by step samples upon how to do them. I found the whole lesson really exciting and I was really proud of myself for understanding and following it all.

It's saturday and I can't believe that it’s already the end of my first two weeks of university—it’s really weird ! I went job hunting earlier—It’s so hard to find a job here but I’ve given out loads of CVs and got application forms so it should be ok. Whilst looking for shops to ask for vacancies I found this dress in the window of all saints which really fitted in with my creative design realisation project ‘gathering up’. My flatmate and I did all our washing joint which made it so much cheaper then we made tea for the others in our flat. Its really nice because I feel like I’m really settling in now, I feel like my flat has actually become my home. It’s just getting used to a different routine I think.

Today was a really chilled Sunday I read some more of my brief for creative design realisation and I was flicking through all the images I’ve collected through the years that have inspired me from magazines. I thought I might get some inspiration upon what to make for my garment at the end of the module and I have broken it down to four images. I Know I want to make a dress but it’s difficult knowing whether the garment I pick will be to difficult or not, but at the same time I want a challenge !

I've just had critical studies which was so hard to get my head around but really interesting at the same time, we have been set a 700 word essay for Monday so I've started brainstorming. I was really pleased because one of the dresses we have to make comparisons with is Hussein Chalayan's remote control dress, which weirdly is the designer I chose to research for my summer project. I find his work really fascinating because it always has a deeper meaning behind it -its never just a garment. My favourite collection he’s made has to be the alternative catwalk show when the models walked on stage which had chairs and a table on it then they packed up the chairs into suitcase, the covers turned into a dress and the table converted into this amazing teared skirt. The meaning behind it was the idea that people living through war had to take their homes upon their backs literally only keeping the possessions they could carry.

On Sunday I decided to go to the vintage fair in the town hall which I discovered to be an incredible building inside and out. Though I was attempting to stick to my student budget I bought two pieces of jewelry and a vintage purse. As I’m hoping to study Millinery for my elective choice I took photographs of some of the vintage hats. It brought back memories of visiting vintage and antique fairs when I was younger and searching for unique pieces. I like the idea of finding something that very few people have and knowing that the item you have found often has an interesting history behind it. My favorite hat was the one photographed above it had so much detail. The top part of the hat had coiled fabric flowers and feathers which contrasted with the band of netting surrounding it.

On monday we explored a learning styles activity it was weird to see what i thought my learning style was in comparison to the result after the quiz. According to the Questionnaire I have a medium preference to all of the styles, my highest was visual which is what I had expected.
Reading the description it was quite accurate referring to remembering peoples faces and doodling in different coloured pens . However one of the aspects of visual learning
that didn’t fit my personality is having a good sense of direction. I can often see the place I want to go to and the roads leading to it yet I can’t piece together how to get there!

Today I went job hunting and popped into the library on my way back down to my flat, it’s actually a really impressive building. I took some photographs inside of the stairway that was really decorative and archaic. We had our cad induction yesterday which was good because we received our college email and logins and tomorrow we are using the industrial machines ! I’m quite nervous having not used them before. I do feel a bit rubbish because coming from an A level background I haven't had the experience some of the others have creating garments etc. But at the same time I am really excited to learn how to use them and gain a new skill.

It was Brilliant !! Today we used the industrial machines and I was soooo nervous I thought I wasn' t going to be able to control it but actually it was ok after mastering how hard to press the pedal. We followed lines on paper rather than fabric to become familiar with went to start and stop ,following a line. I actually really enjoyed it which in a way will teach me to be excited rather than worried next time we do something new. I'm thinking of getting a domestic sewing machine so I can do samples and experiments at home. It was really cool because we were shown how to stretch a material on the bias so when I got home I was just pulling all my clothes to find they stretch more on the diagonal—I can't believe I never noticed this before !

Today we had a creative design realisation brief which has got me so excited about this module– I can’t believe by the end I’m going to produce a garment , I’m so eager to start learning the stages in production because I haven’t done anything like this before .I think my strengths are probably more around the drawing aspects of the course but it will be interesting to see how I get on because its all so new.

I was particularly inspired by the "testino" dress which cascaded from the waist falling in ruffles of flowery fabric .There was something so beautiful and graceful about it hanging just above the ground from a chandelier. Looking closer I realized that many of the textured petals that made up the top section of the dress were encrusted with Swarovski crystals. Hussein Chalayan who I researched for my summer project, used these crystals in many of his collections.

The window display in Harvey Nichols really captured my imagination also. The display consisted of two manikins; the first wore a dress constructed completely of plastic fruit and vegetables. A strapless prom dress silhouette was created as a trail of fruit curled around the body and gradually hit the ground. The dress on the second manikin ballooned out at the waist(top far left) and was made from neon cocktail umbrellas and straws. I loved that the whole window created such a bold and eye-catching effect whilst using an alternative material to fabric.

My first week at university has been a blur of new experiences. I wanted to attend a university which was a contrast to where I’ve been living for the past 18 years, but I don’t think I could have completely anticipated how different it would really be. After living on a farm in Herefordshire it’s really strange, yet exciting finding myself in a bustling city. Leeds itself, seems huge, everything is created on such a gigantic scale in comparison to what I’m used to. I’ve found myself looking around in all directions attempting to take in the new sights and pacing atmosphere.
I’ll admit I was quite nervous about my first day at college but it turned out that all my flat mates were going to the art and design college as well, which was a relief. I was excited to hear on the first day that we were going on a trip to Manchester the following Wednesday, assigned to capture what we felt represented the city, the people and the fashion. My favourite part of the trip was the Matthew Williamson exhibition, it was presented in such a visually impressive way with some of his designs hanging from the ceiling by tubes of neon light.