Week 4

Monday
Life Drawing
Today we had two sessions of life drawing, we were exploring the use of tone, I found this really interesting. to find out how I got on check out my life drawing posts.

Tuesday
​Pattern cutting technical session
Today we were pattern cutting a top ready for construction on Thursday, we had to pattern cut a bodice, sleeves, collar and a facing, for the bodice we had to draw around the bodice blocks, we had to move the bust darts from the shoulder and waist to the side seam, to do this I used the pivot method that we learnt last week. we then had to box off the bodice to give a boxy finish. 
1/2 scale mannequins
Today we began work on the 1/2 scale mannequins, after our sketchbook workshops last week we were creating the deigns we had made in fabric on the small mannequins. I got to explore the use of gathers and pleats that I have been experimenting with in my sketchbook. I am really pleased with the results from today and look forward to exploring them further on Thursday.

Wednesday
​Visit to the Norwich costume and textile museum
We had our introduction to the museum today, which was really interesting as I got to see a lot of fashion from different historical eras, I am excited to be able to explore this further and use this facility to help me progress in my studies.

Thursday 
Individual tutorial
Today I had my first individual tutorial, I was quite nervous to start with, but I soon settled in and as I have put a lot of work into my sketchbook and experimentation, so I was able to explain my ideas and where I want to take my ideas. I found the feedback really helpful as I now have a better understanding of what I should do next and how to make my work better and more professional. Having never done anything so experimental before it was good to be told I am going about it in the right way and to just keep doing what I am doing, just including more sketches, which I had already planned to do.

Construction of top pattern cut on Tuesday
this afternoon was really productive as I completed the task, we had to insert an invisible zip into the back of the top, make up the bodice and insert the sleeves ready to insert the collar and facing next week. I found the sleeves quite fiddly but using the gathering technique helps make them go in a lot easier, I was very happy to see that all my patterns matched up perfectly and that everything so far fits together. 

1/2 scale mannequins
​I continued with the experimentation on the 1/2 scale mannequins today. I decided to explore the use of shibori and gathers mixed with box pleats that I manipulated into different shapes, I will take my experimentation and work into it to generate more ideas for next week.