Electronics

I had planned to attach LED lights to this sample with conductive thread as another way of incorporating light in the linen, but I accidentally broke the unit and there's no time to replace it

mono-filament and neon lace

Shape making with the swaddling band

Kay's Practical Embroiderer

Experimenting with layers of colour on another vintage embroidery template, I like the effect but it's a slow process. I prefer the colour mix on the template than after it's cut when the metallic colour is lost. I'd like to try this technique using the multi head.

Large flower template with satin stitch in neon green and pink and pale blue natesh floss, on pale blue organdie.

Satin stitch cut before template is removed.

After the template is removed.

watercolour flowers

Delphiniums

Lavender

Scabeous

Sea Holly

Beading, sequins and Kay's Practical Embroiderer

I'm looking for ways to embellish the pockets I'm making.

Postcard List of Artists

Somehow we forgot to make a list of the artists against the postcard number 

so I've done it retrospectively to upload to the blog.

(6 hours)

Materials Review

My materials review was an important turning point for me in recognising
the importance of using more colour in my work. Words to describe my materials were
textured, sculptural, folded, detailed, bright and embellished. 

• Research fashion designers who use bright colours and technology.

Postcard Exhibition Finale Night!

The fund raising was far more successful than I anticipated, I was hoping for £500 

and it looks nearer £1500! It definitely makes it worth all the hard work although I am conscious 

that it has been a major distraction from my practical work. Administration is still far more familiar 

to me than being creative, which I hope will change in due course.
(15 hours)

Updating the final bid list.

Explaining the payment procedure to bidders.

One of four payment tables.

Tutorial with Alice Kettle

Discussed my dissatisfaction with my multi head work, which is very tight. Also talked about the swaddling band idea that I want to make for the Work in Progress exhibition but haven't much time to do.

• impose my hand on the work, find a lyricism 
• open up stitches, Alice to give demo next week
• look at fabric manipulation file

Photographing glow in the dark samples

After Make It Look Good: Photographing Your Own Work, at Waterside Arts Centre 

I borrowed an AV store camera but the image below was the best I came up with 

so I've booked a photographic session with technical assistance at Fred Aldous.

Dye Lab Induction

I may want to dye my own fabrics for the garments I make.

Burn tests to identify fibres above, viscose below, to decide appropriate dyestuff and method.

 Washing cloth after weighing it, before dying.

Weighing dyestuff in the laminar flow extraction booth to prevent inhalation.

Drawing and Deconstruction

I enjoyed drawing this shirt but not deconstructing something so beautifully made.

Man's shirt, labelled The Saville Row Company, from Oxfam Chorlton.

The white stitched line on the pocket is a simple, under stated detail.

Curating 5.8 x 4.1 Exhibition

Curating an exhibition takes a lot of time and head space! In collaboration with Katie and Chloe, and in liaison with the technician responsible for Holden Gallery Cafe, below is a list of things I've been doing:

• Bid box, plinth and bid form
• Gallery signage, poster wording and printing
• Press release to Manchester Evening News and MMU
• Student sign up list of jobs for finale night
• Finale night payment and wrapping table notices, receipts
• Reorganising furniture in gallery
• Cash float
• Drinks for finale night

 We curated 160 postcards, which looked much more impressive all together and I felt very happy with the result. I used neon threads to add light to my linen postcard. (20 hours work experience)

Postcard dilemmas

The quality of some of the donated postcards e.g. smudged work, wax crayon and naive appliqué, led to a discussion with Katie and Chloe about whether some should be left out. I felt strongly that everything should be included even though we wondered if more established artists would object to having their work shown alongside such a broad ability range. We also had several mass produced artists' postcards, signed by the artist, which didn't really fulfil the original work criteria.

We decided to include everything and I tried to address these issues in the gallery poster;
The exhibition includes work by professional and self-taught artists and we have been touched by the generosity of people wanting to support us on our creative path.

Essay Research

I met with Miles Lambert Senior Manager at Platt Hall Gallery of Costume about Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Hussein Chalayan and Isabel Toledo. He said they all, "look beyond the constraints of fashion," and this is what interests me about their clothes.

Black stretch pleated polyester dress Issey Miyake  2001/02

 Black crepe cocktail dress Hussein Chalayan 2005/06

I also visited the pattern book archive and found a beautiful fabric sample book by Junichi Arai who co-founded Nuno Corporation with Reiko Sudo. 

One sample was folded giving a watery effect and many had metal content.

Portfolio Lecture - Contemporary Craft Practice

Interesting to hear about the MA course but if I were to do an MA 

it would be to gain further skills in my practice.

Swaddling bands

This swaddling band has a detailed, embroidered edge and the way it's laid out creates a lovely flowing line. Jesus was wrapped in linen bands at birth and in death I'm wondering if I could incorporate this idea with my flax designs.

Linen swaddling band Museum of Childhood

Hannah Leighton-Boyce - Lecture

I really loved Hannah's drawings, the raggedy lines and edges 

recording her movements as she walked, beautifully presented.

Visit to Special Collections

I especially liked the designs with a grid or fold line in the Japanese decorated papers from the Schmoller Collection and think I may try to incorporate this into my flax design. 

I'm also thinking about doing some pleat dying in the dye lab.

This one reminded me of my flax pod drawing

Below are examples of pleat dyed papers