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CREATING A [FASHION] COLLECTION PART III

29 Jan

CREATING A [FASHION] COLLECTION PART III:

CROQUIS & SKETCHES

January 29th, 2015

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen for Part III!  I apologize for the delay, but unfortunately life is still kind of hectic for me! (That and I procrastinate sometimes T_T)

~Alizarin


In this post I will be explaining what are croquis, how (ish) to make them, and what can you use them for.

 

CROQUIS: HOW THE HELL DO YOU EVEN PRONOUNCE THAT?

Origin of CROQUIS krō-ˈkē

French, from croquer to sketch, rough out, literally, to crunch

First Known Use: 1805

(Thank you Merriam-Webster dictionary for awesome stuff)

 

In the art world, it’s basically a loose drawing, just enough to get an idea onto paper that you can flesh out later.  They’re also good for practicing basic art skills and loosening oneself up in prep for an art session of any kind. (I don’t honestly do them myself, as I use templates, but I should probably get into the habit of doodling and sketching again….I lose my art skills quite rapidly if I don’t use them for a length of time).

For instance, this drawing, pulled from deviantART user EsbenLash http://esbenlash.deviantart.com/gallery/ is a great example of an art croquis.  (Honestly, they have some pretty damn awesome artwork besides.  Go check them out ❤ )  You basically get the idea that this person is leaping, or dancing, or whatever.  It’s not finished, but you get the jist and can work on it later.


Line Drawing

In the fashion realm (and more often than not if you google “croquis”) croquis just means a body template.  Typically used for anything from drawing clothing lines to flats (the technical term for digitized fashion designs like you see on the back of a sewing pattern). As a side note, flats can be useful to see a more technical approach to your designs once you’ve narrowed them down (but I’m getting ahead of myself here).

 

At the end of this How-To, in the Resources LIst, I added a ton of handy Fashion Illustration books that you may want to look into.  I have many of them myself and it doesn’t hurt to have several different kinds to reference depending on how you learn/what style you like.

http://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/59379

OKAY. NOW WHAT?

OKAY! AWESOME!  We have a basic idea of what a croquis is.  Now what do we do with them and how do we use them?

Easy!

First: we’re going to need a few supplies, depending on your drawing habits:

  • Paper (sketch pad, printer paper, scraps, whatever)
  • Templates (optional; will discuss later)
  • Tracing Paper (optional)
  • Pencils (Mechanical or regular drawing; I prefer a 2H when not using a mechanical)
  • Mood board you worked on earlier or other inspirational pieces you’ve gathered

 

A note on templates: This are easy to acquire or make yourself.  There are several templates you can source from deviantART, Pinterest, Google, or other search engines.

  • For old fashioned paper method- it is good to have tracing paper handy once you print out some templates (or if you’ve drawn your own), that way you don’t have to worry so much about how your figure looks and get down to drawing the clothing right away.
  • For digital art: if you create your template (or trace/modify a template you find online), I suggest making the outlines a light blue and do several per sheet.  This way, if you’d rather do the clothing drawing by hand, you’ll have a lighter line to draw atop of rather than getting confused with a solid black line.
IMG_4541

Example of using a croquis found online. Croquis source: http://basaktinli.deviantart.com/art/Free-Fashion-Bases-2-425928821 P.S. She has quite a few books that look to be very useful resources. I provided links to buy her books in my Resource List. ❤

IMG_4542

Example of hand drawing croquis. They aren’t pretty, but they’re functional. Also, notice all my note scribbles next to each design.

Second: Find a comfy place, and draw!

Sometimes I find going to youtube and searching “inspirational video game/movie score music” gets me into the grove.  Especially with my scale maille.  Depending on the desired amount that you’d like for your collection, it is usually best to draw twice that. For instance, draw 12 or more pieces at least if you’re planning on a 6 piece collection (Honestly, I’d do at least 15~20.  Nice good round numbers haha). The reasoning behind this is so you can get obvious ideas out of the way in order to get to the more creative, original designs floating about in your brain waiting to be drawn.

Also as a reminder, make sure you have that mood board/inspiration page handy! It is very easy to go off track.  While it isn’t terrible that you go off track (sometimes you come up with some pretty awesome designs for future/other collections), it’s always nice to have it near you to refresh your mind what it is you’re trying to build your collection around.

Note: As things like possible fabrics/accessories/things not easily drawn pop into your mind on a particular outfit, make sure to note it somewhere near the garment, using arrows or contrasting colors when necessary.  It’ll help in the long run, especially when you get to the fabrication portion.  You wont have to go “OKay…now -what- was the fabric I was thinking of for this??”

 

Third: Take Breaks, and ask for feedback.

You may not think of it, but taking breaks is actually a decent idea.  It refreshes the mind, and lets you not have to focus on the task at hand (It can get quite daunting.  Believe me.)  This way, you’ll be able to look at your collection with fresh set of eyes and maybe see combinations you didn’t initially think about.

Once you think you’ve exhausted every possible outcome, either take another break, or ask close friends and families what they think.  You don’t have to listen to everything they say (as they may not understand the purpose of your collection to begin with), but the feedback is important.  It’ll help narrow all the designs down to your chosen amount, whether it’s still the same as original thought, or more.

 

FINALIZING: IT’S TIME TO D-D-D-D-Decide! (You thought I was going to say “Duel” didn’t you)

 

Now that you have the feedback you need and all your drawings in front of you, it’s time to narrow the designs down.  This is a moment you have to be realistic with yourself.  You may end up wanting to do a 20 piece collection now that you have all these spiffy ideas, but do you really have the time to do it?  This is especially true if it’s your first collection.  You can always reuse ideas in another way for different collections, so never scrap them!

 

Again, it may be helpful to run by choices with friends and family.  If you explain your theme and ideas, it’ll both help solidify the idea in your mind, as well as help you figure out the best way to write about your collection when it comes time to show them (whether it’s in a show, a fashion spread, etc).

 

When it is all said and done, you should have a pretty good idea of what the collection is going to look like right now.  For me, personally, at this stage is where I like to start making a few flats for my collection.  It helps me further visualize the collection and I can start messing with colors and other various ideas.  Adobe Illustrator is a good vector-based program to use.

 

*~PART IV COMING IN THREE WEEKS: SOURCING FABRICS AND/OR CREATING YOUR OWN FABRIC DESIGNS~*

 

LINKS TO OTHER SECTIONS:

 

RESOURCES:

(Resources used in the post noted by an * )

ONLINE

BOOKS

  • DRAWING/TECHNICAL FLATS
    • *Tahmasebi, Sha. Figure Poses for Fashion Illustrators.  ISBN: 978-1438070490
    • *Watanabe, Naoki.  Contemporary Fashion Illustration Techniques.  ISBN: 978-1592535569
    • *Hagen, Kathryn. Fashion Illustration for Designers (2nd Edition).  ISBN: 978-0135015575
    • *Szkutnicka, Basia.  Flats: Technical Drawing for Fashion (Portfolio Skills: Fashion & Textiles).  ISBN: 978-1856696180
    • *Drudi, Elisabetta; Paci, Tiziana.  Figure Drawing for Fashion Design.  ISBN: 978-9054961505
    • *Park, Aeran.  Workbook for the Fashion Designer.  The Complete Guide to Fashion Illustration.  ISBN:978-0132675819
    • *Tinli, Basak. Complete Fashion Designer’s Guide: Themes, Templates and Illustrations. Buy Here
    • *Tinli, Basak. Fashion Designer’s Guide: 50 Themes, Templates & Illustration Ideas: 20th Century Fashion, Historical Costumes, Sub-Culture Clothing, Categories. Buy Here
    • *Tinli, Basak. Fashion Designer’s Guide: 50 More Themes, Templates & Illustration Ideas: Sports and Activities, Dance Costumes, World Cultures, Sci-fi & Fantasy.  Buy Here
  • DESIGN/HISTORY RESOURCE:
    • Calderin, Jay. The Fashion Design Reference Specification Book: Everything Fashion Designers Need to Know Every Day  ISBN: 978-1-59253-850-8
    • Tortora, Phyllis G.  Survey of Historic Costume A History of Western Dress.  ISBN: 978-1563678066
    • Leach, Robert.  The Fashion Resource Book: Research for Design.  ISBN: 978-0500290354
    • Volpintesta, Laura.  The Language of Fashion Design: 26 Principles Every Fashion Designer Should Know.  ISBN: 978-1592538218
    • Martin, Marcarena.  Field Guide: How to be a Fashion Designer.  ISBN: 978-1592534913
    • Genova, Aneta.  Accessory Design.  ISBN: 978-1563679261
    • Steen, Camille; Lee, Jaeil.  Technical Sourcebook for Designers.  ISBN: 978-1609018566
  • PATTERNMAKING:
    • Armstrong, Hellen Joseph.  Patternmaking for Fashion Design (5th Edition).  ISBN: 978-0136069348
    • Armstrong, Hellen Joseph.  Draping for Apparel Design.  ISBN: 978-1609012403
    • Amaden-Crawford, Connie. The Art of Fashion Draping.  ISBN: 978-1609012274
    • Kershaw, Gareth.  Pattern Cutting for Menswear.  ISBN: 978-1780673196
    • Kiisel, Karolyn.  Draping: The Complete Course.  ISBN: 978-1780672861
    • Kim, Injoo.  Patternmaking for Menswear: Classic to Contemporary.  ISBN: 978-1609019440
    • Knowles, Lori A.  Practical Guide to Patternmaking for Fashion Designers: Juniors, Misses and Women.  ISBN: 978-1563673283
    • Knowles, Lori A.  Practical Guide to Patternmaking for Fashion Designers: Menswear.  ISBN: 978-1563673290
 
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Posted by on January 29, 2015 in How-To

 

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CREATING A [FASHION] COLLECTION PART I

07 Jan

CREATING A [FASHION] COLLECTION PART I:

PICKING A CATEGORY, SEASON, AND RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!

January 7, 2015 ~Alizarin Crimson

Welcome wonderful ladies and gentlemen!  You are here for various reason, but one thing is clear: you have some interest in fashion, or at least interested in creating a collection of something. Since I know more about fashion than some other subjects someone would make a collection for, many of my examples will reflect as such.

I can’t tell you how many parts this series will have right now, but I will try to go in depth as much as possible, with revisions as I go along.  

Each blog post in this How-To series will flow with steps associated with the part’s topic followed by my personal example for each step.  At the end of each post, there will be links to all the other parts (older posts will be edited to include the links to the subsequent parts), as well as a list of resources for further reading/researching (these links may have already been included in the how-to, but it will be categorized in a more easily looked format ❤ ).

~Alizarin

I will tell you straight out, making a collection, if you’re truly serious about it, takes a lot of work, research, and thought.  It may come easier to some people, but that doesn’t mean they do less work – if anything, they’ve done more.

*~In this blog post, I will cover the beginning formative aspects of your collection.  Please also note, my way going about a collection is not the only way, but perhaps it will work for you~  Feel free to message me at any time if you would like help (or you just aren’t following the way I’m explaining something).~*

 

NOTE: Depending on your workflow, or where you are in the process, you may not do these steps in the same order.  (I jump around all the time myself.)  If you don’t have anything to start with, follow the steps, and revise as you go along!

NOTE 2: I apologize now if something doesn’t make much sense.  If you have trouble following along, or need more visual references, please contact me and I’ll try to explain it better!

 

Now on to the damn tutorial!

STEP 1: DECIDE ON WHAT TYPE OF COLLECTION YOU WANT

This part is pretty important, in my opinion.  Chances are, you already have your answer, but it’s have you written it down yet?  No?  You should go do that.  Like right now.

The reason why this is important is that an accessories collection is going to look vastly different in approach compared to a menswear collection.  You don’t have to set this choice in stone, as you may change once you do more research – good word of advice: be adaptable.

Some ideas for collection types:

  • Fashion:
    • Daywear
    • Evening Wear
    • Menswear
    • Outerwear
    • Athletic Apparel
    • Women’s
    • Childrens
    • Evening wear
    • etc.
  • Accessories:
    • Shoes
    • Bags
    • Jewelry
    • Hats
    • Eyewear
    • Hosiery
    • Belts
    • Gloves
    • Glasses
    • etc.

Of course this list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a good place to get you to start thinking.  For more general areas such as menswear and women’s wear, make sure you also choose specifically what it is you want to work on – such as casual, dresses, evening wear, etc.

Searched for “lookbook.” Pretty sure there is a lot of work that went into this student’s collection Credit: http://fashion.parsons.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011-bfa-fashion-design-womens/Maya-Kurz.jpg

*~Personal Experience: TYPE~*

For the length of this how-to series, I will also be building my own collection, therefore providing you with examples for each step.  (To be honest, I just need a swift kick in the butt to finally get in gear and do my collection for this year, so this is to help me get that motivation)

 

I’ve been thinking about making a collection for about a year now, slowly narrowing it down to a specific category.  Most of my research has only been done within the last two months, though (usually to kill time during break in my classes at NWTC haha).  So far I’ve gotten to the point of it being a Women’s Wear collection, with either more of a gothic appeal or a steampunk appeal.  I think I will decide on that more when it comes down to pinpointing exact colors and fabrics (I have several schemes to work off it, it’s just a matter of picking one!)  I will also narrow down to if it’ll be more casual or dressy after I do more fabric searching.

 

STEP 2: TARGET MARKET & PRICE POINT

TARGET MARKET: noun: target market; plural noun: target markets

  1. a particular group of consumers at which a product or service is aimed

[definition provided by Google]

A step nobody likes to do (definitely me included), but when in the planning stages, it helps reduce failure in your product line.

You’ll need to figure out the:

  • Who? – who is this audience?
  • What? – what are their needs/wants?
  • Where? – where are they located?
  • When? – when will you be engaging this market?
  • Why? – why will they choose you over brand/artist A or brand/artist B?
  • How? – how will you get your idea out there?

If it helps, some people like to give this figurative person a name and life story (I’ve seen some people even illustrate said person…Weirdos.  Haha)

See? Sebastian is a pretty smooth guy. Check out this article for more info on defining Target Market: http://www.sarahsteelsm.co.uk/2012/06/who-are-your-customers-five-tips-for-defining-your-customer-avatar/

PRICE POINT: noun: price point; plural noun: price points; noun: pricepoint; plural noun: pricepoints

  1. a point on a scale of possible prices at which something might be marketed.

[definition provided by Google]

 

In fashion, especially, there are several price range categories that a designer could fall into.  They are:

Category Price Description
Haute Couture $10,000 or more Made to measure, hand-crafted apparel for the select few

(Chanel, Dior)
Designer $1,000 or more Superior fabrics, details, trims to Ready-To-Wear (RTW)

(Prada)
Bridge/Exchange Less than $1,000 Designer level made with less expensive fabrics, career separates

(Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan for DKNY)
Better Less than $500 Better fabric and styling than lower-priced clothing

(Anne Klein, Jones New York)
Secondary Lines Less than $300 Designers line at a much lower price point than their regular Design Line

(Armani, DKNY)
Private Label Less than $300 Designed specifically for a store or retailer

(Simply Vera or Candies for Kohls, H&M, Top Shop)
Moderate Less than $100 Nationally advertised, inexpensive

(Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nine West)
Discount/Off-price Less than $50 Outlets selling clothes at a discount

(T.J. Maxx, Marshall’s)
Budget or Mass Less than $50 Lowest end of apparel pricing and quality; may include knock-offs

(Old Navy, Cherokee)

[Reference for the table:

Calderin, Jay. The Fashion Design Reference Specification Book: Everything Fashion Designers Need to Know Every Day. Beverly: Rockport, 2013. 79. Print.

Also referenced: http://www.apparelsearch.com/terms/A/apparel_industry_price_point_definitions.html]

This is going to cost a lot more than something you buy at Wal-Mart

*~Personal Experience: TARGET MARKET/PRICE POINT~*

Luckily enough for me, I was able to use my Marketing Your Small Business class as a starting point for this.

Target Market:

  • WHO: Female, generally 18~40 (but not limited to those ages)
  • WHAT: Would like to have comfy, yet classy alternative clothing to integrate into current wardrobe
  • WHERE: Ideally, United States, probably in urban areas and more of a disposable income
  • WHEN: ASAP!  I usually try to make things known on my facebook, twitter (when I remember), and now this blog!  The sooner you can gain interest and let people know, the better.
  • WHY: For those local: it is something not normally found in the Green Bay area.  For those online: BECAUSE I’M AWESOME Just kidding.  I provide excellent customer service and plan on making sure for custom orders that I am as transparent as possible with their order (for instance: giving either text or photo updates if it’s longer than a week).
  • HOW:  I will be utilizing social media platforms, and possibly paper formats (pamphlets if I do end up being part of a runway show).

 

Price Point:

My speculation at this point is somewhere between $100~$300+ depending on the intricacy of the outfit/how many pieces there are to the outfit if sold as one unit (For instance: Dress + tulle dress + bolero jacket may equal over $300 but individual items may not)

 

STEP 3: CHOOSE A SEASON

Generally, for any collection that you want to create, there will be a season in which you attribute and find your source of inspiration.  In Fashion, there are two main ones, and a smaller in-between one.  These include Spring/Summer (S/S), Fall(Autumn)/Winter (F/W), and Resort.  Resort is typically for December~January ish, primarily aimed at people who travel or vacation in the winter months.

Why is this important?

Unless you’re doing something incredibly niche, each season usually has a distinguishing color scheme.  And if you keep a record, after a couple of years you’ll notice yourself how the colors evolve.  For example: for Spring, typical colors have included a variant of a mint green and coral for the last three years.

But what year do I choose?

This can be tricky.  Are you working with a company, or are you an independent designer?  Some companies plan as early as 2 years in advanced (like Kohls or Harley-Davidson Motor Clothes)!  There are other companies that do fast fashion and plan as late as 6 weeks ahead (like Zara).  If you have a small collection, and enough time, at least one season ahead is good to plan for.

*~Personal Experience: SEASON/YEAR~*

F/W 2015 Why? Because!  I’m not so great with bright colors usually associated with Spring/Summer, so starting with Fall/Winter is a better chance to get into my groove.  Also, I found some pretty nifty inspiration that falls better with F/W instead of S/S.

 

STEP 4: RESEARCH! YAAAYYY!

This is where everything gets fun, and you can spend hours upon hours doing.  At this stage, if you’ve skipped the other steps, you should at least have some general idea of what you want to do, whether it is an accessories line, or a fashion line (and hopefully you’ve chosen something a little more specific than that!)

From here we can go anywhere.  Or, just stay cozied up in pajamas and surf the web.  That’s cool too.

But seriously, one thing to do now – if you haven’t been already – is something called Trend Analysis.  The fashion world, in many ways, is ruled by trends.  There are many services and resources that can be used in order to find and research these trends.

 

Free services:

  • Pinterest (make sure you are using good keywords!  Maybe set an alarm for yourself too so you don’t forget to eat, sleep, and get some water…you know….human things and the like)
  • Trend Shop
  • Keyword searching on Google

Paid Services:

Others:

  • Trend Forecast – Cotton Inc (I haven’t been able to get this to work yet to give you more details, but at school we had a teacher that worked in a design department that had access to this resource.  They have some fun trend forecasting!)

 

Paid services can be very expensive, but definitely worth it if you can afford it, as they will go more in depth, sometimes even providing physical samples of color palettes, fabrics, etc.

 

*~Personal Experience: RESEARCH~*

This is a neverending battle -cry-

So far I’ve used mostly Pinterest to gather visuals and continuing my trend research. I use some of the links attached to the photos to bring me around the internet.  Usually it’s amusing things like you start looking at fancy makeup, and then the next thing you know you’re researching about the Theory of Relativity at 3am.

 

Right now I have a *secret* (shhhhh) board on Pinterest where I’ve kept all my visual ideas.  Other ideas that aren’t specific to my F/W 15 collection (but may prove useful for future ideas) I just put into a public inspirational board.

 

Keywords included “F/W 15” “F/W 2015” “steampunk” “gothic” “OTT” “over the top” “goth makeup” “goth hair” so on and so forth.

 

TIP: Make sure you read through the descriptions associated with the picture either on or off the picture when you’re starting with discovering a trend to follow.  It would be terrible to do all this research and then find out you were basing it off of 2008’s trends and not the one you intended.  Of course, for sourcing inspiration once you have your trend, it doesn’t matter when the item was made.

pinterest1

Sample search I started with

*~PART II COMING NEXT WEEK: CREATING A MOOD BOARD~*

LINKS TO OTHER SECTIONS:

 

RESOURCES:

(I’ll include this list under every post, and continue to add to it.  Resources used in the post will be noted by an * )

ONLINE TREND RESEARCH:

 

BOOKS

  • DESIGN/HISTORY RESOURCE:
    • *Calderin, Jay. The Fashion Design Reference Specification Book: Everything Fashion Designers Need to Know Every Day  ISBN: 978-1-59253-850-8
    • Tortora, Phyllis G.  Survey of Historic Costume A History of Western Dress.  ISBN: 978-1563678066
    • Leach, Robert.  The Fashion Resource Book: Research for Design.  ISBN: 978-0500290354
    • Volpintesta, Laura.  The Language of Fashion Design: 26 Principles Every Fashion Designer Should Know.  ISBN: 978-1592538218
    • Martin, Marcarena.  Field Guide: How to be a Fashion Designer.  ISBN: 978-1592534913
    • Genova, Aneta.  Accessory Design.  ISBN: 978-1563679261
    • Steen, Camille; Lee, Jaeil.  Technical Sourcebook for Designers.  ISBN: 978-1609018566
  • PATTERNMAKING:
    • Armstrong, Hellen Joseph.  Patternmaking for Fashion Design (5th Edition).  ISBN: 978-0136069348
    • Armstrong, Hellen Joseph.  Draping for Apparel Design.  ISBN: 978-1609012403
    • Amaden-Crawford, Connie. The Art of Fashion Draping.  ISBN: 978-1609012274
    • Kershaw, Gareth.  Pattern Cutting for Menswear.  ISBN: 978-1780673196
    • Kiisel, Karolyn.  Draping: The Complete Course.  ISBN: 978-1780672861
    • Kim, Injoo.  Patternmaking for Menswear: Classic to Contemporary.  ISBN: 978-1609019440
    • Knowles, Lori A.  Practical Guide to Patternmaking for Fashion Designers: Juniors, Misses and Women.  ISBN: 978-1563673283
    • Knowles, Lori A.  Practical Guide to Patternmaking for Fashion Designers: Menswear.  ISBN: 978-1563673290
 
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Posted by on January 7, 2015 in How-To

 

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Not dead….yet

26 Apr
“Remember that stress doesn’t come from what’s going on in your life. It comes from your thoughts about what’s going on in your life.“

-Andrew Bernstein
 
I haven’t written in a really long time and that’s because the weeks have been flying by so quickly.  My gosh.  Sorry, but nothing too substantial for this post today because I am stressed out and brain is completely muddled.  I apologize if some of this doesn’t make sense later on.
 
Basically, my entire collection is done, aside from some minor pressing I’ll probably do either tomorrow night, or Monday morning if I get to it.  Attaching the vent to the lining in my boyfriend’s trench coat was horrendous because I didn’t pattern the lining correctly to begin with, so my teacher had to help me ad-lib it (wish she would have just made sure I patterned it right to begin with waaaaaay back when in September/October when I was making it.  Gah.  Oh well, it can’t be helped – I’ll just have to remember for next time).  Either way, it got finished.
 
Just trying to find another set of goggles because I don’t necessarily like my second pair, but they’ll do for jury if I have to.  Also trying to find a few other last minute details to help sell the collection as a whole.  I already know I most likely wont get any of the awards because my collection is Steampunk and not necessarily marketable in, oh say….Kohls, Bon-Ton, JCP, etc.  But whatever.  These outfits were going to get made regardless, so I felt it was better to make them while I still had the aid of my teacher to do so haha.  I’m already going to have to remake a few things, though, when I have time because I absolutely hate the way it pulls funny or doesn’t necessarily look right.  Another time, when I’m not so stressed.
 
It’s hit me, yet not so much, the fact I’m almost about to finish the chapter that is Mount Mary.  I have about 2 full weeks worth of classes and about another 2~3 days for finals, and then I’m done.  No more.  On with my life.  It’s scary, sad, exciting, and a bunch of other emotions all at once.  I think once I have to clean out my bin and take apart of my dress form, it’ll hit me.  I’m definitely going to cry – no doubt about that.  I’m a sap D:
 
Anywho.  I need sleep.  I’ll post some pictures later…hopefully.  I may do another post toward the end of the week, otherwise it probably wont be until the middle of May.  It’s crunch time and a LOT will happen between now and May 19th.
May 6th: 2 papers and a portfolio due
May 9th: Fashion Show at the Harley-Davidson Museum
May 12-14: Finals
May 16-18: Anime Central in Rosemont, IL. 
And all the other in-between crap to get some of this stuff done.  Ahhaskdjfaksjdfklsjfdkljsfd
 
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Posted by on April 26, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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Crunch Time!

06 Apr

The greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity or power, but self-rejection.

-Henri Nouwen

 

April marks crunch time for the fashion show.  As of writing this, I have 19 days (not including today) to get everything done before Jury.  All the garments going into the show have to be juried by a panel of judges from the industry.  Last year there were four judges: one from Kohls, one from Bon-Ton, another from Jockey, and I can’t remember who the guy was from.  It’s a bit nerve wracking, but I think I should be good this year!  All I have to do right now is hemming for Sarah’s and Cassie’s pants, my vest harness in its entirety (waiting on some dark brown ponge to come in), Cassie’s mad scientist coat (I have it assembled as far as side seams, back seams, and shoulders), hem Joe’s coat, work on his pants (I need to try on another mock up with changes before I go into fashion fabric), and then some head pieces.  I decided for the show I wont be doing Cassie’s apron, but I’ll take my time finishing it (like, I’ll work on it after Jury, or before jury if I can get everything else done).

 

Other than school, I’ve applied to be a vendor at DaishoCon, which happens at the Kalahari in the Dells.  This year it’s November 21-23rd.  I really hope I can get in.  I’m planning on having some basic clothing options available for people, as well as my jewelry.

 

Picture time!

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The Mad Scientist coat thus farl.

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Potential headpiece for my outfit. Sarah’s is getting a mini tricorn hat

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Joe’s coat finally has all the buttons on it! He looks absolutely dashing in it too ❤

 
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Posted by on April 6, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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KitsuneKon, progress, and a lot going one

29 Mar

“To love an idea is to love it a little more than one should.”

Jean Rostand

 

Originally, I had hopes of updating at least once a week, but it’s escaped me these past few.  There have been many things going on and little time to remember to come on here and update you all!  So let’s start!

First off, KitsuneKon was relatively a success!  I didn’t make as much as Anime Milwaukee, but there weren’t as many attendees, so that’s understandable 🙂  Still did pretty good, though, and it’s going toward my Study Abroad Italy trip (well…part of it is.  Some of it is going towards the purchase of more leather for my collection.  I underestimated).  I had a lot of fun at KitsuneKon, and I hope I can go again as either an artist, or a vendor, next year.  I’m hoping to delve into the vendor scene with DaishoCon, although I need to seriously think about it.  I was to start creating clothing, and I feel DaishoCon is cheap enough for vendor space that I can explore this idea.  (I mean, I proved that I have more than enough to sell for just an artist table.  A vendor space would be awesome 😀 )

 

Secondly, I’ve been pretty busy with my collection.  As of today, I have all of Sarah’s outfit (outside hemming the pants) completely done.  So that means a leather vest, a linen tunic, and a pair of jodhpur pants.  I also have my jodhpur bloomer things and most of my peasant blouse done.  Just have to hem the sleeves, adjust the elastic at the top, and hem the bottom.  Cassie’s pants are almost done: need to sew down belt loops, hem, and hand sew skirt hook and eye.  Then I need to finish drafting her coat and apron and get those cut out.  Joe’s outfit just needs buttons and a hem for the coat, and I have to draft a par of pants from scratch.  Hoping I can get it done and make a quick trip home Thursday in order to get ahead on that.

 

@___@ A little less than a month to get everything done in time for Jury.  I also want to make some awesome fascinators for my women and idk what for Joe’s outfit.  Either way.

 

Picture time!

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Silent Hill Nurse cosplay, courtesy of Brittany 😀

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Sara modeling Sarah’s (confusing no?) Leather vest. I’m so proud of myself ;__;

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Blouse and Pants thus far. Not too flattering yet, but it will be when I make my vest harness.

 
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Posted by on March 29, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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First Garment (mostly) done, and onto the next! Also, Fashion Info at bottom

28 Feb

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Busy busy busy.  I have either been at work, at class, or in the sewing labs.  The only time I’ve managed to spend in my room is for sleeping, and grabbing a few things for the next class this past week.  The good news is, I’ve gotten quite far on my collection.  As of yesterday, I have the base tunic and pants to a finished point.  (I’m just waiting on some potential embroidery designs from Sarah to put on the tunic, and I have to try the pants on her to double check fit, and hem).

I am also incredibly happy that my GoFundMe is working out pretty well.  It fills me with warmth and gladness that my family and friends are in such support of me traveling abroad.  Other then a short-lived dream to teach English as a Second Language in Japan my freshman year of high school, I never thought I’d actually ever get the chance to study abroad, and especially after coming to Mount Mary.  I all but gave up that hope.  That changed, however, in October when we had a lady from SAI talk to us.  It gave me renewed energy to try and pursue this, and I figured Italy would be easier to convince my mother to let me go to, compared to Japan.  Eeeeee!  I am so incredibly excited!  I also just finished an application to the SAI scholarships.  I’m thinking I have a pretty good chance, but I will have to wait until about March 31st before I’ll know whether or not I receive any.  Fingers crossed 🙂

Okay!  Progress shot time!

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(Left to right; top to bottom)

1.) Peasant Top all cut out and put together (minus bottom sleeve).

2.) Top + pants (I’m debating on whether or not to just make me have jodhpurs like Cassie and Sarah, or keep the shorts.  If I keep the shorts, I have to make a little wider band, and I might have to flare out the pants a bit more so I can have some more pooooof).

3.) Hanging sleeve pattern

4.) Hanging sleeve constructed with elastic

5.) Harness vest…thing…pattern majig.

6.) Harness vest cut out and put on me (mostly pinned except for back princess seam).  Had to let it out and drop the armhole, but I’m surprised I didn’t have to take it out more.  I based it off of my princess-torso block I made last year Spring which was made to be a base-layer garment and not something that went over the top XD  (I think it helps I’m wearing my corset).  I have to refit the pants, though, because I completely forgot I was making this to fit my corseted figure so I have to take it in more in the pants.  I went through a great inner debate on whether or not to pattern this for my corseted, or uncorseted figure.  I came to the conclusion that I am, more often then not, going to be wearing this ensemble with a corset on underneath.  Even if I can’t wear my corset to the fashion show, I can always find other people to wear my outfit.  It isn’t like las tyear where I ended up hating the garments and I was never going to wear them.  I’m making these garments to wear for future endeavors.

 

For those interested in the Mount Mary Fashion Show:

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If you’re in the Milwaukee area (or are willing to drive once a week in April, and for the show), and you would like some runway modeling experience, please consider trying out for our show!  We need models of all sizes (whether you’re a size 2, or a size 20, etc).

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I think that’s enough for now.  I will post more progress next week 🙂

OHOHOH.  I FORGOT.  Next week is also the start of my spring break.  I am so excited to have a few days for myself ;____;

 
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Posted by on February 28, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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Post AMKE, More Progress

20 Feb
“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.”

-Arnold J. Toynbee
 
I’m going to say this right now.  Anime Milwaukee was a HUGE success (especially when compared to last year).  I’m glad there weren’t any panels (except for one) that I wanted to go to because that allowed me to be more active with my booth and create more items for people to enjoy 🙂  I was so lucky that my friend Cassie was there, because she helped me tap into some interesting ideas with the stuff I had. 
 
I was so proud when I saw people wearing my items ;0; made me so happy!.  I was also able to sell the one scale bra I had made and it looked so adorable on the girl ;0; It was a bit bitter sweet, though, to see one of my babies go.  I am, however, excited to make more!  I’m planning on trying to make at least 1 C/D sized bra for KitsuneKon.  I don’t know if I’ll get it done, but I’m hoping so!  I am also hoping I can get some scale flowers made to either use as part of hair forks, maybe a set of hair sticks, and whatever else I can do.
 
Here are some of the nifty items I came up with (some of them with help from Cassie!)
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Monday was not fun, though.  Post-con depression, and incredible tiredness.  I honestly don’t remember much of Monday except for some hazy details.  That aside, I think I finally managed to get a good nights sleep the past two nights (with like almost 9 hours or so of sleep lmao).  Either way…it’s been pretty productive, sewing wise.  I’ve gotten pretty far with Sarah’s pants, and shirt, and I even started drafting my patterns.
ImageImage Sara, modeling Sarah’s blouse and pants thus far.  (Yes, they are two different people.  Sara is my classmate, and Sarah is my boyfriend’s sister.  Lmao).
 
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Peasant Blouse, front and back on left; raglan peasant sleeve on right.  The sleeve can go to hell. D:<  It took me 2.5 hours, and about three screw ups before getting it to look that pretty.  I cut both of them in muslin too.  Completely forgot that this is a raglan sleeved top, so I have to cut out another sleeve (I usually can get away with one sleeve for fit….T__T)
 
That’s it for now everyone 😀
 
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Posted by on February 20, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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Collection update, GoFundMe, and more

05 Feb

Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.
― Terry Pratchett

 

I some super awesome exciting news!  Monday night I applied to the Study Abroad Italy (SAI) Florance University of the Arts (FUA) Summer II program and guess what?  Yesterday, around 1PM they sent me back an email saying that I’ve been accepted!  I think that has to be the fasted time in between an application, and acceptance, that I’ve ever had.  It’s also probably so fast because the application deadline for summer isn’t until March so I submitted mine pretty early.  The only problem with this, now, is the part on where I have to try and pay for this trip.  Unfortunately for me, this school year FAFSA wasn’t kind to me so I had to pay a lot (again) out of pocket.  What sucks is that it takes me pretty much all semester to pay off what I owe school, so that leaves me no time to save up for Florence.  (Last payment is due April for School, but 50% of FUA program, which is going to be $2300, is due March 10th and final payment is due April 9th T_T).

For those of you who can, please take a look at my GoFundMe at http://www.gofundme.com/studyabroadflorence and possibly pass it to everyone you know!  I would really appreciate it!

That aside, I have some wonderful progress pictures for you guys on Sarah’s outfit.

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Pattern for the viking-esque blouse.

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Mock up of the blouse ready for trying on

The mannequin I used for the above picture has a different shaped bust than Sarah, so that’s why it looks like it’s pulling funny

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Vest in mock-up, minus collar (that was added this morning and this picture was taken last night)

Ignore the fact that I’m in part of that picture haha.  I’m pretty sure that this stretched on me while attempting to do the princess seams (i totally forgot to stay stitch until afterward) so that is why I don’t think it lays right in parts, even when on the body.  I realize something like this doesn’t ever truly lay right when flattened on a surface…but still.  >>;  As of this morning, when I added the collar on, Sarah’s outfit is completely set to go for me to make a bonsai run home tomorrow!  Yay!  I also got Cassie’s pant’s block drafted (Although, again, I’ll have to add to the back.  For some reason, I always screw up that part D:<  It sits fine in the front, but for some reason it always ends up too low in the back.

 

Last night, I also pulled out my super amazing display board that Sarah made for me to use when I make things for Artist Alley.

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I think 4 more hair prongs/forks (whatever you call them D: ) will fill out that row nicely, and then I’ll need to make more stock….because other than like 4 pairs of earrings, that’s all I’ve got made right there.

 

That’s it for now~  I’ll update more soon!

 
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Posted by on February 5, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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Le School

22 Jan

This week has been super crazy, in ways.  Sunday I found out just how much I suck at bowling (I think I might partially blame the corset for this one! I think being able to bend allows you to bowl better.  I don’t know).  Monday was spent packing up parts of my room and other things to be brought to school.

 

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Le room, before total unpacking

I think I have one of the tiniest dorms at my school, or at least on my floor (I believe even the head of the residence halls said it was…)  It’s both good and bad.  I mean, bad because I’m an artsy fartsy student being in the fashion design program so that doesn’t leave me with a lot of room to do stuff, but also good because it means there is less crap I can put in here (or I just get more creative with how I pile things…)

 

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I clean up pretty okay though…maybe

Okay, aside from various things all over…it still looks better than before.  I give it about two, maybe three weeks (if I’m lucky).  I do, however, need to make sure I keep a space open to exercise.  I’ve realized that now I can start tightening the corset tighter, although not completely shut yet, I’ve found that I have this unattractive backfat now hanging over the corset ;__;  Oh well.  It just gives me the drive to work on those muscles to tone them and reduce the bulk.  Seriously….it makes things less attractive if you look at me from the side or back.

 

Backfat aside, my corset has been pretty comfortable.  I do find it to be uncomfortable when I stand for longer periods of time, although my back has been always been like that, even before the corset.  Luckily that’s only a problem during Collections.  Been wearing the corsets pretty much from the time I get up (so anywhere between 8~9am) to about 9~10 at night.  I think I’m getting closer to being able to wear it 23/7.  I think I’ll give it another two weeks.

 

School has been pretty decent so far.  I was skeptical for my “Essentials of Catholic Tradition” class.  I was born and raised a Catholic, by going to catechism, getting all those fun milestone celebration things (like…the Eucharist, getting Confirmed, etc).  After probably 9th grade, or so, I didn’t feel that I felt part of that sort of thinking (…I did still get confirmed in my senior year, though, in case my future husband -whoever he was going to be- wanted to get married in a church so I didn’t have to do it later juggling 2 jobs and the classes to do so like my cousin did at the time).  To be honest, I really don’t know where I fall in my beliefs, but that aside, my teacher seems like she’ll be a very good one for the class.  She has promised not to preach, or attempt to convert, but just give us the facts on the catholic tradition.  She even mentioned it was an atheist who actually did the best on the final exam, believe it or not.

I think Portfolio and Presentations will be the easiest class I take this semester.  Our teacher is nice to us and is planning on giving us plenty of class time to get things done.  What’s also nice is that I’ve already done some of the things she is planning on having us do (such as business cards, resumes, etc.), so those sections will be easy. 

The only thing I’m worried about with my Collections I class is time.  I have a bunch of stuff I want to do, but I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to accomplish it all.  I may have to scale my ideas down a bit, or modify them so they’re a bit easier to construct.  Our first, of three complete outfits, has to be totally done by February 26th….Not excited for that…but…I can do it!

Not sure how I feel about Apparel Industry Seminar.  I think it might be okay, but I may find that all the articles we have to find will be annoying to do.  I know it’s a necessity and will help me build searching skills for the future when I’m not in school and need to keep up with things…but…Who knows.  It could end up being my favorite class.  Pfft.

I don’t know about History of Art II yet either because I have yet to take it (it’s my 6PM class which is in like an hour).  If I remember, I’ll talk about it next post!

 

I think that’s good enough for now.  When I start getting more patterns and things made, I’ll me sure to post them either here, or links to them!

 
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Posted by on January 22, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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