Braided Shirt Reconstruction!

Had a good day, managed to do some work, started again as a bad day but it's gotten really good!

I braided a t-shirt which I've been meaning to do for a while since I saw this video on ThreadBanger.

So I created my own shirt, I don't think I did the cuts big enough which I think is why my braid has pulled my shirt in on itself a little, but I'm going to try again once I've tie-dyed a shirt white and a red color. I'm trying to harass my mum into doing that with me, but we're waiting on the weather really. But at least I managed to design a little bit without destroying the shirt, and I think it would look 

 really nice with a chain ran through as well, or
 something along those lines, and a really
 pretty jewel at the bottom where it finishes

offf.

I also went and did some painting for my portfolio for my work of a tulip, to reflect Dior's dresses that were based on Tulips. Since I think they were really well designed. Some times when designers base the items on nature they can either have really yucky colors or can loose the shape and style of the actual plant and not really have much of a connection to it's original form, but these managed to look beautiful and keep the shape. So I'm doing a design copy of that dress and some life drawing etc. and then I want to attempt my own dress that will be inspired from nature hopefully. A daffodil maybe or something like that. Flowers seem a nice one to do because they often have nice shapes or maybe a shell, one of those curved ones. They would be interesting to design from or some shape 

along those lines. Something with lots of color

though like Dior's has, perhaps with a little bit more of a punk rock edge, a few chains and studs? I've also been trying to get an idea together for my Interviews but nothing so far.

xoxo!

An Interview with... Alexandra from Makemeadress

Today, from the wonderful world of Handmade and Vintage! I've interviewed for your pleasure Alexandra from the online Etsy store Makemeadress. She was wonderful to interview so thank you for letting me!

Makemeadress Shop!

How long have you handmade things?
Since I was a little girl playing with my mum’s fabric box and my grandmother’s huge array of clothes, shoes and just about anything else you could wear.

Black Lace Cocktail Dress - $210.00

Did your grandmother and mother ever encourage you as such or was it more self-driven the need to create?
I wasn't actively encouraged to create but was actively taken to dance classes nearly every day. My grandmother was a dance hostess in the 50's and thought I should be taught properly. I was more interested in the costumes and was eventually told I would be better off designing the costumes than dancing in them! My mother is very creative and is a wonderful support.

Where do you work from? Office space, the lounge, outside?
I'm lucky enough to have a studio where I live.

Do your surroundings reflect how you design?
Not so much, I'm sure if I lived in the city my designs could be a little different but out here in the country I'm able to run away with my imagination. 

Do you sell in the countryside, or go into London etc. for ideas occasionally?
We always take holidays in cities which are great for ideas and to be around a buzz. Our nearest city Bristol is only a short drive away and is an amazing hub of creativity. 

Little Black Organic Cotton Dress - $190.00

How do you get you’re inspiration for new products? I am constantly watching old movies, pouring through books on the golden age of design and have an unhealthy addiction to vintage clothing and fabrics. I find inspiration in just about everything and live and breathe dresses all day long.

Is there anything special you do when stuck for an idea or on an item? i.e. walk?
I usually get to a point with each dress where need to step away and not look at it for a few hours. When you have been staring at the same dress for sometimes twelve hours a day, you need to get some perspective. 
I take trips out, we'll go to exhibitions, and there is an excellent fashion museum only an hour away. I watch a lot of films and visit flea markets and vintage shops as much as I can. I love people watching and seeing how people style themselves which is always inspiring.

How did you get into hand making stuff?
I started with textiles at school and went on to study fashion design at university.

Were you brilliant first off, or did it take a few attempts? It’s taken 27years to be good at what I do; making dresses is a very long and endless process of learning. Every dress is different and there is always a new way to cut a dress. I hope to be brilliant when I'm 90!

Black Lace Peter Pan Dress Collar -$35.00

What led you to creating your own business?
Since graduating I had the option to move to London to work or stay living in the countryside; I chose to stay and as there aren’t many fashion jobs in the countryside I decided to set up my own business.

Do you think it’s been worth it?
Yes! Its hard work but I love every day that I get to work on new commissions and am happiest creating dresses all day long.

Is there anything you would change?
Being more confident to make contacts and network - but I'm working on this.

Do you get many difficult customers, and if so how do you manage not to yell at them?
There is no such thing as a difficult customer just a great challenge!
Of course there have been times but they generally just need some reassurance and everything is fine.

Is there any particular reason you started your online shop, apart from you love it?
Selling on-line has been the best way to reach lots of customers interested in the same vintage look as me. My perfect customers are rarely found walking down the dirt track to our house in the middle of nowhere.

Blue Red Cosmic Print rockabilly Dress Sample -$80.00

If you didn't make dresses what else would you of done?
I would have been a terrible dancer, singer or a very mediocre actress maybe?! I nearly went into fine art but was still sculpting dresses. I like the idea of teaching one day. 

What are the things that you most enjoy about owning your own business? 
I get to work with wonderful customers on their ideas and get to work on dresses every day.

What is your next step for your business or is selling online it?
I'm working on a new collection of bridal gowns which will launch early next year and I will be working with local boutiques selling one of a kind dresses.

Thank you for reading the interview, and be sure to pop along and have a look at what other items they have, there are also the most wonderful clutch bags as well! 

xoxo

Bad day! to Good Day! to maybe brilliant day?

I woke up in a BAD mood, very bad, which was then worsened by my parents. However, I've been to town and returned my stuff, and then gone to the ATM and found I actually have £30.00 in there, then managed to get my friends and my mothers present, well other part since I brought them both something else as well, for under £10.00. So I've finished some more of my Christmas list and taken my stuff back which was on my list and put myself in a good mood!

This has also led me to a sudden idea of "10 things for under £10.00 for Christmas" But instead of having just items, it'll have lots of clever little tips and idea's too! Since everyone is a little broke at Christmas, and you always get that one person who you don't really like and out of the kindness of you're heart have been nice to all year... and now Karma's being a bitch and they're getting you a present and you've to get them one back of course to keep up the charade (What an awful game it's turned out to be) 

So today I'm hoping to finish more of my list and do some work on my portfolio for my interviews. So at least I've made a start on that, and also to finish some of my coursework for my subjects. I've also discovered why my layout etc. was so funny, the boyfriend had played about with the META Tags... whatever those are while he was SEOing my blog. Which totally threw me, so I just nodded and said thank you for undoing it, sometimes men do talk such weird talk!

work at 8:30?! On a Sunday?!

I hate how society has become a machine to itself! We love our luxury! We love it when we don't have to work for it just the money to buy it. Ever thought how it got there?! When you go into a shop, how neatly is it laid out? Who picks the clothes up when some awful child throws them on the floor? Or fetches you're size, or does anything. Well it got there somehow. Everything got to where it is somehow, and for the most part it's because of somebody. So today take the time out just to say have a nice day, or something pleasant to someone. Because they will have worked hard to make it look like that. Like being up at 8:30 to get a store ready that doesn't open till 10 ><><

Also had lots of fun in Cambridge yesterday, only brought the jacket I showed you yesterday but had a really nice time except it being cold and VERY foggy!

Also the blogger thing is still old style, anyone know why?! Cause it's really bugging me cause it's putting all of my pictures at the top not in my text! Gahh!

Cambridge!

So went to Cambridge today and almost froze! I've brought a Jacket from H&M that I saw in Vogue that morning, so I'm really pleased I read Vogue before I went! It's a really pretty classic shape!

Sorry for the appalling lay out something is really funny with the editing on blogger, I'm not too sure why but it's gone all old style! Which has totally thrown me.

But I got that and that was it really.

I have given into the jegging thing though. I was utterly against them but I've brought a pair just to throw on in the morning when I'm running late, and they'd be more suitable for some footwear but under all circumstances will long tops be worn with them! That's it for now because the old way of doing this has totally thrown me till tomorrow morning!

xoxo!

Christmas Shopping & Travel

Christmas shopping on Saturday in Cambridge tomorrow, so there'll be lots of photo's and drawing for the portfolio. But there won't be much spending since still attempting to save for a car.

I also want a blackberry storm, but I somehow doubt I'll be getting one before my 18th birthday, which is a shame... But I'd rather a car. I've been paid today and of course can now afford everything that I wanted, but am very aware of my want of a car, and so I'm slowly struggling to not spend it. I've already rejected £35.00 worth of Fashion books, which is a shame cause they were really nice. 

Also thank you for who ever viewed my site on Tuesday, I had 40 views in one day which was quite impressive. If you liked the post that was made on the 16th, you need to tell me why so you can all have more! more! more!

There is another interview in the works, it's just being fine tuned and a few more details are being added! I'm also trying to line some more people up for you, and will be trying to get more designers to give feed back as well. I'm also still looking forward to fashion week. It will be quite interested to see the NY one since for the first time it will be held at the Lincoln Centre. Which means hopefully that different things will happen, and will be a nice change for the people that normally attend it. I will definitely be watching, and am hoping to maybe manage to actually get to London Fashion week for a day if I can pull it off. Far as I remember Vogue and Top shop cover it on line, so you can watch it as it happens and up date there websites with pictures of other things that are going on as well. 

xoxo

Drawings!

I've had to do some more fashion drawings in my Research book, so here are 3 that I did today, while the boyfriend had run off for Sushi! I also apologize for the bad photographing skills I really need to learn to photograph at decent times of day in decent light. They still need color on some and samples and stuff too.

 This dress was inspired by 2 dresses by Alexander McQueen.
The dress uses the lace sleeves and neck that the cream uses, and then the peacock lace skirt, and also the fullness aswell, while also using the skirt from this yellow dress to create a new dress. Using Red, Cream and Black.

 This picture was inspired by a more Avant Garde style similar to a picture I had previously found but will show you another time.

The above picture is based on Dior's Tulip inspired dress, and just needs colour adding and some samples of materials.

Which I have ordered off a website ( 53 samples to be exact) and will be playing with when they arrive!

xoxo