Finally my jacket is complete!

At the beginning of the week I wanted to work hard in preparing my lining and jacket ready for the final stages. As I had previously sewn together the jacket in top fabric meant I was aware of what seam allowances were needed and could go ahead stitching the lining together without any help. However the problem I did face was that the chosen fabric for my lining marked very easily when sewn so I needed to ensure all my stitching was correct first time as if any areas were to be unpicked I would be left with a series of holes from the machines needle. Although this was a problem it did encourage precision which actually saved me time in the long run as I was conscious in getting everything correct first time.


My costume design includes a large structured collar that will be worn underneath the suit, after my second fitting this collar was extended out over the shoulders in order to gain a smoother finish when the jacket is on. Although this change was made, I felt including shoulder pads to main jacket would give extra structure but also help maintain the shape if the large collar was to be removed at any point. Also by adding a small roll of ice wool to each sleeve head gave a neat curve leading from the shoulder down the arm. Having never used shoulder pads or ice wool before, it was helpful to learn the correct method of inserting them as I'm sure it will help in future projects. 


With everything in place on the jacket allowed for the next stage of the lining to be attached. In costume construction the most common method is for garments to be completed by hand. This meant the lining need to be slip stitched by hand at the neck, facings, sleeve cuffs, hem and flares. But before any of this, the top and bottom of each arm hole needed to be sewn together with an inch long swing catch, allowing for movement in the lining and not restricting my artist when conducting. With my particular jacket being double breasted and including side flares meant there was a lot of hand sewing to be done. The first few sections took a while but as I got further along my speed began to increase and although it did take time I feel it was good practise for my own skills.


Although I completed my garment in a very short time I was very conscious in finishing by friday as I was given these two weeks out of the costume store to do so and I need to prepare myself for the strict deadlines in industry. I am very pleased with how much I did complete as all of the processes are brand new information to me so the whole time I was learning as well as trying to keep up my speed and precision. As this is my first jacket I have made I'm sure that when I gain further skills I will look back and highlight areas which could be improved and hopefully learn from any mistakes. But for now I hope I have completed a suit with a smart finish thats reflects the designers intended idea. When we return from our easter break I would like to photograph my final garment so that I have good quality images to use towards my professional portfolio before the costumes are sent away to their artists. 

Cable ties

As the breathe designs are still being finalised all we can do is begin to prepare for the evening Breathe sessions that will being the first wednesday after easter.


One group the Breathers will be spilt into is the 'Jesters'. The distinguishing element for this group is that their costumes will include structural wrist and ankle bands made up of cable ties. To do this a series of ties will be attached to elastic, creating bands the artists can wear. The ties can then be painted into and trimmed to match and blend with the base costumes.


By sourcing clear ties meant we could use dyes to gain vibrant colours to match the character that would be seen in a jesters costume. At first I thought this would be a long process as the plastic ties would not take the dye. However it was an instant process that as soon as you dipped the ties in the saucepan, the colour was absorbed. Looking at the images below you can see the bright colours we created and were even able to dip-dye the yellow, making the tips darker.

With the ties dyed they then needed rinsing off and left to dry ready for the evening sessions to begin.

Learning Agreement

For the Self Directed Project (SDP) unit I have chosen the Costume Store Project as this will involve using existing patterns to create a range of garments for the university’s own costume hire store. It is aimed to run as a professional workroom environment where as a group we will follow set instructions to improve and perfect our sewing skills.

I have chosen to study this pathway, as I am interested in following a career in theatre. In the past I have been fortunate to gain work experience in this area but I still feel there is a lot to learn. With this particular project simulating a professional workroom will give me a greater insight into this industry and hopefully prepare me for working in similar conditions. As a group we will be given various patterns and be expected to overcome problem solving both together and individually. Although there will be guidance from a tutor, we are responsible for our own time management to ensure the garments are made. For this reason I will have to plan my time carefully with realistic goals if I am to meet all deadlines. This will encourage myself to work quicker but the whole while checking each stage is constructed correctly to avoid any mistakes that will waste time and push me back. I hope this project will boost confidence in my sewing ability so that in the future I can overcome tasks whilst coping with the pressure of strict time frames.

From our previous CIC unit I was given the design of ‘The Conductor’ for the county Somerset in the Battle for the Winds Olympic opening ceremonies, Weymouth. I was unable to finish lining my jacket so I am using the first two weeks of SDP to complete this, giving me extra time to ensure all my finishing’s are correct and neatly done as well as any other jobs that need doing. My particular jacket’s double breasted including a box pleat and facing and are areas I want to focus on in order to gain the best finish.

I will be involved in constructing costumes for the store however another part to this is to also be involved within the Breathe project. Breathe is also a part of the Olympic ceremonies in Weymouth where a large cast will take part in the finale. This cast brings together different dance groups to create ‘the breathers’ who are aged 12-50 years old and are disabled, non-disabled or suffer learning difficulties.

The ‘Breathers’ are characters made up of washed up debris and who live as part of the beach. They will be split up into six different character groups such as the elders, jesters, navigators, teenage rebels etc. Everyone will wear the same base costume where further garments are to be added over the top. This is because each character group will have a distinguishing garment/ piece to separate them, for example the teenage rebels will all wear Mohawk headdresses. As a group we will help create these costumes both at uni and in evening classes. The evening classes will require us teaching volunteers in constructing sections of the costumes. This is intended to be a community project as it is open to locals but also the breathers themselves, meaning some of the artists will have the opportunity in making their own costumes.

At the end of this unit I will have completed my costume from CIC and produced two further garments towards the university’s costume store. This will include either a men’s waistcoat or breeches and a women’s blouse. For the Breathe project I will also have helped in completing the breathers base costumes as well as creating various parts of garments during my own uni time and at the evening classes. Once everything is finished I will then have a strong body of work that can be used within my professional portfolio.

Preparing the jacket

As arranged last week I started this morning by sitting down with my tutor to discuss how I will begin the lining process for my suit jacket. From my previous CIC unit I didn't want to trim or secure any seam allowances as this left the jacket open for any alterations to be made before finalising it. This meant todays tasks involved finishing the inside, ready for my next session (wednesday) when I can attach the lining. Correctly pressing and turning up seam allowances created the crisp edges needed to give sharp lines for a neat finish. 


Up until now I have found it hard to understand how the jacket is to be finished as different tutors use different techniques. So having this guidance from Dexter in the morning was helpful in clarifying which processes I will follow. With him spending a short time answering my questions then enabled me to work for the rest of the day completing everything we had discussed. 


At the end of the day I was then able to go back to Dexter with everything completed and note down anything that would need to be ready for wednesday when I can insert the lining.


To do for wednesday:


    - Buy shoulder pads and ice wool from Aucb haberdashery (via my supervisor as will be paid for by the BFTW budget)
    - Ensure everything necessary is secure with herringbone stitch.
    - Cut lining pieces 
         - Checking the CB box pleat allowance is the same length, then add an extra 1cm to either side for further movement.
    - Machine stitch lining pieces together.

First week of costume store

As I only have limited days with my tutor (Dexter), means I need to ensure I think ahead of what I intend to complete for each week so that any questions I may have can be answered. 


For this first week I wanted to concentrate on lining my jacket as I felt this was a complicated process and would give me the opportunity to continue final finishings at the beginning of next week if I needed to. However our first day starting the costume store involved Dexter introducing the unit and me preparing the jacket buttonholes. With the rest of my week scheduled as independent study meant I would not have the opportunity for Dexter to sit down and explain the lining to me. For this reason we have arranged a time monday morning where we can discuss the jacket and answer any questions, so then I can use the full week to finish. In the meantime I still have a few things I need to finish on my suit trousers so I will use the rest of this week to complete the list below and prepare anything I need for next monday.


To do week 1 


Trousers:
    - Move zip further back on facing to give a neater finish when closed.
    - Redo top stitching on facing side.
    - Zig zag stitch over elastic sections in waistband.
    - Machine stitch waistband down and then herringbone overlocked edge.
    - Paint shadows into pipes.
    
Jacket preparation:
    - Machine cord on cuff line and unravel that in seam allowance to separate and hand sew              down.
    - Check I have the lining material and all patterns.
    - Write any questions I may have, for example how to over come the back box pleat. 

The beginning of Breathe

For this SDP unit I previously explained how I would be involved in constructing costumes for the universities own costume store. The other part to this unit is to also be involved with the Breathe project.

Our previous CIC unit focused on Battle for the Winds for the Olympic opening ceremonies in Weymouth. The Breathe project is also a part of this where a large cast will be involved in the finale of the Weymouth celebrations. This cast brings together four different dance groups to create ‘the breathers’, aged 12-50 years old who are disabled, non-disabled or have learning difficulties. As a group they will be involved within the storyline to produce an exciting performance.

The ‘Breathers’ are characters made up of washed up debris and who live as part of the beach. Within this they will be split up into six different character groups such as the elders, jesters, navigators, teenage rebels etc. Everyone will wear the same base costume where further garments are to be added over the top. This is because each character group will then have a distinguishing garment/ piece to separate them. For example the teenage rebels will all wear Mohawk headdresses. As a group we will help create these costumes both at uni and in evening classes. The evening classes will require us teaching volunteers in constructing sections of the costumes. This is intended to be a community project as it is open to locals but also the breathers themselves, meaning some of the artists will have the opportunity to make their own costumes.

The evening sessions aren’t due to start until after the Easter break so our first task is to finish creating the base costumes. Below is a photo taken from Weymouth beach showing how over time the iron bridge has become rusted and created a unique pattern. This has then been used as inspiration for the base costumes (also shown below).

At first white garments were sourced and then dip dyed to create a graduation in colour. Paint was then sponged on top of this giving more texture to reflect the patterns found at Weymouth. 

Above is an example of one of the tops I worked on myself, using the Weymouth photo and example as a guide. I wanted the colours to be strong so they stand out but also blend into one another giving a mottled effect.

Burlesque

As an extra project outside of uni, myself and group of girls from the course are involved in creating costumes for a local burlesque company in Bournemouth. A few weeks ago we met with the organiser/ choreographer to talk through initial themes and what garments are needed.


The main theme for all the garments is 'Candy' taking inspiration from the Katy Perry music video california girls. Six sets are to be light pastel pink with candy decoration of sequins and subtle sweet shapes. Although these sets are to be similar, there is a variety of full corsets, under-bust corsets and all-in-one corsets to avoid a uniform look. Then in contrast to this there are two toxic candy sets which will be emerald green with dark sequins and decoration. As a group we needed to research images and think realistically what we can produce in the time frame we have.


Working with another girl on the course who studies the design pathway, she produced some initial design sketches for the group. On Tuesday this week a few of us arranged to go to the choreographers flat to meet the girls and take all the necessary measurements. It also gave us an opportunity to present the initial designs and talk through any more ideas she had for the garments. After this we then had a clearer idea of what was needed and the overall look they wanted. As she really liked the designs, the next step is to send across the remaining sketches as once they are all approved we can begin pattern drafting and the construction process. 


In the meantime we can start collecting fabric samples, and using each others corsetry knowledge to discuss how we will make all the sets. Hopefully we will have final designs and final fabrics sorted so that after the easter break we can begin construction.

The beginning of SDP

Having just finished our Concepts in Context (CIC) project working on Battle For The Winds, I will now begin the Self Directed Project (SDP) that will last until the end of this academic year. This SDP unit is aimed to develop our own interests as costume makers/designers and begin our personal and professional development.

For this unit I have chosen the Costume Store Project where we will follow existing patterns to create a range of garments for the university’s own costume hire store. It is aimed to run as a professional workroom where we will follow the guidance of a tutor to improve and perfect our sewing skills. We will be expected to overcome problem solving as a team but also independently and take responsibility for our own time management.

From our previous CIC unit we produced costumes towards Battle of the Winds for the Olympic opening ceremonies in Weymouth this summer. I was given the design of 'The Conductor' for the county Somerset. The design is an Edwardian military suit with decoration inspired by various musical instruments. As I was unable to finish lining the jacket I am using the first two weeks of this SDP unit to complete this, giving me extra time to ensure all my finishing’s are correct and neatly done. With the jacket being doubled breasted, having a box pleat and facing means these are areas I will need to focus on. Firstly I will need to mark and sew my buttonholes into place and then use my tutors advise for the lining so I can then begin my independent work to finishing the garment correctly.

As I only have two weeks to complete my jacket means I will need to draw up a work plan so I am clear of what needs to be done but that also fits around other projects I am involved in outside of the course.

To do for Wednesday:

-       - Complete learning agreement.

-       - Produce a work plan.

-       - Mark and sew buttonholes onto jacket front.

-       - Sit down with my tutor to discuss how I will line my jacket.