Final evaluation

For my Self Directed unit I chose to study the Costume Store element as I felt this was the area in the industry I possibly want to continue with. As an extra part to this we were then introduced to project Breathe, which is part of the Olympic opening ceremonies in Weymouth. The projects are very different but combining the two has enabled me to refine my sewing skills but also experiment and explore different textiles techniques, giving me a strong body of work towards my professional portfolio.

At the beginning I was allowed time to complete lining my jacket from the previous Battle for the Winds unit. I was highly grateful for this as I had worked hard in producing a costume with a neat finish and didn’t want to let it down by rushing the lining. During my end of unit presentation tutors pointed out how areas such as the front edge didn’t lay flat and needed to be finished correctly. I was aware of this and explained how I had left the front for when inserting the lining. For this reason I wanted to finish everything to a high standard and show that my finishing skills are neat and tidy.

Once my jacket was complete I then joined the rest of my group in creating either a pair of breeches or a waistcoat. I was allocated a waistcoat to be made from a delicate striped fabric in cream.  At first I was extremely nervous as I knew any mistake would show but also that all stripes would need to be matched correctly. During construction of this garment the attention to detail was focused around the pockets and braid decoration. The pockets were the first step and extremely daunting but taking time over them was needed to avoid unnecessarily marking the fabric and having to re-cut. As the decoration was sewn by hand I wanted to take extra care but as stated in my blog, this extra time did set me back beyond the two-week time scale. This highlighted to myself how in some cases I perhaps need to be less cautious and keep on top of my time management. In the end I did gain a garment I am proud of but with this being the area of industry I want to enter, I will need to work on my pace of work ensuring I speed it up but still keeping to a high standard.

Although it was not something I signed up to, I have really enjoyed being a part of the Breathe project. When we first had our briefings about the different options available for the Self Directed unit this was not a project that appealed to me. However when it was further explained and I understood how the project involved a mixture of able and disabled bodies, I realized how much I could gain. Having been given the ‘Hunters’ designs has been nice to use various textiles techniques that I haven’t used since before university. This is an element I enjoy and given this opportunity I have produced two cloaks that include layering up of fabrics. Also the extra time given to Breathe has allowed me to create extra shoulder pads and a headdress towards my costumes. In particular I really enjoyed constructing the hat, as it is something completely different and I have been able to use equipment in the workshops that I have never worked with before. Part of this project asked for us to attend evening sessions and though the initial idea of running workshops did at first seem very daunting, as the weeks have pasted it has been really nice working with everyone. In particular there have been a couple of volunteers who have helped myself a few weeks in a row. This has been nice for them to see my costume progress and ask about my work but also for me to learn about their involvement in Breathe.

I did initially sign up for the costume store project in order to gain greater confidence that I can produce work to a high standard. As even though I am happy with my finished waistcoat I would have liked to continue constructing other garments as well. This being said I have really enjoyed being a part of Breathe and working with unusual materials to create unique costumes. I am pleased I have spent the last two weeks working full time on this project as I have been able to create two costumes and even though this term is finished I still want to attend the evening sessions to help break down all garments and see the project through to the end.