Tuesday 27 November 2012

Design friends and how to get them to get you places!

Last week I had my interview at the South Australia College of the Arts, for a Diploma in Costume for Performance.
A friend of my who is an architect offered to help me re-do my portfolio, real design student style
Cover of my portfolio, laser cut heading and all bound and then stiched with a baseball stitch
 
After explain to him I currently had a larger than A2 portfolio, he offered to assist me in redoing it on the computer using illustrator and photoshop.
 
It took a while (well not as long as it take to glue and make an A2 one look pretty). And the end results were pretty awesome.
It also meant I got to learn about some programms I haven't ever used before
We had to include some mood boards in our portfolios (kinda strange I thoguht), these two are my 'Embellishment & Craftsmanship' and 'Fantasy & Costume' boards.
 
What I had never really though about before when it came to my portfolio was that, did it ever say in the criteria you had to have all your design process documented as well? No....I did just assume you needed to put that in there. Which is annoying.
 
But this portfolio is just images of the completed projects. Which I actually really like. I mean I clearly made them, and if I am showing you my portfolio I am going to explain to you how and why.
The Flower Maiden
 
He helped set up templates for the project pages, and for the mood board pages, so everything in the portfolio flows seemlessly and is totally awesomely formatted.

I had my interview with two ladies, and it was the most relaxed interview for a course I have ever been too. I have done 3 fashion interviews and an interview for a textiles course, and they were all kinda horrific experiences. This one was so great they told me to come back next year and they wanted to keep my portfolio to show!

So here's a couple of pages, my favorite ones. Me thinks everyone should hook themselves up with a computer based design friend. They prove oh so handy!
Lolita Inspired

Oh and the best bit, because he teaches at the uni here, we went to the workroom and used the printing, and laser cutter. My friend who studies there says she has to pay $2 min for laser cutting....
hehehe
Turning Japanese, Akihabara Majokko Princess and Misato Katsuragi
 
My Ruffles Logo Laser cut into the back cover :)

So in conclusion, next year I will be moving to RADELAIDE! yay!! I go to Melbourne to leave for Japan next friday, and in the mean time I'm working EVERY day. So it's kinda making packing, both boxes, and bags, a little difficult! Still have to find a removalist....eeeep!!

Hope all your holiday plans are coming along dandy =^__^=

Friday 23 November 2012

Pencil Skirt Project & First Outfit Post!

SO JAPAN RIGHT
I have been planning a my winter wardrobe for my adventure over to Japan over the holiday period.
I have decided knits are the way to go, small, comfy, can be stylish, and mainly, dont need ironing!!!
So this is my first piece that I have made. First fitted skirt I have ever made myself.
wheels and dollbaby
I found a skirt in Witchery I quite liked...however it was just a very heavy stretch fabric and literally a tube (or 'knit pencil skirt' as they liked to call it). I know for a fact that something with no shape around the backside will not fit my sway back at all. I sometimes wish I had never learnt about fitting, so I could wear clothes and be completely nieve to the fact they dont fit where they should....
Witchery Skirt $49.95

I was determined to make one myself because even though it was then reduced by a further 20%....i still didnt want to pay that much... haha im stingy!
I made my skirt from a red pointe....not sure the fabric content...It was a remanent, so only cost me $7.30 for the meter!! Then $2.50 for the elastic. Thank you $10 skirt!!! I was a bit hesitant about the bright red at first....but there is always room for red in my wardrobe to be honest.
I made the skirt by drafting up something prettty simple with my measurements which I was at my grandma's house in Radelaide. After that I cut it out, ended up adding a seam down the centre back, which the Witchery one actually had as well. Although I dont understand why, because there was no shaping at all, and that's why I added one in mine.
I then literally just sewed it on my gandmas machine until it fit well, then top stitched the three edges and did the elastic and hem.
 
Now that I have this I will be able to make many more and use this skirt as a template. Think Ill make another soon.
 
This skirt makes me happy because it goes so well with my Dita Cardi, which, until now I have really had nothing bomshell worthy enough to wear it with and so have considered selling it on ebay....
NOT ANYMORE! Wooo
 I actually tried on another skirt in Witchery, which unfortunately I can't find a photo for which was a jersey skirt which I think I will try and drape....it won't be hard, but finding the time might be!
 
I'm not going to lie, it's taken me a while to do any outfit posts for 2 reasons.
1: too self concious, feel like a nob proclaiming i have great dress sense
2: no one to take nice enough photo's to warrant bothering
 
 
Outfit Summary
Top: Wheels and Dollbaby Dita Von Tease Cardi
Skirt: Made by me
Belt: Op shop find!
Shoes: Gorman
Socks: Cute little sock shop in the city
 

Thursday 22 November 2012

Pretty in Packaging (Bodyline order)

So...yes been very absent lately...Sorry!!

Thought i'd just share something small, but totally made my day (although the last two days have already been super good!)

Just got back from Adelaide where yesterday I had an interview with the Adelaide College of the Arts for their Diploma of Costume for performance....More about that later ;-) but lets just say it went really REALLY well!!

I came home and I had a package from Japan, a Bodyline order which included a pretty dress (quite pink tho....might have to do something about that) and a pretty cutsew top :)

pretty or what?!?!?!

Last time i was in adelaide....which I also need to post about, a girl i meet working at a second hand lolita store told me to join the Adelaide lolita facebook group....and so i did. I cannot wait to dress up and meet new people ^__^ i also bought a $29 bodyline skirt from there which is very cute and then jumped on there website! The two pieces i got including postage ($10) were $90 in total! How good is that? and both fit!!!! And both are decent fabric too!!


anywho! check it out for pretty things....i will post again soon ^__^!!

Friday 9 November 2012

a super quick sneaky peak

Ahhh....soooo busy. I'm down in Radelaide at the moment, and the wedding is tomorrow....i've been slaving away getting a few things done.

Last night I made up a toile for my dress. Not much to change there thankfully! Yay! That is thanks to me using my own skirt block for the bottom half instead of the one from the pattern and altering it.

The picture of the front was so bad i didnt even want to upload it, so here's a pic of the back!
super bad quality....thats what happens when grandparents use your camera...hehe
The rest of today i have spent scrap booking, im making sam a book with all the pictures i took at her fittings, and of just the general process. The other thing i have been doing is working on my fascinator for tomorrows wedding. Here are pics of the finished thing! I really needed just a short break before I start sewing my actual dress....so why not do a blog post!

Hope you like it! I will be adding a whole bunnnnch of pictures and blog posts very soon!!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend....and if you can watch the adelaide Christmas parade on tv!

*peace out*

Thursday 1 November 2012

The 'Wedding Experience'

No....not yet the wedding I will be attending for the lovely lady I made a wedding dress for...ANOTHER ONE. 
Well not a real one. A fake one. One where I paid $55 and went with a gay friend from work to eat a 3 course meal with wines.
Before I tell you about the event, lets talk about what I wore! Because apparently it is note worthy!
I wore a dress I made 2 years ago for my portfolio, a vintage head piece with velvet flowers (drool), and Alannah Hill Cardigan, bag from Saba, white stockings (as always) and of course Melissa shoes!

There were also two other pictures of me and my friend in other publications around town. We really did manage to do a good job on the publicity front that afternoon!
The hotel we work at instead of doing a traditional kind of wedding fair, did something a bit different this year, and hosted like a mock wedding where everyone was there as a mock guest. Models for the bride and groom, a room set with 4 different seasonal themes, 3 fashion parades from local store in Canberra, and most importantly amazing foooood.We even got up and started a dance floor...haha thats what a few drinks will do to us. 
 

 The male models were pretty good looking. Turns out we have the same taste in men. 


Oh and did I mention I CAUGHT THE BOUQUET?!?! My male friend also caught the garter...however there was only one other man in the running! As the host pointed out....'Why would there be single men at a wedding fair?'

I gave the wedding dress to the bride tonight. I am so happy! 9 days until (our) big day!!
 Lets get started on my dress and hat now!!
Oh and the fedora I'm making my friend for Melbourne Cup...

Thank god I have next week as annual leave!!