Obsessed

So, it’s the Easter Holidays and I’m *meant* to be having two weeks off from designing whilst the kids are off school, but so far the obsessive in me hasn’t quite managed it and I have totally got carried away with a new brief. In one week, I’ve nearly filled a whole new sketchbook (and brought a sewing machine and read a design book!) Eeeek!! So bad, but I can’t help myself and I’m pretty sure there are far worse things I could be doing!

This week (apart from eating lots of chocolates!) I was excited to share a peek into one of my sketchbooks with the lovely Sue Bulmer, you can check out the feature by clicking here.

Designing for Fashion Textiles

A Fashion Textiles design for AW13/14  created using mixed media.

 

Just a little over seven months ago, I started a BA Hons in Design (Surface).

In that small amount of time, my life has changed dramatically and I have grown so much as a designer. I have found new mediums to work with and experimented with new techniques as well as spending my days hanging out with some awesome people.

Although I am still a Photoshop and Illustrator geek… and I will ALWAYS be ‘MAC’ till I die… I have found a new love for drawing and filling sketchbooks….a new love for research and trends. But one of the biggest new loves I have found is that for Fashion Textiles.

I had always embarked on this journey to use my designs as pretty papers, wallpapers, accessories, cushions and homeware, but now I see them on hangers in Topshop, River Island and All Saints.

With that in the back of my mind and the persuasion of others, I have chosen to specialise my degree in ‘Fashion Textiles’ as oppose to ‘Surface Design’.

Been at Uni has really opened my eyes and Surface is so much more than my vision of ‘Print’, it is all about ceramics, 3D, Plaster, Metal…intergrating all manners of surface to play an important part in the final design.

Whilst Fashion Textiles is all about the manipulation of fabric from print through to its cut and hang….i love it!

I am so excited by this little turn in direction and can’t wait to show you some of my work for the previous two modules.

 I’ve been so busy creating and having fun, there is plenty to come!

Esoteric Fabric Design

A mixed media fabric design created for fashion textiles using drawing, stitch and collage.

London Fashion Week

Jeez isn’t today going far too quickly already…it’s gone 2pm and I’ve just realised so far today, I’ve only had a cup of tea! It’s totally my own fault as after the school run and Roxie’s dance lesson, I have been immersed in the trends emerging from London Fashion Week. Atleast I can say, this is all in the name of work as this research is all part and parcel of the new brief I am creating for…I am so lucky that the whole design process is so fun!!!

So far, I absolutely love the show from Orla Kiely…what a show she put on, she really thought of covering every element  to create a unique stage show. If you haven’t seen the numerous videos and pictures flying around the internet, check out this link here from the website of London Fashion Week. It’s only 1min 28secs long and I gotta admit it was probably the best minute of my day so far! (Even better than my overly sugary tea!)  I must get a shifty on, so I will leave you with a new pattern I have been playing around with…

Inspired!

Whoever thought that a family outing to Lyme Regis, a small coastal town in West Dorset, little more than twenty miles from our home would be so inspiring!

I am really loving the pastel colours that were so evident within the town and thats from ME…. a girl rarely inspired by muted colours.

But don’t they look oh so gorgeous?! Thinking this may well be the inspiration behind the new brief that I start today.

Not only were the colours more inspiring than I could ever remember but there were lots of interesting shapes around too…

Aren’t these just so much better than ‘normal’ street lights!

a little fun…

on a Sunday afternoon…

Check out my Facebook page to see a second color variation!

Inspiration Board

Busy, busy, busy here but thought I’d just show you a peek of the inspiration board behind my current Fashion Textiles project…

A little ‘darker’ than my usual design projects, but so much fun!

Mostly…

Yesterday was all about color (and even more snow!) whilst today was mostly about screenprinting! Exciting times

A Delicate Escape

Keeping my promise, I thought I’d drop by to tell you more about this design…

This design was created for the Beta Fashion ‘Noah’s Ark’ competition. Each design has to be approved before going to a public vote (which my design has been.) The winners of the public vote will then have their scarf sold online and in Topshop stores. If you like my design, I would love it if you could head across to Beta’s website by clicking on this link here, to place your vote.

Thankyou, thankyou my friends

Tigerprint -YouBlog

After finishing the weekend on a perfect note with a lovely meal with friends this evening, I thought I’d create a quick post to let you know that my first post as a contributing writer for Tigerprint - YouBlog went live yesterday. I am so excited to be contributing to the world of this fantastic company who based in West Yorkshire,  design “cutting edge card and wrap designs to supply to M&S“.

They have some BE.AUT.IFUL designs and you can read my post by clicking here. Enjoy!

Make sure you pop back here tomorrow where I will be telling you more about this^^^^ design! Exciting!