WoW 2014 photoshoot looms!!

With my photo shoot for this years WoW garments only  10 days away, I am pretty focused on completing these gals at the moment! The last week or so has been interesting as the many components I have been making over the last few months come together to form the whole image. It is a time of interaction with the pieces – often I have no idea what step is next until I look at them and they tell me what they need.  In a way it is the most enjoyable, as it is a form of communication – I feel like I’m not making something on my own but conspiring with it to bring it to where it wants to be. Look, I know that might sound a bit nutty, but for a control freak, I feel like I hand a lot of my control over to the pieces themselves at this stage. I have to listen to them, and frankly, I enjoy that.  It’s almost a time of recklessness, where things just have to be done so I just do them!! And look, it must be working, because even my mother thought they were looking good when she cast her eyes over them today!! Whooooooo!!!

As well as the WoW work, I have been greatly enjoying my TAFE studies, which this term includes a subject called Studio, where our brief is to design, pattern-make, and embellish a garment.  This continues on from our design subject last term, where we had to draw inspiration from an artist, (in my case, Georgia O’Keefe) collect other inspirational images, and come up with a design based on these components.  Apart from natural imagery, I have found myself very attracted to the beautiful sculptural works of Iris Van Herpen and Yiqing Yin, as my visual diary shows.

This term I have had to explore at least 6 versions of a design, all of which I have based on a form of bomaki shibori embellishment of which I have had samples pinned on a mannequin for at least 6 months, just waiting to be utilised . 

The fact that we have to use calico for this is not too distressing for me, as at least it will have the body to hold the pleats! I will be able to dye it – I am thinking dip-dyed slate grey tones to fit with my Cloudlines theme – and I will brush metallic paint or foil on the pleated fabric whilst it is still on the pipe from shibori shaping. I hope to also include beading as a second form of embellishment, using large-scale beads covered in organza to contrast the pleated shapes.  

Playing with calico bomaki shibori tubes cut in half and stitched along the middle to create an edge 

I'm liking that action around the bottom!

The patternmaking for this is a great challenge – this is what I’m at TAFE for!! It was easy for me to begin with the embellishment side of things – that’s what I do – but the structure underneath is all important. With this in mind, I am trying to make it as much of a challenge as I can, with my two final designs featuring a keyhole back, low cut back, and tapered and supported bell-shaped skirt.

The long version which I would like to do....

The bell skirt version

The keyhole back

All of these features present some interesting challenges.  I had no idea how to modify the block to do this, but with some expert help from my teacher Helen Spencer, I have some patterns ready to toile. I don’t even want to think about the lining yet!

This weeks draping excercise

Draping is also a component of our patternmaking class, and I just love it! As a very visual person, I find it immensely helpful in understanding the principles of patternmaking. Not to mention just enjoying the beauty of this technique.

Sadly, I won't be able to show you pics of the coming shoot until September, but I know you are all used to that now! Hopefully though, I will be able to show you progress shots of my Studio progress over the coming weeks.