End of year show

I didn't know how much space I would be allowed for my end of year show, but I had a rough idea of how I wanted to present my products and brought along some props to help set the scene. Using the mannequin helped to show people the scale of the big bag as well as showing it off as a feature piece. It also showed how to wear the scarves and how well they went together. I kept my colour palette to blues to enforce my theme of the beach, my products also showed up well against it.

The small section in the middle was for my purses and I used my props here to get them noticed. Surrounding my smaller products with shells, driftwood, sea pebbles and seaweed made my stand look more interesting and added some different colours and textures. It was also a good place to put my business cards (I put them inside a large shell) which I printed onto brown card to keep to the natural theme and also because I thought they would be different to everyone elses.

I think my end of year show was successful as people gave good feedback such as they were products you would buy in a shop. After completing this project, I feel that I know which direction I am going in and it has given me a lot of confidence in my products. I would like to continue making bags and purses using a mixture of fabrics and my designs and try selling them online and at craft fairs.

One last idea

For my final digital print I wanted to make a statement bag with my print all over. I found this picture of a large bag on the website WGSN, and wanted to make something similar.

My first idea was to make a bottom separately that had a strip around it connecting to the fabric of the bag. I made all my measurements, created a pattern and tried it out in calico. It didn't work! I tried a few times but had trouble with the size, connecting the two handles, connecting the base to the top...

Basically I didn't have time to keep trying with a pattern that I couldn't get to work. So I decided to create a completely new pattern which would give me a similarly looking bag. This one worked! My digital fabric was blue so I chose the beige leather coat I had found and used that as a base as I thought the two colours would look good together.

The lining of the coat was a really nice silky gold which I thought would match the base and contrast with the outer. It also make the bag look a bit more luxurious. Finally I finished it with a pocket on the inside and a business label.

I really like this bag and I would like to make it out of other materials in different colours. I also think it would be easy to re-size to have a range of smaller versions.

A tote bag

I decided to make a tote bag as I thought it would be a good way of showing off my digital print and also I had made one before, so I had a good idea of the process. However, I made a prototype out of calico and included the lining this time, to make sure I knew what I was doing and that my pattern worked.

To make the bag a bit more special, I decided to add sides and a bottom, long handle and a back panel all made from black leather. I also added a black lining made from the same coat the leather came from.

To make my bags look more professional, I made some label with my company name on them. This was done by printing the name onto T-shirt transfer paper and then ironing onto a ribbon. I think this worked very well and keeps the cost of having labels printed down, while I am starting my business.

scarves and ruffles!

I made a prototype scarf at the start of the project, but it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted. Despite that I decided to have another go and dyed two lots of fabric a bright blue colour. The first bit of fabric I wanted to make into a large wrap style scarf. I started by adding some splashes of batik dye to it, to make it look a bit like a watery rock pool (this is what I tried for the prototype but it didn't really work)

I then frayed the edges to give a tassel look. This took a very long time so I think I would just sew on a tassel trimming next time. Then I hand sewed the hem into a rolled edge. Again this took a long time, but it gives a really neat professional finish.

The second lot of fabric I dyed was thinner, and I wanted to turn this into a few ruffly scarves that would evoke the ruffle on shells and ripples in the sea. To do this I cut the fabric into strips and hemmed it on the machine using a scallop stitch. Then using elastic in the bobbing and blue thread on top, I sewed various straight and wavy lines to create the ruffles. After I had finished the ruffles, I decided that the scarves would look better if they were joined at the ends to create a kind of light snood.

The finished purses

Since I had discovered the secrets of attaching a lining whilst making the square bag, I felt confident about completing my purses. Again they used brown leather as the outer and my printed silk as the lining, finished off with a resin filled zip pull.

The trickiest part was figuring out the order of sewing for the double pocket purse, as this is essentially one purse inside another. I found some good videos on Youtube which suggested securing both piece of fabric with thin strips of double sided tape. This works really well and you can peel it off after you sewn over it.

A little extra

At the start of this project, I bought some sheets of double-sided, washable, printable cotton. (from Crafty Computer Paper) I wasn't really sure what to do with, but tried it out by printing some of the tester patterns I had made using the pen tool in Photoshop. These looked quite good and I started to think about what I could make that would show off both sides of the print. I had some clear PVC left over from my plastic shell clutch and decided to mix the two and make some little bus pass holders.

These were really quick and not very expensive to make. I also like how you can mix prints and produce them at home.

Square embroidered purses

One of the coats I bought had a lot of zips on it and I thought it would be good to try and make some purses where I didn't have to insert the zip myself!

To add some decoration and interest I used the free embroidery foot on the sewing machine and stitched shells and seaweed in a contrasting turquoise thread.

This way of making a purse was so much simpler and I'm going to start looking out for garments with zips that I can easily incorporate into my products.

More fabric designs

Making my printed fabric was very effective, so I wanted to make some more that could be used on the outside of bags. I designed a motif in a kalaedoscope pattern using photos I had taken of shells. I then manipulated this in photoshop to create two different patterns. These were printed onto canvas as I thought that would be a strong material for a bag.

 

I think they turned out really well and I've got some good ideas for bag patterns that will show them off to their best advantage.

Starting to make my final products

The first product I decided to make was the box bag with driftwood handles. From my prototype, I had pretty much found out what order to sew up the outside pieces in and didn't think it would take me that long. I wanted to use the silk that I had digitally printed onto to line the bag, and a brown leather coat to make the outer. However, I didn't consider the fact that my prototype didn't have a lining! It is really tricky trying to plan out a 3D model in your head of a bag and deciding how and where to sew a lining so that it can be turned right way out to hide the seams. I needed help with this and asked my tutor and the sewing technician who guided me through the process. After I had made another prototype (with a lining this time!) I was ready o tackle my final product. It took a while but I got it in the end. I also decided to add a pocket to the lining piece as all good bags have pockets!

Second-hand finds!

To start of making my actual finished products, I needed to source some garments to use as fabric. I really wanted to find a brown leather jacket for my main bag and purses, something with lots of zips and then anything that might provide some inspiration.

This is what I found. I was really pleased to find the brown leather coat above which will provide loads of material for my bags and purses. The top coat also has a lot of zips which will be useful for some new purse ideas. The brown suede coat I thought would look good as a base for a bag in contrast to a bright print. The colour also looks like sand which ties into my theme.

Bag and purses prototypes

Using my trend research, I designed this bag and these purses. I made a paper template and used some faux leather for the outer. For my final products I want to use my designed fabric as a lining. The part I needed to practice and learn, was how to sew on the zips and in which order I needed to attach the sides. 

I thought it was important to use metal zips as it adds a better quality to the products and I think the silver colour matches the tones on my colour mood board. However, it was difficult to work with the chunky metal zip on the small purse so I might change it to a plastic one in a similar colour. I also wanted to change the zip pull so filled a shell with resin and drilled a hole to fix it onto the zip with jump rings.  

 

The bang handle I wanted to be an important feature, so I made it out of driftwood that I sourced from my trip to the beach. I then attached it to the bag using a jute rope which overall I think works very well to show my beachcomber theme. For my final product, I want the bag to retain it's shape so I might add a cardboard insert or iron on interfacing. 

 

Digitally printed fabric

This is the fabric which I designed as a pattern on photoshop. I made it using my own photographs and drawings of shells, which I arranged into a pattern that I could then repeat to make as long a length as I need. This is printed onto silk crepe and I plan to use it as a lining in my bags and purses. 

I am really happy with my fabric, it is totally unique and will give my products an individuality that people won't be able to find anywhere else! It might also mean that I can charge more for my products.

Lariat

The lariat was very easy to  make because it was just rope which I added knots to. To add some decoration,  I wrapped around some blue and green coloured wire and some small shells. This shows my beachcomber theme well, but because of the rope, I think people will think it is quite a cheap product and won't buy it. However, if I made it out of anything else, it wouldn't show my theme well and their would be no point making it as part of this collection.

Plastic shell clutch

An idea that I didn't have at the start, but which was suggested to me whilst working n the project, was this plastic shell clutch. It was made by vacuum forming clear plastic over a real scallop shell. I then coloured it with glass paint and glued on clear PVC to attach the two halves.

 I like this idea, but I don't think it very practical. It would be hard to use it as an actual purse so people might not want to buy it. It also took quite a long time to make, so might cost a lot to buy.

Sweater scarf

 I found a blue woolen cradigan with aran type cabling from a second-hand shop. I then started to manipulate it into a sweater scarf shape by cutting off one of the arms, picking up the stitches and knitting the hole back together. I used a light blue wool because it is a good contrast and I think it helps to enhance the beachcomber theme.

Using a mannequin I started to shape the cardigan, pinning up sections and knitting together or stitching them. I left the second arm on and cut a hole near to the opening. I then knitted the opening closed and knitted on a piece from the cut off arm to create a little purse.

I like the idea of the sweater scarf but I think I need to refine my execution of the techniques I used to make it a neater product. The good thing about these scarves is that each one will be individual because each starting jumper will be different.

Product sketches

These are the coloured sketches I have made of the first ideas I have for my products. I have used the research I have collected to decide on the shapes and the materials are a combination of fabrics I hope to find second-hand, and fabrics I want to design and print. I have also included elements I hope to find on my trip to the beach, including shells, sea glass and driftwood.

Product ideas - shape trends

As well as having a shell/beachcombing theme, I also have to look at current themes to see what is in fashion. I looked at a website called WGSN using the college's subscription to find shape trends for bags, scarves and purses. For bag trends, I liked the small box style bags and a slouchy bag with long circular handles which would look good with an all over print.

 Whilst looking at scarf trends I found out about sweater scarves, these are meant to look like you have tied a jumper around your shoulders. Thinking about my theme, I am reminded of fishermen and their gansey jumpers. If I could find some second-hand aran jumpers I could easily manipulate the shape by sewing and picking up and re-knitting stitches.

Another new trend is apparently, the lariat. I think of this as more of a necklace, but it could be easy to incorporate elements of my theme. For example, the lariat itself could be made out of thick rope, the type used on boats, and the embellishments could be shells and pieces of driftwood. Here I have also researched fisherman's knots which I think would add a decorative element as well as keeping the embellishments in place.

That's my idea!

During my research, I came across the spring/summer 2012 collections for Chanel and Versace. I don't know how they managed to find out about my idea, but these fashion houses have produced collections based on shells and underwater images!

 Versace have used a number of beautiful prints featuring shells, sea-life and mermaids! They have also made use of shell shape as embellishments and jewellery as I saw in my initial research. I really like these prints and I'd like to do something similar as I think scarves would look really good in a full print and also a bag lined with a colourful print would be fun.

I love these Chanel bags. they are so inventive and really show what can be achieved with some experimentation. My favourite is the seaweed bag, I like the muted colours and the textures. Although I like these ideas, if I were to make something similar, I would want it to be a bit more practical that people would buy because they can see themselves using it as an everyday item.

Inspirational images

To start my project I gathered some photos and magazine cut outs of products that had a similar theme of shells and stuck them into my PPJ work book.

This page shows how initially I did a simple search for products featuring shells. It proves that it is a versatile theme that can be applied to clothes, accessories and home ware. I like the prints and the use of shells as embellishments and as a shape for 3D objects.

Although these photocopied images don't show my theme directly, to me they invoke the frills and ruffles of shells. I could use these fabric manipulation techniques in my own products to add some surface decoration without having to make a print or drawing.

I love the print image on this dress. It reminds me of a rock pool, and I think it would be quite easy to replicate using batik dyes and randomly dropping it onto fabric so that the colours bleed together. I also like the textures of the group of fabrics on the right. I could use a similar mix of chunky and fine fabrics to add some contrast and interest to my products.

First ideas - mind map

This is my mind map! You can see that I want to concentrate on bags, scarves and purses for women. I have then gone to think of all the different ideas to do with these products. I have also looked at what materials I could use including second-hand items and beach finds. Lastly I have looked at my theme and different ways of incorporating it into my products. From here I will start to do some visual research on the topics I have listed in the mind map.

Introduction - The First Post!

Hi everyone this is the first post on my new blog all about my last term at college! I only have a few months left to make and finish my products for the end of year show, but luckily I have already done a lot of the hard work. With my first few blogs I will show you all the preparation work I did last term, finding inspiration, sketching initial ideas and making my prototypes.
Just to get you up to date, I am using shells and beach combing as an inspiration to create a range of prints and surface designs on fabric. I am then hoping to create a range of bags and purses that are totally unique  to me and each other as they will all feature found objects. I hope you like my products and enjoy following my creative journey!