Good News!

Sorry that I haven’t written in over a week, but I have been really busy and at last it has paid off! Ok I left off last time right before I went in on Tuesday November 10^th for my design class. I had prepared a lot of samples for my tutor to look at, but hadn’t done much in my portfolio. Well I went in and showed her my samples and she liked where I was going and I also liked the fact that I knew where I was going. To sum it almost I think I might have gotten a smile out of her. I left that day feeling half on top of the world and half stressed, cause I didn’t want to come in the next week with any less than what I had that week.

            Well that week I drafted and made 11 collar samples, and I drafted 5-6 sleeve patterns, but only made 2 samplers of the designs I really felt passionate about. Over the weekend I had an epiphany with where I wanted to go with my designs and juxtaposed Victoriana, Leg of mutton sleeves, and a Chambered Nautilus. So I made one of the sleeves form one of my designs and showed it to her on Tuesday November 17^th, along with all the other stuff I had sampled. Well lets just say I’m both on her good side and I have my final design. This next week is going to be a mixture of panic between making a full toile/sample of my final design, a research paper on peacoats, a reflective essay, Thanksgiving and at the end of the week heading to Amsterdam for a nice weekend holiday! It’s going to be stressful ending in a fun weekend, so I can’t wait! Well here are a few photos of my sleeve sample along with the collar that will accompany it:

It's Tuesday Again!

I thought I would write a pre-class blog entry this week to show everyone what I was going in with and to possibly be less cynical whilst writing friends and family. Well this week instead of drawing my designs, which I will admit I am terrible at, I decided to make some samples and half toiles of my design ideas to show to my tutor today in hopes that I might get my ideas across to her. Well here are my designs, hope you all enjoy:

This is a Leg-o-mutton sleeve with cartridge pleating

This another Leg-o-mutton sleeve, made-up 3 pieces and is cut to lay across the chest when pressed flat, this causes fullness in the shoulder of the sleeve

This is a half toile that has double box pleats in the front,

 back and sleeve to give extra fullness 

Detail shot of the front yoke

detail shot of the back yoke

This is a pleated raglan leg-o-mutton sleeve

Detail shot of the winged french cuff

Here are two "Dandy" style collars with an ascot bow

modeled by the wonderful Ozora

Vile!!!!

Tuesday came again this week…… sucks for me. So design class this week was interesting again, I came prepared with all of my research laid-out on presentation sheets and I also came in with a few designs to show her as well. I got to class and she was calling people one by one and she always starts from the top of the roster, so I had plenty of time to finish a few more pages. When it was my time to go and speak with her I was pretty confident in my work, unfortunately for me. First I showed here my presentation sheets, which she said were “uninspired” and that each one should “tell a story”, I was ok with this and told her that the reason that they weren’t inspired was because I simply was uninspired by that research. Then I showed her my designs… well they were not received well. She said that they were “costumey”, which I get a lot, and that there were “contrived” and if they were be worn by a person they would look “absolutely vile!” at this I had to laugh! Through all the comments I took in stride this time, giving a few chuckles here and there, not that I wasn’t taking what she was saying seriously, but you just kinda had to laugh, or the alternative cry. But after that ordeal I asked about how I could change and simplify my ideas into something more “wearable” as she wants, and we discussed some things that can be changed and basically I’m going to simplify my ideas and samples for next time so we can see how they look in person, cause my bad sketches my be too severe a representation for what the final piece will ultimately look like. Well can’t wait for next Tuesday! Lol!

Here are a few of those vile designs:

 

Halloween!

Being an American I thought it would be a great idea to dress the part and become an American stereotype, or should I say an “a-Merican”! seeing as people tend to think of Americans as either Californians, being the best, or southern hicks I thought I would try out the later of the two. My costume consisted of my friends old magenta hair extensions, a trucker cap, wife beater, cut-off flannel button-up, ripped and tattered jeans and boots (essentially “all American”). Along with my new look I adopted an new persona, we’ll call him Billy Bob as to not be confused with the actual Marcus. So Billy Bob love country such as Gretchen Wilson with “Red-neck woman”, some Taylor Swift, and definitely his favorite Billy Ray Cyrus! Billy Bob wouldn’t consider dating anyone unless they were a close relative and loves his beer and (American) football more than anything else on this earth.

            Well enough about Billy Bob and a little more about Halloween. So Billy Bob went out on Friday night and got trashed and left Marcus to deal with the hang-over the next day. Billy Bob also made an appearance on Halloween as well but behaved himself a little more due to the Hall Staff warning everyone that there was a gang initiation that night and people were getting stabbed in the area. Over all there were fun times and not so fun times, and Billy Bob wont be making an appearance anytime soon, but here’s a picture of him, so if you see him say hi:

"Thumbs up for Kuntacky (Kentucky)"

"Purdy ladies make me happy, WOOoooOoO!"