Task Three - Development - Pattern Idea - Process of Making

Today I started on the idea I proposed for the fabric pattern.

I  have scanned in part of the textiles origami inspired sample and using Adobe Illustrator I've started to trace the lines for the pattern that will create the boarders for the windows of pattern to be seen through. 

I've been using the pen tool to draw the lines to get the initial boarders however once I have finished drawing the rest I need to go back and edit the shapes. 

At the moment the boarders look too sharp and heavily structured and I'd prefer them to be more softer and more natural like in the original sample . 

Task Two - Research - Free Cutting by Julian Roberts

While on Pinterest I came across an image of way of pattern cutting manipulation called Subtraction Cutting. 

This is a class taught by Julian Roberts a renowed fashion designer and film maker who has show in London Fashion Week several times and the five time winner of the British Fashion Council's New Generation Award. 

Many garments are created by flat (traditional) pattern cutting methods or draping fabric over a mannequin.

Substraction Cutting is a method where a hollow construction is developed into the pattern that uses the negative spaces in patterns, turning the usual garment style to a combination of traditional pattern construction and draping producing unique shapes and styles.





After further research into this technique, I can see a link between this method and my theme of Traditional Japan. The draping in the garments produced could represent the folds seen in the art form of origami. 

I intend to experiment with this technique after finding this guide produced by Julian Roberts:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/10d8kgbkp1yxc88/FREE-CUTTING-Julian-Roberts.pdf

The guide gives a introduction to the technique and explains how the method works and how to apply it to your own work.

I think subtraction cutting would give my work a new edge that I could link to my theme making my work more successful then using the traditional method of pattern cutting or draping. 

Task Three - Development - Pattern Idea Proposal

After creating my pervious two illustrations I have had the idea of developing a fabric print using a origami influenced sample and a piece of work I produced in the Fine Art way.

I could combine the textured origami sample and the Gerhard Richter inspired reworked photograph. Using inspiration gained from John Stezaker's work I plan to have parts of the pattern showing through the 'windows' created in the textured fabric sample.

Hopefully the pattern will be obscured by the lines of the folds in the fabric showing a link to how a pattern would be obscured by the folds in origami, for example a traditional Japanese handheld fan when partially closed.

Task Three - Development - Fashion Illustrations

After my group critique this morning I created these two designs on Illustrator to reflect the feed back  was given. I have use the advise of changing the colour pallet and structure of garment to be be more flawy were the pleats and fold fall naturally. 

In these two design I have taken inspiration from the designers Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake and their work that I have pinned on my Japanese Inspiration Pinterest board. 

The pattern element for these designs came from a photograph I worked on previously in the Fine Art roundabout. 

I have left some of the illustration without pattern to shown the layering of the garments. However I really like the patchiness of the pattern adds aestheticly pleasing element to the designs. 

Group Critique

Today I put forward the the origami cape I produced a few weeks ago in the group crit. 

In the group critiques I was advise to change the colours because pallet reminded some of the group of Halloween. They advised I change the black to white or a softer colour to give a softer effect that would still represent and adhere to the Japanese theme. 

A comment was also made about the two contrasting ways the fabric fell; the flow of the cape compared to the structured folding piece on the back. The thoughts from the group was that the contrasting combination of the drape of the fabric didn't work. 

The group proposed that the folds in the cape were more subtle and more flattering to the body then the bolder crisp lines in the folded fabric. 

The class expressed my own realisation of the fabric choice saying for the folded element of the experimental garment was too thick and a lighter weight fabric would have worked better. 

As I carry on my development I think I will use the advise for creating folds in softer way by the drape of fabric rather then the structured approach and change the black for a more feminine colour. 

Roundabouts - Fine Art - Photos

Today I caught up with the Fine Art pathway where we tasked with appropriating, manipulate and alter 'found' images. We could do this by obscuring the photographs with paint or collaging them together to create new combined images.

Before we started editing the photos we look at the works of Gerhard Richter, Robert Rauschenberg (who both edited found images using paint and mixed media techniques) and John Stezaker (conceptual artist who combined images to create new).

These are just a few of the photographs I edited inspired by the artists using the medias of paint and varnish and collage. 

 I admire the the way the varnish and the paint have reacted with each other on the photographs to create textures and patterns. 

I think I will experiment with the first image shown to create a pattern for a fabric because the printed textures and pattern would transpire well onto the fabric. 

The colour pallet I have used have a Autumn ambiance that would suit a winter/fall fashion collection.

Roundabouts - Textiles and Fashion - Manutex Printing

In the forth roundabout session we attended the option Textiles and Fashion. In this session we experimented with mark marking in the form of manutex printing; a form of pattern printing that can only be printed once, unlike most printing making.

When manutex printing you draw your chosen image or pattern onto the silkscreen and pull it through the screen using a print paste on to material. 

Rather then print onto cartridge paper I experimented with appropriating fashion magazine images. This wasn't very successful because the paper had been printed on previously meaning that the ink didn't soak in. 

Task Three - Development - Textures

In my sketchbook I've been experimenting with stitching in place the folds in fabrics seen in the art of origami. 

To develop the idea further I attempted to stitch the folds in a less precise manner to create a different texture. 

I then cultivated the idea to create a larger piece of fabric using the same technique for a sample garment to see how the distorted fabric effects the drape and fall when on.

Task 2 - Development - Fabric Folding Idea

In my sketch book I have started to visually communicate and develop the idea of using the folds seen in origami into potential garment ideas.


I have taken one of the pages in my sketchbook and attempted to create similar lines observed in the folds of the paper by sewing the pleats fabric.


For the colour scheme of the fabric I have used I used the vivid red that is apparent throughout the Japanese culture with the Black to make it stand out.   



I selected to make the garment  a cape because of the simplicity and quickness of production of the garment and as a canvas for the structured piece of fabric. 

When choosing my fabric I just chose the two fabrics i used I selected fabric made same fibres with a similar weave so they would have similar characteristics and fall in the same way. The fabrics I chose were too thick for the folds meaning that the machine struggled to sew some of the folds into place. 

If I was to create something like this again I would have to change my choice of fabric for a thinner fabric that the machine could handle and maybe stiffen it to get the crisp clean lines desired.   

Task Three - Development - Sketchbook

I've started to develop my theme of origami in a visual sketch book by collaging appropriating fashion images.

In my sketchbook I've tried to demonstrate how my ideas are evolving in how  origami could be used for garments in a range of materials like different fabrics, paper and woven metals. 

I've tried to make my sketchbook textual with a specific strong visual theme running throughout. I think I need to start being more experimental in my work to develop a stronger outcome. As well as folding I want to explore how materials bend and how they flow and move. 

Roundabouts - 3D - Wire Structures

This morning we spent some time creating wire structures and drawings using the the spot wielding machine. The outcome of the task was to reproduce a drawing of a primary photographs, objects or drawings.

I selected the paper origami dress I constructed in a past exercise for my inspiration. Looking at a small area of the front bodice I experimented in reproduce the folds into 2D wire drawing. 

To develop the wire drawing example further I created a collage using the sample to loosely show the idea of how wire could be used as a garment material.