When choosing my final design with Karen and Pat I had already chosen the fabric that I intended to use and made my toile with this in mind, however when I went back to the fabric shop there wasn't any of the material left. So i've been on the hunt for a similar fabric and I've found something which is similar in weight and texture but a slightly more vibrant blue than the previous one. I think this will be a good compromise and hopefully won't make too much difference to my design.


Today I handed in my Buying and Merchandising assessment for which I did a study of H&M in Bournemouth town centre. When we were first given the assignment I didn't realize how in depth the study was, and since then I've scrutinized every clothes shop I've been in. It's certainly given me a better understanding of how some retailers have made a better success of the way they sell their image, and how some stores seem to take pride in this more than others. One store that I think do this best is Urban outfitters who have a very individual, edgy style that they present in store and reflect in their fashion ranges.

I chose to study H&M however as I have a less bias opinion and thought this would make it easier to consider positives and negatives.


My review went quite well. As it was my first toile review I expected that it probably wouldn't be perfect first time. When making the toile I found that I was using a lot of techniques that we hadn't practiced in our lessons with Jane, such as sewing on pockets and using elastic. I had to refer back to my pattern cutting books to refresh my memory. After doing this I found it fairly easy to apply the skills to my own design. A few things need to be changed on my toile such as, lowering the elastic around the waist, and I also need to practice sewing in the zip which is a feature on the front of my garment. I'm now keen to make these alterations so I can begin making my final garment.




Today I managed to get the basic shape of my dress finished. I've put the elastic around the waist so it's looking a lot less like a stylized sack and more like an actual dress. I'm now working on putting frills around the neckline and need to work out where I want my pockets. Hopefully it will all be ready for the review on Monday. I've found that applying the skills we learnt to our own designs has really helped my work progress. I definitely learn from doing, and I've made a few mistakes which I can change on my pattern and it's helped me to understand the construction progress a little better.




“She hides behind the bird in hopes that she will not receive the viewer’s focus, but the connection between her hands and the animal’s wings establishes a strong bond that renders her just as vulnerable and exposed as the bird in the foreground. She too can be catalogued and judged whether she desires to be or not.”

By photographer Eric Slayton. I've used his photographs as research for my Manifesto project which I have based on birds.


In last weeks lecture we had a practical demonstration to imagine we were buying a range of jeans for a fictional shop. We had around 14 pairs of jeans to choose from, and we had to consider everything that we had learnt about what makes a successful range and how to choose what's right for the target customer. There are so many different aspects to think about, and many decisions can conflict each other, which made it a really difficult task. It definitely highlighted how difficult the job can be.


The Lectra sessions have finished now and after a few sessions using it I definitely started to get the hang of it. Also learning to work with Jersey helped me to think about how it might be a good option for some of my Manifesto designs. I think it has also refreshed some of my pattern cutting skills and it's been helpful to have a better understanding of construction when considering how to design a functional garment. I have now chosen my final design for the Manifesto project and began making my pattern. It was hard to know where to begin but with a little guidance and looking back on my construction books I've managed to work out the basic shape of my dress.