mmm.... look what I found... two of the nicest things in the world combined... knitting and cakes woo!! Think i'm going to have a go at baking them with the excuse that they're 'work' related!! Today I had a knit tutorial with Annie, it was great to feel a bit of pressure to present forcing me to process my ideas in my head, so I can see a little clearer my aims and the progress I have to make to achieve al that I want to!!...A lot more knitting and a bit of organising to present my ideas in a slightly more clinical way are on the cards before I feel completely ready and prepared for the big photo shoot next week (i'm excited!!... and have a great photographer for it... and lovely models... and an amazing location!!) So tonight's task is to make lots of labels to organise all my knitting and cut out a vast amount of tracing paper printing I did this morning!! Anyway heres the cakes...






 

Yesterday my tutorial really helped see what I have achieved so far and also what I want to progress to by the end of this project... it helped to set things straight in my mind and also see strategically where my weaker areas are and how I can improve them to display them to the best of my ability...I have been looking more into my research about 1940's make do and mend fashions - I came across some clothing ration books that you used to collect stamps for to exchange for new items of clothing...I love this idea as a way to slow down the fashion process and as a way of presenting my work in an interesting and unusual layout...

Freddie Robbins interacts topical issues and her own beliefs with hand crafting knitted objects and almost sculptural pieces of art, creating unique and amazing pieces. I love the textures she creates and issues behind the pieces which may not be apparent at first glance...

Just a quick update of some more websites i've come across whilst researching into eco-friendly and ethical fashion... they all look great as well as inspiring and letting the customer know where exactly the clothing has come from, who it has affected in the process of manufacture and showing them how to be stylish with a conscience...

Saturday and Sunday are always overtaken by the job so its only when I snatch time in the evenings to finish off odd bits that I make any progress (and it always has to be a sit down activity as my legs are like jelly after 8 hours of standing!!) so odd jobs it was... finishing a couple of layouts... and thinking of progressing the idea of creating a little magazine/catalogue to include all my layout work... although this is a major task and its a matter of finding the time in-between everything else!!!! Decisions decisions...

Today is all about layouts!!....To keep all my processes and development neat and tidy I have decided to create a selection of sketch books/layout books to hold all my photographs... so i'm going to be spending a lot of time on photoshop today (good job the weather is not so good today!!) ....I'm also putting my arty skills to good use by decorating our living room like The Cavern Club (brick walls and all!!) so should be a busy busy day!!...heres some sample layouts...

Today I have been experimenting with different ways to get across the idea of my clothes being interchangeable and the knitted pieces being able to be used in many different ways...I thought back to when I was younger and had paper doll books which you cut out and change the outfits on the doll depending on the background. I wanted to transform and update this and stumbled upon a type of magnetic paper that you can put through a printer...I thought I could make a really unusual set of promotional pieces if I shrank some of my illustrations onto a sheet that the consumer can interchange to create their own take on an outfit, It needs a little development but here is the basic template for the sheet...

Some of the websites that have helped me change my perceptions of the fashion industry and also encourage and empower the customer to change their shopping habits a little at a time without sacrificing style are below...I love their high fashion feel and their stylish look that isn't easily distinguishable as fair trade or ethically sound until you look at the process of making the clothes - style isn't sacrificed for slavery...

For a long time I have been knitting up my own pieces... sometimes I make them up as I go along or start a pattern... and then wonder what would happen if i did it this way or twisted this part or added that rib there... I love creating something completely unique - even if it came from me reading the instructions wrong and ending up with something utterly different from what it was supposed to be!! So anyway yesterday I got my book of scribbled pattern writing out and tried to decipher what I had written!! Aiming to create some pattern sheets that are easy to follow for knitters and non-knitters alike along with some photographs of what it should look like... if you wish!! Heres a sample of how they turned out..

Bit of updating on my research today...i've found some great websites across this project so heres a few snapshots of them, they are really stylish and well presented and not the typical eco-friendly sites you may expect, they really inspired me and widened my vision for what is possible to achieve in the fashion industry without harming workers or the environment...