New toiles

I've been back in Nottingham for one week.. And what a week!! Mainly one of sewing til 2am every night! Here are some photos of my recent toiles :)

Backpack.. Well.. The base.. Which I love!

Cute purse... Love it!

Laptop case!

Makeup case with four compartments. Also made a larger toiletries one!

I've also made little fat quarters of lino printed fabrics :)

Well.. That's my week!

Original VS Innovative Design

A few little updates

Today i had my mid term review feedback. it was good and bad. well, more good. My tutor is really into my work, which is good cause shes pretty much giving me my degree! She knows my products are very well made and shes confident ill have high quality work - which is good - because i pride myself in my practiced techniques and perfected toiles. She also credited my love for design, and problem solving. This is true.. i love designing... from sketch to toile to the final thing, i love to work to a brief and solve a problem through design! This is more of a CV feature but thats great that at this stage she can see this so possible employers will see this in a reference. 

She also mentioned - im predicted 2:1, I can achieve a 1st in some aspects of my work but without innovative bag design she cant award me a first. i never really set out to re-invent the bag.. i just want to add to all the beautiful bags on the market! But maybe mine are too plain.. something to work on even if just for examples, if i can say ive experimented and then decided on the plainer designs then thats good research and better than just saying 'no i dont want to experiment because i want plain bags'

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This weekend i had home alone - which meant i could sew throughout the night without waking my housemate!! Just about the only good thing about being home alone - very creepy

Ive been making these mockups for bags.Im not sure what kind of bags yet. clutch, leather strap, backpacks, weekender... im just making forms and thinking about their use after really. 

I made this first one here in large first, which i like but its too big for a day bag (too wide) and too small for a weekender. Then i made the tiny one.. way too small for anything.. though i love it cause its cute! Then - the middle one. great large clutch size and also a great size for a day bag. it fits an a4 file (just!) and will fit a tablet, small macbook etc. 

All toiles are made of calico and are fully lined, to best represent the final form and so i can figure out how its gonna be made! 

They are made by making two compartments exactly the same. they are sewn together at the side seams to create a double compartment-with-flat-pocket. it is a bit of a waste of fabric maybe but it looks good and its high quality and sturdy!

This here is the construction of a double hidden zipped pouch. the idea is there will be a front panal with more angles, featuring two hidden zipped pockets behind a fold. It needs alot of work - lets put it like that!

so... yeah i work in my pjs.. and there's calico EVERYWHERE in my room!! happy sewing!!

Calico toile #2!

My second calico toile this year! It's so much bigger than I expected, but I'm making a 3/4th size and a 1/2 size tomorrow just for comparison 

It has two main compartments - each served by one of these flaps - and an internal flat pocket created by the joining of the two compartments, so a gap in the middle! Each compartment is big enough to fit the laptop case I'm making (16") and a4 files

There will be a leather handle so that you can wear it as low as your hips with the strap over the shoulder. I might also make a square one :)

Planning some more toiles tomorrow. Running out of calico and uni have switched their supplier to some cheap and nastily see through stuff. Feels like cheesecloth. Im sure it's fine for drapey fashion stuff but for the bag mock ups I prefer the calico quite form and tough! The best representation of the final fabrics.

I now have about 10 calico mockups. We will see what developments the weekend, and Mondays tutorials bring! 

Calico Toile

This calico mock up is for a double compartment backpack. it is created from two oblong tote bag style forms, which connect with rivets and each has a covering flap, creating this double flap look. if you have seen my visualisations you will see how tartan and digitally printed fabrics will feature in my final designs!

NoticeBoard DIY

Today i decide to create a basic noticeboard for my uni room. i have so many pieces of paper and notes everywhere that i need a place to store them!

I have made a few of these before, but only A3 size at the biggest. This one is A1 - 80cmx60cm (ish) so its pretty big!

I have a small uni room so i didnt want to get a big bold print. Just like the clutch bag sizing rule, a big noticeboard makes your room look even smaller, so i went for calico. I know most people turn their noses up at calico, and yes i used it from my stash which i make mock ups with, but i have a bit of a thing for calico at the moment.. its plain.. when im trying to think of designs this pin board wont confuse me.. i just sits on the wall subtlety :D Plus its going to get really colourful once i start stuffing bits of paper into it!

I chose grosgrain ribbon in white, to match the walls, and give the product a bit of texture. also the polyester ribbon can look abit tacky, especially with something as plain as calico! Then i got these lush natural wooden buttons from my local fabric store in felixstowe.

I also used command strips to attach it to my wall. I sometimes put a ribbon to hang it from then hammer a nail into the wall but i want all of my deposit back when we leave here in 7 months!

Im pretty happy with this! Might write a small tutorial. They are so easy and it only took me 45 minutes. 3M Craft Mount is also my new best friend :)

If i can do it then you can too :D

Tutorial will be written up for this one i think! So easy - and gets your papers off your desk :D