Thursday 21 June 2012


My last FMP piece was originally worked in white embroidery threads before I decided and was inspired to dye it in tea bags to give it a vintage feel. This last piece was a real challenge for me  because I was running out of inspiration and energy. I was really worried with this last piece that I was not going to be able to add enough texture, variations of stitch and techniques into the embroidery. However, I am glad I persevered at it and got it done and am really happy with what I have accomplished.

5th FMP piece was to design and make a cuff. I really wanted to concentrate on refinement, and in making a pair of cuff's it added variation into my collection. The cuff is embroidered on gold tulle with wire wrapping a jewellery making technique that I have applied into the design to give it some edge.
These are my 3rd and 4th FMP pieces inspired by Haute Couture Embroidery. I wanted to challenge myself with embroidering onto really delicate fabric so I decided to embroider and embellish these designs onto gold tulle. The intention of embroidering onto gold tulle was to draw attention to intricate details of stitch and the use of stitch and embellishment.

The dress and cape are two of the first pieces in my Final Major Project collection in which I designed and made. Dress and cape are inspired by 1920's Art Deco era, 17th and 19th century jewellery as well as Haute Couture Embroidery. The cape is of silk organza dyed in tea with feather and bead fringe. The dress is of hand embroidery with silk organza ruffle fringe overlayering each tier of feather trim and bead fringe. The photoshoot was taken by photographer Deimante Meilune in an abandon industrial estate which was perfect because the theme and mood I wanted to create is about ''In Its Imperfect Setting.''

Tuesday 15 May 2012

3rd FMP sample




This is my third sample inspired by16th-17th century woven textile and haute couture embroidery. The whole sample is hand embroidered onto gold tulle to create a delicate vintage feel. This sample took me some time to make and develop but I feel that all my hard work paid off, and I am pleased with the progress I have made.

Monday 23 April 2012

3rd FMP



My 3rd piece of work in which I have interpreted into a somewhat contemporary design combining 17th century jewellery with that of Asian bridal jewellery. The theme was to take ideas from the intricate shape the jewellery pices gave and in experimenting with the idea of truning it into embroidery and beading embellishing to create a raised 3-D effect for a jewllery/neck piece.







This is half of the design worked in embroidery and beading embellishment worked on gold tulle/netting. Another challenge I set for myself was to do embroidery work on netting and I am really surprised at how well it has worked.

2nd FMP Piece

The cape was another piece in which I made. Here the cape is only just pinned together because I was experimenting with layers and in seeing how many of the ruched/gathered layers of silk organza I needed to make the cape look a bit dramatic. I was also experimenting with the idea of adding the feather trim at the ends, at first when I pinned it together I really didn't like it but after a while I decided to keep it because it gave a softer look to the cape opposed to the layers of the silk organza. With the feather trim are to be strands of beads in a mixture of gold to help pick out the tea dye vintage look of the feathers and silk organza.

1st FMP Garment

 This is a page taken from my sketchbook of the development work in designing my first garment. The theme is inspired by the decorative 1920's era and that of Haute Couture. The design of this sample is inspired by jewellery pieces from the 17th century in which I have interpreted into embroidery and beading embellishment. I also experimented with tea dying silk organza, as well as in distressing the fabric to make ruffles, along with tea dying ostrich feathers to give it a vintage feel to my garment.
This is a close up of the embroidery design for the 1920's dress.
Close up image of the dress with all the embroidery, beading embellishment, dyed feather trim and dyed ruched silk organza. The whole embellishment is stitched onto an off white silk organza and the underneath slip dress is of silk satin in a minx colour. I wanted the dress to be embellished onto sheer fabric because I wanted to be challenged in seeing how well I could stitch onto such a delicate fabric.  

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Jewellery Making!

I recently took some time out to learn how to get a head start at jewellery making so I booked myself a few classes at 'Monty's Bead' shop. Jewellery making is something I've always been drawn to, but never new what types of materials I needed to get strarted so when I came across these lessons I had to sign myself up for them because it was a good offer to good to resist. For starters it only costs £25 for the lesson and secoundly all the materials were provided along with all the beads. Here in the picture are two bracelets and 2 necklaces I made them within 2 hours of my lesson. The intention of booking these classes was to get an understanding of how to put fastenings, crimps and in finding out what types of beading wires, and threads or sterling silver materials were needed to get started on making jewellery etc...I also booked the lesson because I wanted to learn a few things so that I could somehow incorporate it into my work for designing jewellery/neck pieces to go with my garments for my final major project. Having done the lessons I feel that it's been a really good extra little thing to learn because I know that it's something I can do later on in the future. The second bead class I went to was in learning how to wire wrap.....but I haven't got a picture to show yet......but since having had these two lessons I have since made myself 3 bracelets and one necklace. I can't wait to have a bit more time to get more creative in designing my own jewellery pieces!

FMP Wall Space






These are images of different things in which I have stuck on my wall space at uni to take inspiration from and in formulating own ideas for my collection.

Final Major Project

Phew....I guess I better start blogging again considering I haven't been on here for almost 2 months due to so much work, chaos + stress.

Where to start......well first off I started my Final Major Project about 3 weeks ago and I only have about 3 and a half more months left before all this madness is over. For my FMP I have decided to specialise in ''occassion wear'' in which I will be taking inspiration from Haute Couture embroidery, 1920's, 1930's and Art Deco. The coulours I will be using will be of white and different shades of gold/bronze and in experimenting with beading embellishment, dying of fabrics and fabric manipulation. My collection will consist of 4-5 items, 2 dresses one short the other long, a cape, a pair of cuffs and if I have time a neck piece/jewellery piece. My collection is going to be called 'In Its Imperfect Setting' the idea is to convey the beauty of the dress in it's richness of detail with luxe fabrics and embroidery and it's imperfection will come from either areas of worned looking manipulated parts of the dress and that of the wearer. I would like to convey that the wearer could be wearing the most beautiful garment in the world but what is hidden within herself is another deeper secret in which the public can not see.
I am looking forawrd to getting started on the actual making of my first garment, which I hope to do so either by tomorrow or Thursday. I am so nervous about the time limit and preassure to get this first garment made in which we are expected to have completed in 3 weeks. We have to have it done for the end of the year graduate brochures and the photoshoot for this will take place around the 1st and 2nd of April. Oh My Word......Craziness!!