Working on the Soft Toy/Neck Pillow

Year 9 students have been working on a sustainable soft toy project. They are required to make a soft toy/neck pillow out of recycled fabric or old clothes. Here are some pictures of the students hard at work!!

Their final product will look something like this

Winter Fabrics

Follow the link to read about winter fabrics. This second link provides more information about suitable winter fabrics and what to avoid.

Suitable Summer Fabrics

Here are some suitable summer fabrics to keep you cool!

1. COTTON

Where to Wear it? 
Cotton is perfect for all climates, which is why it’s widely worn & loved. Wear this in dry heat or humidity, too.

What’s The Benefit?
This natural fiber allows air to circulate & move freely through the fabric, which makes heat more bearable. It’s like a built-in air-conditioner for your body!

Stylist Tip: Remember, cotton can shrink in the dryer! In the summer, take the extra minute to hang dry your cotton garments (it’s hot anyways!).

2. CHAMBRAY

Where to Wear It? 
Because this is cotton, it too will keep you cool in dry heat & humidity.

What’s The Benefit?
Chambray often comes in a higher thread count, which means it’s a finer weave & more breathable fabric.

Stylist Tip: Chambray has a similar look to denim so you can get the look without feeling weighed down.

3. RAYON

Where to Wear It? 
Rayon is best in dry heat. Since it’s still not a natural fiber, it won’t wick away moisture as well as cotton.

What’s The Benefit?
Rayon is a thinner thread than cotton, so it’s great for delicate, lightweight clothing that drapes ever so well.

Stylist Tip: Light-colored garments in white, cream & pastels don’t absorb sunlight like dark colors do. Wear them to stay cool.

4. LINEN

Where to Wear It? 
Anywhere! Linen was made for the heat.

What’s The Benefit?
Linen textiles are some of the oldest in the world—people have been wearing it for centuries, and for good reason. The natural fiber and light weave allow for maximum breathability; the coolest of the cool.

Stylist Tip: Wrinkles are part of the carefree, lived-in beauty of linen. Hate to iron? Lightly spray your garment with a water bottle and smooth over wrinkles with your hand.

5. BLENDS

Where to Wear It? 
Synthetic fabrics are known for detracting moisture (think: athletic wear), so they’re great in humid climates.

What’s The Benefit?
Blended fabrics keep their shape & require little to no maintenance (like ironing!).

Stylist tip: Blended fabrics resist heat well, so you can wash and dry garments without worrying about damage or dreaded shrinkage. Machine washable = huge time-saver!

Information sourced from: https://blog.stitchfix.com/fashion-tips/guide-breathable-summer-fabrics/

No Sew Barbie Doll Clothes

Some creative ideas for the Barbie enthusiast in your life!

Harriet - The Textiles Performance Artist

Harriet Riddell is a UK-based performing and visual artist who's come to India on an artistic journey. She's traveled across the country with her sewing machine (and all of its accessories) to take portraits of people and places.

Article: Dressmakers and Needle Sharp Vision

Haute couture can be credited for enhancing more than catwalks and red carpets. New research suggests that the 3D or 'stereoscopic' vision of dressmakers is as sharp as their needles. Follow the link here to find out more...

Technical/Working/Flat Drawings

How would you describe the dress above, based on the technical drawing?

Below are two ball gowns. Choose one to complete as a technical drawing.

Term 2 - Year 9 Soft Toy/Neck Pillow

Renew Replace Recycle

Year 9 Textiles are currently working on creating a soft toy/neck pillow from recycled clothing and scrap fabrics. Our focus is sustainability and how we can upcycle; creating something new out of something old. 

Joseph Iosefo's Inspiring Speech

What Language Features and Techniques does Joseph use to deliver his speech and capture the audience's attention?

Year 9 Speech - Language Features

Language features for speeches from missmccauley

Level Two Assignment Two - Checklist

INFLUENTIAL MOVEMENT/ERA 91340 CHECKLIST

RESEARCH

·         Complete a report about your chosen movement/era– minimum 2 paragraphs ·         Discuss how cultural, historical, societal, technological contexts influenced that era, and who the influential designers of that were. ·         Complete a mood board that shows styles and colours from that era/movement ·         Use 6 examples of your chosen garment from your mood board to analyse, ·         Analyse each piece against the elements and principles of design.

GENERATE IDEAS

Produce a minimum of 6 design concepts and label with the following: ·         How has that movement/era informed your design? ·         What are the aesthetic features of your design? ·         How does your design function? E.g. where is there a zip/buttons/hook and eye? Is it fit for purpose in relation to the brief?

DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS

Choose your favourite concept/s and develop it further by changing: ·         Colour ·         Neckline, hemline, waistline ·         Add/take away sleeves, collar, pockets etc. ·         Add embellishments – embroidery, lace detail etc. Add notes to each development that clearly states how the design has been developed. Identify your final design.

DEVELOPED FINAL DESIGN

Complete a fully rendered sketch of your final design – front and back view. Complete a technical drawing (flat/working/2D) in black and white. Evaluate your design – how have you integrated the characteristics of the movement/era and met the brief.

TO DO BEFORE COMPLETION

Make sure that each page has a clear title and is completed on an A3 piece of paper with a landscape layout.

Level One Assignment Two - Checklist

INFLUENTIAL DESIGNER 91067 CHECKLIST

RESEARCH

·           Complete a report about your chosen designer – minimum 2 paragraphs ·         Discuss how cultural, historical, societal, technological contexts influenced your designer. ·         Find 9 examples of your chosen designers work, ·         Analyse each piece against the elements and principles of design.

GENERATE IDEAS

Produce a minimum of 9 design concepts and label with the following: ·         Which of your chosen designer’s work informed your design? ·         What are the aesthetic features of your design? ·         How does your design function? E.g. where is there a zip/buttons/hook and eye? Is it fit for purpose in relation to the brief?

DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS

Choose your favourite concept/s and develop it further by changing: ·         Colour ·         Neckline, hemline, waistline ·         Add/take away sleeves ·         Add embellishments – embroidery, lace detail etc. Add notes to each development that clearly states how the design has been developed. Identify your final design.

DEVELOPED FINAL DESIGN

Complete a fully rendered sketch of your final design – front and back view. Complete a technical drawing (flat/working), 2D in black and white. Evaluate your final design – how has your design been informed by your chosen designer and how does it meet the brief?

TO DO BEFORE COMPLETION

Make sure that each page has a clear title and is completed on an A3 piece of paper with a landscape layout.

Analysing Design - Aesthetic and Functional Elements

Take five minutes to analyse the above Karl Largerfeld garments (Year 11 the dress; Year 12 the coat), using sentence starters such as: I see, I notice, I can tell...

Aesthetic Elements: Relating to the appearance

Functional Elements: Relating to the use

Refer to the last page of your handout!!!

Types of Fabric and Drawing Folds

Grab some scrap paper and practice drawing these 6 different types of folds

Sourced from Pinterest  and Drawsh.com .Both of these sites are fantastic resources for exploring ideas about drawing the human figure, lines, and light. 

Drawstring Bag Evaluation

Write your answers as paragraphs, using the questions/statements as your sentence starters.

-     Describe the purpose of your drawstring bag…

The purpose of my drawstring bag is… (refer to the brief)

-     Describe the fabric/s you chose…
I chose _______ fabric to use for my drawstring bag/pocket/applique

-     Explain what you like and don’t like about your drawstring bag…
I really like/don’t like the colour/look/size…

-     What went well when making your bag?
Pocket/applique/stencil/screen print/stitching together/inserting the drawstring

-     What didn’t go so well?

-     Is your drawstring bag fit for purpose?
Does the drawstring bag do what it is supposed to do? (relate to the brief!).

-     How straight and neat is your stitching?
My stitching is…

-     If you could remake your drawstring bag, what would you do differently?
I would change… because
I wouldn’t change… because

Historical/Cultural/Societal/Technological Contexts in Fashion

These headings are convenient but they are not the end of the story.  The boundaries between these areas are fluid and changes in one area are often tied to changes in another.  For example a political event such as World War I had repercussions in almost every part of life: fewer resources (economic); women working in factories (social and economic); new weapons etc. developed (technological changes - which sometimes had an impact on fashion production); new attitudes (social) etc.

• Political events
• major events such as wars
• legislation which had an impact on social conditions (e.g. Women's suffrage)
• Economic conditions
• major events, e.g. The Depression
• the amount of disposable income available to spend on fashion items
• trade restrictions
• conditions of workers
• Technological changes and advances
• the development of fabrics
• improvements in apparel production techniques
• new inventions, e.g. the zipper
• Social conditions and changes
• attitudes to morality
• development of youth culture/'generation gap'
• growth of any subcultures.
• the status of women
• attitudes to the body (concealment vs exposure)
• Art/Design/Music developments
• any contemporary cultural trends that influenced fashion design, both main stream and counter culture.

Information from boxhill.edu.au 

Fashion Illustrations

In this assessment you are required to sketch your concepts and develop your ideas on the human form
A fashion illustration is created with the use of a Croquis. A Croquis is a french term used to describe a sketch of a model's silhouette. You can use the templates in class or explore a range of styles here and here.
Once you've chosen a croquis style that suits you you will show your designs using rendered sketches. A rendered sketch is a fashion illustration that suggests movement, shows colour and uses shading to highlight aesthetic and/or functional features of a garment. Pinterest is a great place to start exploring sketch styles and Fabric Forager has a inspiring collection of pins to explore.

Flats, or technical drawings, are essential for anyone working in the fashion industry. Used to convey design ideas and garment details to pattern cutters and machinists, it is essential that they are drawn accurately to avoid misunderstanding and costly mistakes in sampling and production.Working/Flat drawings are 2D sketches that show a front and back view of the garment. 

TEEL in Writing

For the written part of assignment two, you are required to research and write a report on your chosen influential designer (Year 11's), the characteristics of a movement/era (Year 12's). 

Following the TEEL prompt:

-      Make sure your topic is clearly stated.

-      You are able to explain key facts about the designer/movement/era (refer to the prompts in the assignment).

-      You provide evidence that back up your key facts.

   - Year 11's make links to how the designer has been influential!!

   - Year 12's make links to the characteristics of the movement/era

Level 1: Assignment Two

Level 2: Assignment Two