Fabric Shopping

There is was sale on at Abakhan, 15% off. I used this opportunity to buy fabric that I  could use to make items for my shop. I found some really nice lace fabrics which is perfect for my target market. I also found this soft cotton fabric that would be perfect for this waistcoat I designed.

Victorian Inspired Dress

I made this dress while I was off for Christmas. I was inspired by my current obsession with the Victorian era. I chose to make it from a satin fabric and printed cotton. To add that Steampunk touch it could be worn with pocket watch necklace and top hat.

White Rabbit Costume

I was commissioned to make a costume of the white rabbit from Alice in wonderland. I bought a shirt from a charity shop and attached gathered lace to the cuffs and used the remaining lace to make a bow to go round the collar. I then made a waistcoat using red velvet and accessorized it with rabbit ears and a pocket watch. It was a success because the customer really liked it.

New Item for Shop

I commissioned my mum to make a few of these knitted capes with hoods, which I will sell in my shop. I selected wool which has a metallic effect to make it fit my Steampunk theme. 

This is a photo I took while on holiday in Scotland. 

I recently went to Edinburgh where I saw this dress in a shop window. It instantly reminded me of Steampunk.   

Two more items finished

I have created two more items to sell. I gathered the skirts at the sides and then sewed gears on top top add a Steampunk element.

Steampunk Cake!

This self-taught baker won gold at a national cake competition. Kerry Rowe came first out of 80 entries in the decorative exhibit category. She spent several week producing this award winning cake.

It features a guitar powered by steam and an amplifier, pipes and dials that are all edible.    

“I always wanted to do a steampunk cake, but I wanted to create something that hadn’t been done before and, of course, something that would look like a piece of machinery that would actually work if powered by steam,” she said.

 

More Items to sell!

I completed two more items to sell.

This was part of a wedding dress. I removed the sleeves, skirt and the bow that was at the back of the dress. I ended up with this Victorian style bodice that fits perfectly into my Steampunks theme.  

I especially like the back because it has this nice v shape.

 For this top I simply gathered the side seams and it created this great draping effect. 

Etsy Shop

I was given a work placement brief at college and for the I decided I would test the market with my own designs. My plan is to open a shop on Etsy, which will sell unique, handmade, alternative, vintage, steampunk clothing.

I will take vintage clothes and recycle them into my designs. I have already started to collect clothes to work with.

I took this old coat I had lying around my house and have turned it into a dress.

 I'm replacing the black buttons and I will bind the arm holes with black bias binding.

  

 

 

Working On The Stand

I took an old coat and just experimented placing it on the stand. This will be used for a mini project in my portfolio. I'll collage the images on figure to get silhouettes and feature ideas for a garment.

 

   

This a drawing I did, based on a photo shoot I saw in a fashion magazine.

I think I might use this face in an illustration for my portfolio. I plan on illustrating my Commedia Dell'Arte collection and this would be perfect for one of the outfits with a neckpiece.  

The Scary Dog

Here is a drawing I did of my dog. I had fun drawing this one and it was interesting trying to create a look of fur through suggestive lines. 

Colour Portrait

I usually draw in black and white but the other day I bought some Derwent colour pencils and thought I would give colour portraits ago. The great thing about these pencils is their blendable. This allowed me to make the colour subtle.

The thing I found difficult was the skin tone. I had to try blending different colours together until I found the right tone.

Using the coloured pencils made it easier to create texture in the hair.



Maleficent

 

I saw this film recently and was inspired to create this drawing. I love the maleficent costume. Its very dramatic and its makes there wearer, in this case Angelina Jolie, look powerful. I used this costume to inspire my collection from this year's fashion show.   

 I'm really pleased with how the drawing turned out. I especially proud of the texture on the horns which took me a while to get right.   



New Pencils

 

 I was taking a break from writing my essay and was in a creative mood so I drew this picture. It gave a good excuse to try out my new water-soluble pencils, which I bought the other day.   

 

 

 They combined my love of sketching with watercolour shading. Definitely a good purchase.

Wicked

 

 

I've always wanted to see Wicked and I finally got my chance when it was on at the Liverpool Empire. It was an amazing performance and it got a standing ovation at the end.  

 One thing  noticed about the set design, was that it had a Steampunk aesthetic. It had cogs and mechanical part that moved and there was a giant clock at the back of the stage. 

 

   

 

 

These costumes are very theatrical and elegant. The colours are vivid and there is a lot of detail on them. I would like to use them to influence future designs.     

The costumes also have a bit of a Steampunk aesthetic with the top hats and Victorian style dresses and coats.