Stuck, and then... [Development 2]

After we separated our jackets, I had been thinking that it was enough fabric or not. Simply, when we need to cover whole body, we need the right amount of fabric. I mean, if the fabric used be a jacket, there is only the amount fabric for a jacket. Yes, we can use lining as well. Especially, it has nice thick cotton twill, but half lining. I considered either I mix one more jacket from my one or manage to make with it only. I chose latter because it is more hard choice. Limitation will be a good practise. So, at least I got a rough idea that I definitely cannot make a long dress.

Garment deconstruction 1: [Development 1]

After observing the jacket, I started deconstructing it. First, I tried not to leave any parts off and kept as a one connected piece. However, I found it had better to separate some parts because it still remained the jacket shape. But I  also thought I should do it after I hang it on my bicycle...yes, my bicycle.
I got an idea to use my bike as a mold instead of a chair this time. Of course, I had no idea what I could do with it but I wanted to try it. First, I did the development with my friend. Because we thought it may not enough fabric to cover whole body. So we tried some. However, the dress was very heavy and other friend suggested us it would be better to do individually. So we separated our jackets which had been already sewn together.

Fashion illustration

I got an image through the whole process to make this garment. I just wanted to draw it. The concept is Amazons.　Of course it means not the big online shop or the huge jungle. It is a female worrier tribe in Greece myth. They live in the forest and have good archery skill. I thought their life style would suit for this garment taste.

If you wonder what this work is, please see 'here'.

A3 sketch paper / Pencil / Water colour



Garment Deconstruction:1 [Observing]

[Abstract]
Deconstruct a tailored jacket and reconstruct it again as a 'wearable structure'. The key is observe and understand basic structures and creating a new shape from an classic style.



[Observing]
1: Front.
2: Side. Sleeves are curving naturally.
3: Back. Large space for carrying rucksack. Two big pockets on hip.
4: Neck.
5: Neck. Able to close completely with a button and the loop.
6: Neck closing style.
7: The other side of collar has big jig jag-stitch to reinforce the fabric hardness.
8: Front pocket. it says 'Jetted pocket'. Old style.
9,10,11,12,13: Open the pocket. It has a welt.
14: A patch to make it stronger.
15: A back pocket. It has inner button.
16: A bellow type pocket. It makes more space.
17: A unique part. For keeping the jacket style even army carry a heavy bag.
18: Simple tack on the front bodice.
19, 20: Inside out, front & back. back. Half lining.
21,22,23: A big pocket and a small pocket in the left side front bodice.
S1,S2: My sketches.

An image clip for the extra work.

I tried making a different taste video clip this time with Windows Movie Maker. I usually use Windows Live Movie Maker because it is easier and quicker compiling. However, it cannot set fine detail like a tenth of 1 second. That is probably a cause of becoming boring video. Anyway, this is my extra work, so I did as I want to do with practising PhotoshopCS5. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with it yet. Moreover,I have not used all photoshop functions so much. So I tried playing with them.

By the way, I should talk about this piece's concept. It is easy. I just tried to go opposite vector from last one. Organic to artificial, natural colour to man made material. I also chose music carefully to be different taste. I hope you can understand what I tried to describe, and enjoy!



 

Extra work -seek different methods-

We tried making another one with different concept. This time, we used silver thin Lycra as the material and imaged more artificial shape. We looked for something more detailed molds like egg packages and folded card boards.
First, we made some holes and slits on the fabric before it soaks with glue. We expected that those make something interesting shapes or effects after dried the tensed fabric up.
Then we covered the wrapped chairs with it and tried to appear the molds shapes on it with pins and sewing.
We did not put any colour this time because the mat taste suited our image.
We did all process very quickly, perhaps twice as fast as before. So, we could the last work development in the afternoon.

Glue & cloth:2 Development [Notes]

Please refer the video on yesterday.

0:05 -Shape like sea-life, coral or sea horse. Front weight point is top but back weight is bottom.
0:26 -The right shoulder is remarkable.
0:48 -A bit too stringy and crowded.
1:03 -The weight goes to left dynamically in back shape. Start caring about negative space.
1:25 -Unique collar. Front shape from middle of chest to left side skirt has water fall like stream.
1:47 -Collar like a jacket one. Bustled skirt.
2:08 -The whole weight goes to back like Geisha's wide belt.
2:26 -Consider shape more like a garment. Style and concept is almost same as 2:08.
2:45 -A neck holder dress for beach.
3:08 -Different approach. Top is simple and bottom is volumed which reminds dress shape.
3:25 -Huge blank  in the middle of front and back boldly.
3:44 -Our favourite. We found this design by chance after we finished development. We were cutting each string parts then realized there were more new shape.

Develop! Develop!

Tuesday is always busy. Our group did workshop room induction this morning. I had not used industrial sewing machine before. It looks a bit scary but actually it's fun. Just, setting thread is slightly hard. Then Me and Sai had already decided what we gonna do today. First, we make a new one, then while it leaves for drying, we do development for last week's work.

I am putting on the development documentary today. I will talk about the new model another time. Anyway, we manipulated the last week one very quick and many. We changed the shape within 5minutes each. Just do very quick, without thinking any, just believing our creative sense. So, luckily we got 12 designs in 90 minutes including photo time.
I am going to explain each design points tomorrow because there is not enough space any more. Sometimes, 'Less than 160 words rule' is not enough for me, especially when I want to explain details...



So, now we can see the difference from the first shape which is in 14th October, and personary this development ones are seemed to be better. Especially the last one, we were satisfied very much.

Pleats please?_

This is a paper pleats which I made. The structure is not so hard but making is slightly complicating and take a time. I will be able to make another shape pleats with same method. I am going to try later.

By the way, this shape is very architectural. Why? Because the lines make three dimensional structures with very simple appearance. Moreover continuing same shapes reminds layered city view. A lot of  corners are also like roofs and buildings.

It means this kind of structure is very fascinating for me as same as architecture, like below.
 

If we can turn our imagination into large scale, the opposite way is also same. I would like to be able to do that smoothly. From a microbe to a dress, Big Ben to trousers.


Glue & cloth:1 [Cut out and modifying]

To be honest, I am not satisfied about this outcome. I might be able to do something more. We didn't try other shapes so much because when we put it on the mannequin, it was almost looks like a dress. Moreover, it was seemed to be "correct" position as a dress. However, that kind of thinking is not good for creating because there should not exist any correct shapes. I may try modifying again if my partner allowed.
Anyway, positive side is I love this colour. natural plain with blue and green remind us nature world. Sky and forest, lake and field. I imaged soft organic shapes for this dress.

Glue & cloth...and Hussein Chalayan

This exhibition trip is from module 1501. The work is 2009 S/S by Hussein Chalayan.
[Similarity: Mold and prominent shapes]
Even if we do not know how he made this mold and where the original idea come from, we found similar taste from our experimentation which we did yesterday. His work is very organic shape but also has a hint of super modern architecture like NOX.
Anyway, the point is why do his design and our model have similality. The main reason is the shape. Mild and sharp streamlines express nature shapes like mineral growing, wind line and mountains. Once Walt Disney said that there is no perfect straight line in nature world. (That is why his charactors are drawn by curved lines.) As these reasons, his design has man-made organic shape. If we follow this logic, our model will also be a natural silhouette after we cut it out and hung on a mannequin. I expected in the middle of making.

[B-SIDE] Hussein Chalayan
http://www.springproject.co.uk/



Glue & cloth:1 [Prepare - making]

[Abstract]
Making a model with glued jersey fabric on a wrapped chair. After dried it up, cut it out and modify as a garment.
[Aim] Seek creative silhouettes without any expectations. Also get understanding reasons why the model became the shape and take notes the process.

[Process]
1. Bring some objects from dumps and tried making more interesting mold.
2.Wrapping all. Some edges that we want to emphasise cut wrap slightly and remained the shape more clearly.
3.Put clothes which are soaking with PVA glue and water on the chair without thinking while drip coloured glue randomly.
4. After layered enough, sew some points to make large flat spaces and gather effects.
5. Colouring and gluing again for making it more vivid and clear shape.

Paper folding workshop:2 [Extra]

This is an extra work for paper folding workshop. The size is 1m x 1m. I didn't set any rules until 3D shape making stage. I just explored some logical patterns start from tiled squares to circle tessellation without think anything. After I was satisfied those experiments, I scored middle and hanged it on a mannequin. I made a rule that I can only cut & fold on black lines and circles' edges. This rule actually did success. Because even if I chose a cutting point  randomly, there have been still the rules alive, so the outcome keeps simple and well organized shape what I always prefer.
I hope you enjoy this video in relax mood with a nice cuppa...because it's a bit long!

Paper folding workshop:2 [Make a bigger model!]

The task is making a big model from one of previous weeks'. The aim is how we can modify into human size (=planning as a garment) it. We are allowed to break rules we made last week.
I chose no.13 (please see 08/Oct. post) because it was seemed to be easier to turn into a dress. I had a roughly idea before I start. So I simply enlarged no.13 with calculation (It was 8 times bigger than the original model). After I made all parts, connected exactly same as no.13. When I put the big maquette onto a mannequin, I realized I needed to make a hole for neck. Like that, I kept changing it gradually.

Problem: Ugly. Less impressions around neck and back (see 0:44 & 0:50)
Solution: Extra squashed paper adding and labeled my name on the back.

Extra paper folding

Refer to the book which tutors recommended, I explored the method again.
This time is slightly more mathematical but more free.

[My rule]
-All basic length are decided by a number which comes from divided 150.
-Fold must be in half.
-All shapes must be point symmetry.

It is like this picture.

Then make 3D models with these.
This time, I tried to avoid any binding items as possible and used hinges instead of.




The rule for this process was still 'keep point symmetory' but it got becoming impossible one after another.
So I gave up the it and started looking for more sophisticated silhouettes.

Sophia, V (2003). Folding Architecture.The Netherlands. BIS Publishers

Paper fold workshop:1 [2D to 3D]

The next step was to make those shapes to three dimensional designs. Fold, cut and role, could be there are more ways to do.





Personally, I like number 3 and 14. 3 is simple but sophisticated, 14 made me surprised because I found a different angle which is much better.

Paper fold workshop:1 [Rules and 2D]

First, I am not going to tell a lot. Because showing my pieces are much easier to understand. I also don't like to put many photos in a same post. It makes the post heavy. No one likes waiting for pictures. But, I love to show many pieces.
So I made a slide-show instead of. If it works better, I will keep posting with same method.

[Rule Based Art]
My rules: -Starting point is a circle
               -Circles must be same size
               -Each circles must have at least one line.
               -Triangles will be able to make from the lines as one of the side.
               -New circles must connect one of triangles' corners.




This video shows a process of create a design follows the rules.
I didn't put any sound to make it lighter. I am sorry if you've got bored.

Introduction -Make my own place-

I am making this blog and it is going to be my third one. Now, I am trying to put all of three into one web page because it will be easier to administer them. It was required new skills, but I am enjoying learning them very much. I believe that any kind of IT skills could help me in future. Better than Nothing.

So, that is why I have already spent for 38 hours in front of my laptop.

By the way, this red stamp like logo is my logo which I made for a project last year. The design comes from my name, 'R U me?'. Did you find it? I am going to put it in my blog.

Anyway, I am enjoying, that's the most important thing.