Retro

There are two of the paper patterns I found, the girls dress is so  sweet, possibility from the sixties.  It could look fab made up for a party dress or just a change from leggings and denim.

 The women's bathing suit will make a fab bikini with a little "nip and tuck" red poka dot ? and a ruffle or frill across the bottom, looking forward to sharing the real thing ! with you.

vintage vintage vintage

Lately I have been scouring the local charity shops and good old e-bay, for vintage paper patterns and vintage tea towels.  I am posting a few finds from my trawl.  The vintage tea towel is going to be re made into a bag ? pillow case ? cushion ? lampshade ? apron ? the possibilities are endless, I will post the end result.

Horrockses Fashion at the Fashion and Textile Museum

Hot footed it up to London today, and throughly enjoyed this wonderful exhibition of mainly 40's and 50's fashion. The show charts the rise then sadly the fall of this fashion house Horrockses, which was established in 1946, producing good quality off the peg dresses, skirts, sunsuit and unstructured jackets.

I really enjoyed the photo of the designers sitting in a row, paint brushes in hand designing all the exciting textile designs that "made" the dresses.  Horrockes also bought work from free lance designers, including in 1950, Terence Conran. Horrockses Fashion's practice of collaboration between manufacturer and artist illustrated the company's commitment to innovative textile design. 

"put - your stamp on it"

My second post is called  "Put - your stamp on it", again for the high street,  inspired by the collection of natural history and taxidermy at the Booth Museum, Dyke Road Hove. I love the butterflies and the incredible colours if they were not "real" i do not think I would believe that you could get butterflies in such amazing colours. I also have been inspired by the line drawings of natural history illustrations made by the Victorians. 

sunsets

Today I am posting two "story boards " which are the starting point for two new design projects.
Sunsets, inspired by the wonderful sunsets in Poros Greece, one minute it was day light then a huge burning orange sun dropped behind the hills and it was night, magical !An amazing and memorable sight,with the most amazing shades of orange in process.
This work is aimed a the "high street".

the end of a journey, a new beginning ?

A beautiful sunny day, perfect to start my blog and continue my journey that started at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, these images are from my final year project !