week o'work

I am in love

l o v e

Look at her, the most beautiful heat presser in the whole wide world!

So as you can see, read and spidey sense  for the past week, I haven't been in the blogosphere, or anywhere near it to be honest. 

Pour Quoi? 

Parce-que I have been at work experience. And with it being at a fashion design studio, my life for the past week has been nothing short of perfect.

Monday 

My work placement was at Tom Cody designs, a company specializing in print and fashion design, perfect! So traveling into deepest darkest Bethnal Green (fun!) Especially as the dress code was anything you can get messy. I basically got to wear what ever I wanted, so first day I wore my knee length bleached denim dress with my green bolero. My first task was to start making details for this vest, so velvet flowers and piled up blue hued fabrics, along with green chiffon ruffles, as see below. This was also the day that began my addiction to Radio 1, I just can't stop now!

Tuesday

I continued detailing the vest, and also made white strips into ruffles, using a blanket and long running stitch for Mel, my supervisor, who was so lovely, actually everyone there, about 15 women, were all wonderfully helpful and kind to me, it was such a inspiring atmosphere in which to have my first tastes of work in. I also, along with Alice, one of the other two interns, designed some background prints for a tweed section, onto tracing paper. We then scanned these into photoshop and edited them to make a continuous print.

Wednesday

We then finished editing the designs and printed them onto acetate paper for printing. I then learnt how the printing process worked, the first step being washing the screens, this was using a cleaning fluid and then blasting the screens with a pressurized water gun, which had a real kick to it, but was so fun to use, and I got to put my deck cleaning skills to practice. After they had dried using a hairdryer which was possessed on sucking in all of my hair, we added a thin layer of green emulsion to both sides of the screen. These screens then had to be dried again, after which the acetates were taped into position on the outer side, which books weighting the other down onto the light box. With a flip of a switch, the screen was then photo-exposed for exactly 3 minutes and 10 seconds. After which the 'white' parts were blasted off the screen using the water gun. Confusing I know but absolutely amazing.

 

Thursday

Continuing on from the day before, Mel then taught me how to print on the ink. I've only used stencils with screens before so to being using the emulsion instead was very fun. I also got to try out discharge printing, which looks as it sounds hehe. This then bleached the fabric, but in the print, how cool is that? It allowed for a wider range of colours, and because Mel has chosen browns, gave a antique golden hue. Below are Mel's final prints, she let me keeps the off cuts, aren't they just stunning prints? 

I also got to do some dying, which being me was messy, namely me pouring dye into my gloves and then reaching my hand up, pouring the liquid down my arm, basically turning me into a smurf. In the afternoon I was tasked with styling some of the pieces, which involved cutting, pinning and sewing, allowing me to effectively spend a whole afternoon on a sewing machine, fantastic!

Friday

Meh fr. Today I was given my own set to make using the wonderful heat press. By using transfer inks on cartridge paper I created my print using deep reds, purples and rich yellows, almost in a homage to London sun sets, but really it was just me splattering paint around. Then placing the sheets and crumpled silk jersey, we created the 'sexy' print inside the heat press for exactly a minute. Afterwards with which I was able to make two vest, one high neck the other a deep scoop, but both with ruffles. To finish what was an amazing experience, I brought in a chocolate mousse cake, which we all ate together along with their resident cat.

My mum half way through the week suddenly said, well what if this makes you realize that this isn't what you want to do. But that final day, the whole week actually just suddenly made my whole dream tangible. To actually be able to make clothes  for a living, have a job, travel to work, find other transport when someone goes under your tube. All that grown up shizzle. 

xox Eve-Rei

your kind comments and love are like a Lost marathon, worth a million dollars and always making me want more!

p.s may I just say, that if my designs I made at Tom Cody, which I doubt it ever will, are sold on, I just made em, I don't own them. Sadly.