MARK JASON BUENDIA
FASHION DESIGN LEVEL 4
UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD
Uses of Research time sheet
Hello, my name is mark and this is my personal blog/ diary. For this blog I will be working with my Third Year Helen O’Grady, a Level 6 student and doing her final collection. In the next couple of months. I will be blogging all things that I will be doing with her and get into the world and life of third years during the most crucial part of their student life.
21 February 2019 – 3 Hours
For my first task with my third year, Helen asked me if I can do research of sleeves and trousers for her second look that relates to her concept which are the indigenous people of Japan, meaning they were there before the Japanese and are called the Ainu. These task sounds simple but it is crucial as I need to know her concept really well, and this is making me realise that research is really important when making a design.
22 February 2019 – 3 Hours
I helped Helen to come up with a collar shape on the mannequin that will complement the top of her shirt design for her first look. I also traced her trouser patterns from her master pattern, so we can make a toile.I learned today that when it comes to design development you need to be creative and can’t just say yes to the first thing that you do as you can create something a lot better when you keep working on it, and also create a master pattern so you can easily change the pattern.
01 March 2019 – 3 Hours
I went through all of Helen’s fabric made sure they’re all neat and cut a bit of swatches for her fabric board with her collection look. Helen has a lot of fabric and she is teaching me that fabric is very important as it could make or break a design. Always check the quality of fabric before using or buying them. Also how the fabrics drapes, if it creases or if it has stretch.
07 March 2019 – 3 Hours
Today I cut Helen’s trouser pattern into calico using a rotary cutter, so she can toile it. This is my first time using a rotary cutter to cut a fabric, she is encouraging me to use a rotary cutter to cut fabric as it is more accurate than using a pair of scissors, which I agree fully after using it. In cutting fabric, everything needs to be precise because if one pattern has been cut differently or not neat the outcome might not be as nice than the ideal shape that you wanted.
08 March 2019 – 3 Hours
Today, Helen has her toile critic with Bashir and she is struggling to figure out the drape of the top for her third look. For my task I helped Helen in creating a silhouette for a top by draping some fabric on a mannequin which I was happy about because during the critic the teachers liked it and in a short amount of time we handled the stress well and worked together.
14 March 2019 – 3 Hours
Helen gave me a big task for today, she gave me a pattern for a camisole which I would need to cut on a fabric on the bias and I needed to create a toile from the pattern. For me this is challenging as it’s my thirds year’s work so it needs to be done neatly, and I also learnt that if you’re cutting something on a bias it needs to be stay stitched to stop it from distorting. I really find this exciting as Helen believed that I can do it and she trusted me.
15 March 2019 – 3 Hours
I cut a pattern for Helen, and she asked me to do some sample of different kinds of pleats. (knife pleats, box pleats, and reverse box pleats) This task does take so long as it need to be neat and straight to actually see which pleats is better to use for her skirt.
21 March 2019 -3 Hours
For today my third year needs me to copy her pattern from her master pattern and add a centimeter seam allowance to the original pattern and cut it to toile precisely so it doesn’t change the shape and to be ready to be cut into fabric for the next session.
22 March 2019 – 2 Hours
I cut all the pattern into calico that I did yesterday, using a rotary cutter for her toile for the next critic. I then helped her sew a piping onto her shirt that she’s been working on for her first look. She knows doing a pipe seam is hard for me that’s why she gave me this challenge. Helen wants me to learn different skills and be confident with doing new tasks as I will be needing all of these techniques when I go into second and final year in University.
28 March 2019 – 3 Hours
For today I created several mini interfacing samples for Helen, so she knows which is the best interfacing to use for her final garment. Also, Helen wants me to illustrate her final collection to keep her on track of her work, so she knows what she needs to do and what’s missing from her collection. I know myself that I’m not good at illustration, but she knows that I can develop my skills that’s why she gave me this task. This is also her way in testing me if I have been paying attention to her collection and If I know all her looks that I am helping her with. She is pleased with the result because my illustration work has improved, and I remember and know all her designs by heart. Helen used my illustrated line up to take into her toile meeting.
29 March 2019 – 2 Hours
I did a research for her seventh look that she is working on, I looked at gaiters that are attached to the trousers and trousers that are unique that she can add to the style/ design that she is making.
04 April 2019 – 4 Hours
For today’s task, I re-drew her trouser patterns and added a centimeter allowance and cut it all up on calico so it’s ready for her to toile. Doing a collection, being prepared is important as it will help you with so much time.
05 April 2019 -2 Hours
Today we are going back to her camisole from her first look as she noticed that the shape and the drape of her camisole is not what she wants so she decided to add a lining for her camisole and that is my job for today. Making a lining pattern is somewhat easy, however the challenge for me is cutting it all up on her fabric as it is cut on a bias and Helen has a difficult fabric to sew with, which will test my sewing skills.
08 April 2019 – 3 Hours
I started stitching the fabric that I cut the other session for her camisole toile. However, I couldn’t finish it and will be continuing it on the next the next session. I also made another pattern for her trousers for her third look which was a development with new amendments.
10 April 2019 – 3 Hours
I managed to finish stitching her camisole toile and Helen really likes it better than the first one we did as it drapes more and that’s what she wanted. For the rest of the session I continue drawing her new pattern for her other designs.
11 April 2019 – 3 Hours
For today I cut all of the patterns that I have been doing for the previous weeks for Helen to create her toiles.
12 April 2019 – 2 Hours
I helped Helen with her actual garment in her actual fabric which is a bit a bit scary as everything needs to be perfect as this will be her final garment not a toile. I cut her pocket pattern on her fabric and created made a pattern on a fold to a whole pattern. This pattern is going to be cut out in leather and it needs to be precise that’s why she doesn’t want to risk cutting it on the fold. I interfaced some of her fabric for the jetted pocket.
16 April 2019 – 3 Hours
Today my task is to go to all different charity shops in my local area in Didsbury to look at bags or shoes that she can use as a template for her accessories for her collection. She told me to do this as sometimes you can find vintage pieces, items that are unusual, artisanal pieces too which you can use as an inspiration when designing.
18 April 2019 – 3 Hours
I cut another trouser pattern in calico for Helen to toile it as she wasn’t happy with the shape of the first trouser that she did, so she changed a few bits of the trouser and she wanted to see if the changes that she did is the one that she wanted for her design.
02 May 2019 – 3 Hours
I drafted a pattern for an accessory. She made a purse for her wicker wings collection that she wanted to do for her final collection. However, she didn’t have pattern for it. I managed to copy her sample and translate it into a pattern. I then cut the pattern on a sample fabric and created a grid for her to mark her weave onto.
09 May 2019 – 3 Hours
Helen was thinking of making a knitted snood for one of her design. I mentioned to her that I have done some knitting back in college and foundation year, so she got me a sample wool yarn and needles to practice with.
10 May 2019 – 3 Hours
I continued practicing with knitting. Although, she decided making a knitted snood would be too heavy for the look, it was good the fact that I got to knit again and practice as I can easily apply this technique to my designs in the future. I also helped her in making a pattern for her weaving at the back of one of her design. However, the pattern wasn’t right, so she didn’t used it. Why was it not right?
16 May 2019 – 3 Hours
Today, Helen isn’t in as she is working on her BFC portfolio. She called me and told me that some of the other third years are struggling and need a first year to help them. So for today, I decided to help Jenny. Jenny is also working on a collection about a different culture and because I’ve been helping Helen for a few months now, I can apply the techniques of all the things that she has taught me with the tasks that Jenny will give me. I helped jenny in making 2 skirt toiles for her design and gave her some suggestions and ideas that she asked for and she liked it. Working with two different people is somewhat exciting as Jenny and Helen are kind off the same, they ask for my opinions and suggestions, and as a first year, giving a third year feedback are actually weird but at the same time really flattering because it’s making me feel like they trust me with my opinion when it comes to their designs.
17 May 2019 – 3 Hours
Getting close to the third years final critic, Helen noticed that she needs to create another top to go with her suit jacket as the original top that was going to be with the jacket didn’t look right when they were put together, so Helen decided to create another top. For today’s task I helped Helen in making a pattern and toiling for a new top. We also started draping on the mannequin and thinking of a silhouette and nice details to go with her collection. I came up with a design feature for the back of the top which Helen really liked.
23 May 2019 – 3 Hours
Today is the most import day, as today is the final critic before the teachers pick people to go to London fashion week. That’s why today I helped Helen prepare all her garments ready for the critic. Before the critic I helped Helen in picking the right shoes for each look. I also helped her in dressing the models for the critic making sure everything looks right and fits perfectly on the models. I went to the critic with Helen and wrote some feedbacks that the committee was telling her. It was so nice and inspiring to see all of Helen’s design as I know how much time and effort she gave to her collection.
For the past few months that I’ve been working with Helen, I’ve learnt so much from her from the basics to the most important stuff when it comes to designing and making. Helen made me feel special as an intern for her collection, we created a connection between us that made helping her a lot easier and more exciting. Seeing how Helen works, it inspired me to work hard and not let anything gets in my way in achieving my goals and become a better person and make myself standout as a designer.
This experience has been amazing and an eye opening to me as a first year, being a part of that rollercoaster life of a third year where there are so much ups and downs and sometimes even goes upside down, but at the end of the day it’s been a scary and fun ride that I will definitely be doing again when I get to third year and I can’t to apply all of my learning from this experience in my own work.
Third years blog 