Initial Fabric Sourcing

I aim to use traditional fabrics, with a mix of textures and colours, but make sure my designs remain practical for everyday living.

I have sourced vintage fabrics and trims from both my Grandmothers and my Mothers attic, which i intend to use to create my designs. I want to include contrasting fabrics, relating to the layering and textures shown in my sketchbook, using delicate silks and lace with heavy fabrics such as tweed and tartan.

Garment Constuction and Design Ideas

The textures and layering of the old photograph album, which I have recreated in my sketchbook, are something I aim to recreate in my designs. I like the idea of having lots of clothing layered on top of one another, with detailed trims and detail such as pleats, pin-tucks, stitching, smocking etc on particluar garments.

See above the pages taken from my sketchbook showing how I want to develop the detail of a garment with techniques such as pin tucks, pleats, gathering, lacing and bows etc. combining the two ideas of photographs from the past and fashion images today. I particularly like the image of my Great Grandmother as a young girl taken from the early 1900s, with the detailed neckline, gathered sleeves and high waist.

"Britain Yesterday & Today takes a nostalgic look at every aspect of British life over the past 150 years, From sportsand entertainment to the workplace, from the countryside to the city, witness the amazing changes that make what it is today. Britain Yesterday & Today transports you through time - with illuminating and informative text and over 200 fascinating black and white and colour photographs to provide a unique window on Britain's past and present"

Carlton Books Ltd; (Oct 2005) ISBN:1844423778

http://www.sprintbooks.co.uk/scripts/browse.asp?ref=1844423778&source=K84

Things to do on a rainy day...

Things to do on a rainy day... this is a page taken from my sketchbook, giving examples of fun and games and toys from the past.

A collection of images were taken from the book Girls and Boys: The Ladybird Book of Childhood (£20) which can be bought by visiting the following link

www.ladybirdvintage.com

This website also lets you share childhood photos, send vintage e-cards and celebrate all the memories, history and fun of Ladybird books!

My museum research has helped to give me an insight into what it was like living and growing up in the past.

The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley is an open air site where historical buildings and features have been brought together to recreate a past way of life from the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Costumed characters were able to give me an insight into how life was like in the original shops, houses and workshops, and I was able to explore the village centre which included a bakery, a chemist, a hardware shop, a church and a school, to see how people lived back then.

See below a collection of photographs taken on my visit, and a page from my sketchbook developing my ideas.



www.bclm.co.uk

Beatrix Potter Journal

This book describes Beatrix Potter's life as a young woman in Victorian Britain as she struggled to achieve independence and to find artistic success and romantic love. Using commentary taken from Beatrix' s own diaries, this journal features paintings, photographs, letters and period memorabilia to recreate a world combining nature and imagination.

This book is a source of creative inspiration for me personally, I like the layout and the different media used throughout.

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Themeboard

The time period I have decided to focus on are the years of both my Grandparents childhood, beginning from the late 1800’s and ranging up to when my own Mother was born in the 1950’s. Therefore I have carried out lots of research looking at the end of the Victorian era, but mainly focusing on the Edwardian and Georgian Periods of that time.

I have found a range of photographs that are of particular interest to me, which can be found on my moodboard and in my sketchbook. The styles of clothing worn, the time period of the photograph and the background history of the family within the photo are the main factors I have drawn inspiration from and have decided to further develop within my research.

Below is my themeboard which shows my chosen theme and ideas.

My Main Inspiration

My main source of inspiration was stemmed from the discovery of an old photograph album that my Grandfather had made when he was a young child. I decided that I wanted to recreate my own sketchbook for this project in a similar way to how he had developed his photograph album, taking inspiration from nature and happy family memories, layering with lots of different colours and textures.