No this isn’t me in these photos in case you’re wondering! My lovely friend Ellie agreed to model for me when the sizing on this dress – my GCSE textiles project from last year – didn’t go quite as planned. Doesn’t she look fabulous in it? The design brief was ‘Flash from Trash’ and I couldn’t believe my luck when I found a beautiful lace wedding dress for only £5 in a charity shop. Whilst the original dress was covered in lashings of sequins requiring tedious removal, I could see that with a bit of creativity it was the perfect piece to transform. I almost completely disassembled the entire dress, refitted the bodice with darts, added a peplum, and shortened the hemline, before dying the whole thing in a washing machine. The floral detail was already embroidered on the original in ivory, and luckily for me this detail absorbed the navy dye far more than the main fabric of the dress. The contrast between the two was slightly unexpected but very much a happy accident!
My final design drawing for last years project
This year I’ve decided to incorporate what I’m best at, knitwear, into my final design. Whereas last year creativity was the focus, this year we’re being assessed on producing a quality fault-free product, so I also plan to machine sew a structured crop top with neat finishing details such as french seams and a concealed zip. I’ve never actually made a skirt before so there may be some challenges but hopefully it’ll turn out OK. Our design brief for year 11 was to be inspired by an art movement of our choice, and I decided to use Art Deco (particularly architecture such as the Chrysler building) as my inspiration. After a few swatches a combination of angular rib and lace seemed the best option for the skirt so wish me luck!
Textiles is one of my favourite subjects at GCSE, as even with all the extra coursework and the exams at the end, I still enjoy every lesson. I’m already looking forward to becoming more involved with the subject at A-level; the crafty artsy nerd in me can’t wait to make a design journal:D+ If anyone has any know-how on the subject and how to be prepared, please let me know!
Lily x
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