Realisation Journal - Monday 17 May

I have been quite bad at updating this. I have made notes in my diary, but procrastinated entering it in here, which misses the point.

I didn't manage to get too much done over holiday, as originally planned. I wanted to work on Illustrator in the States, but I got a new computer and I couldn't install the software. So I did the fabric mock-ups and cut lots of little motifs out of paper.

When I got back to the UK I used the paper bits to mock up my work. The ones I decided to scrap (click to make them bigger; they won't upload any larger):




The ones I will make:




I got a disability passport the other day, which helps. I went for a blood test a couple weeks ago and I may have a thyroid condition (which would explain a lot), but the receptionist was confused. I will hopefully find out tomorrow. Anything to not be so tired all the time.

I sat down tonight and made another action plan. I'm really good at making plans, but it's really getting down to the wire and I need to pull my finger out.

Tonight I worked on my brand logo in Photoshop. I decided it should display handcraft whilst in print form so I adapted an old cross stitch monogram. I was originally going to write out 'Karactere' as the logo, but now I am just going with the letter 'K'. On printed documents it will look like cross stitch, but on my tags (well, the tag on the collar/cape) it will be stitched. Theoretically it could be mass produced, but for the sake of the uni project being a one-time deal, I am going to stitch it up myself. To bind the edges I will do a blanket stitch to match the tag fabric as I usually do when I do projects on canvas. I will use very fine gauge canvas so the tag isn't huge and because it is more a fabric than a heavy canvas; it's meant for petit-point and looks impressive when stitched up. Really it's the same technique as simple cross stitch, just smaller. Should take an hour, if that.




I will finish most of my Illustrator work tomorrow, though I am going to try and do it at Saint Martin's. Their computers are crappier than the ones at LCF, but they aren't so bright that they give me a headache. My eyes can only stand a half-hour at JPS, whereas I can work for several hours at CSM and not even notice.