Realisation Journal - Tuesday 13 April

I have not updated this in awhile...obviously. I've been trying to do some work on my holiday, but it is less convenient to do work here than I had previously thought it would be. I have done some mocking up of the cape on a borrowed dress form, but my pattern is sized incorrectly, even though I did some meticulous maths (or so I thought) to get the neck opening sized properly. For some reason, I can get 7 motifs to fit together at a normal person's neck size, but it's tight over the arms and doesn't quite drape right.




If I were to piece all 12 motifs together it would be more suited as a clown collar for an elephant. So I am going to remeasure the neck on my form and resize my pattern. The cape will become more of a capelet, but I think it will still look lovely...and maybe even a bit more modern because of that. I do not want to alter my basic motif because I believe that if I added more design to the bottom to make it longer it would be just too much going on. And if I try and change the proportions of my motifs it will just get way too complicated to match everything up when the pieces are attached together.

I really do not have enough time - or resources - here in the U.S. to mock up anymore, so I plan to tackle finishing the mock ups next week. I will also sample with my materials, as well, and finish my initial range plan and specs for Wednesday. I can't really finish them until my design is final.

I am sure about my materials: Alchemy 'Silken Straw' doubled up to attach the pieces and attached to the jump rings and chain on the jewellery, closed jump rings and chain from Rio Grande Jewellery Supply, leather from Tempesti (which is probably by the door to my flat as we speak) and two different tweeds from Dashing Tweeds. I bought some beeswax for my leather edges a few weeks ago and I have sandpaper at my flat.

So next week's agenda: finish mocking up, finish sampling and finish basic range plan and specs in Photoshop. And I need to get on the laser cutter to finish testing for settings on my new leather and the tweed, and talk to Ann Meacher about a disability passport because I am too behind not to.