Slow Progress, But That's How Things Are

Okay, so I've gotten into fashion pattern making now, I'm still doing freelance writing on the side because I'm not getting paid yet for my drafting gigs. If you teach yourself and you've got no experience and credentials, that's reality, you've got to do work for free to prove yourself. If you're dedicated it's not a real problem, but you still need to make money to live, especially important if you've got 2 kids and 4 cats, they don't stop needing stuff, so I'm choked. But, ONWARD! You know what Benjamin Franklin said? "Up with ye sluggard, there's time enough for rest when you're dead." I just love that, don't you? Goes hand in hand with my "Just do it!" motto I live by.

Wish I could keep up with my blog like I want too, nothing much has happened so far really, well, that's not quite true, I've managed to:

- land a few non-paying clients (everybody likes free labor don't they?" one in Illinois, a girl in Florida and another one right here in Vancouver, all by using the fashion industry network and craigslist, hmm, didn't think to use kijiji though, I'll do that too

- come across this awesome site for designers to upload their fashions, get exposure and even get their garment made and sold (and earn a profit from it, too cool huh? the site url is: http://www.garmz.com/ great team, great quality site, you got to love them and check it out

and I've come to realize that I better get Connie Amaden Crawford's book "pattern making made easy" so I can further professionalize my work, the lutterloh pattern making system has some nice "blocks" you can work from, but they're pretty poor on marking and labeling so I need another resource as well, I'm thinking Connie's book should do it. Maybe I should have done that first, but I'm starting to shun procrastination big time and wanted to get started. Face your fears, let nothing stop you, when you jump out the plane you've got to hit the ground running!

Anyway, wish me luck, I want all of you to succeed in your dreams, let's make a happy, eco-friendly world!

Eco Friendly Fashion Designers Resources page

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Well, Time To Try Out My Fashion Industry Wings

I'm a little scared, about working with my first client but I'm currently looking for a designer to work with so I can work as a pattern maker, then, after a couple years with that kind of work, hopefully with more than one client, I'm planning to start my own line of fashion or get a job as a fashion designer. Got to be flexible because you never know where the greater opportunity lies.

So here is my ad, let me know what you think:

I'm a beginner pattern maker looking to partner up with a freelance, entrepreneur or student fashion designer to offer my pattern making services so I can further develop my skills while gaining experience in the field of fashion pattern making.

For anybody willing to give me a chance I'll do the first five garment patterns for free.

What I have in mind is to develop paper patterns for my partner/client (you) and mail them out to (you) in return for these services I want to get credit for the pattern drafting of the design (not the actual design itself). Along with a signed designer's sketch or illustration of the intended garment and an 'after production' photo of the garment on the intended wearer or dress form.

I'd also prefer that if professional photos can't be provided that they be taken in good (complimentary) lighting against a plain background.

After I've fulfilled my 5 free garment pattern commitment, my fee for each garment piece, depending on the complexity will be between $10 - $30 for at least 6 months.

If anybody is interested in my offer please email me at stylistwithacause@gmail.com

I'll be looking forward to hearing from you,

thanks and have a wonderful day

Ayisha1978


The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

The Lutterloh Fashion Patternmaking System

I've just got my fashion patternmaking system by Lutterloh. I'm so excited because this is the beginning of eventually moving from freelance writing to real fashion industry work.

I'm going to first put together my own one women discount fashion patternmaking service for up and coming/student fashion designers and home sewers looking for custom patterns in exchange for photos of the finished designs on the intended wearer and patternmaking credit. This will be used to build my portfolio and resume. Then when I've got enough experience that way, I'll begin creating my own design samples, adding them to my portfolio and then shopping it around to get work as a designer at either a fashion house, clothing manufacturer or for my own line of clothes.

I've just got to find out where to get a roll of some decent patternmaking paper or a couple hundred yards of good paper on a roll, hmm, I'll look into my local newspapers, maybe see if the craft shops got anything or maybe a roll of butcher paper. I'll be looking for something between 36" to 50" inches in width I should think. Michael's will be my first quarry. Thank you Lord for this awesome opportunity and thank you Grandma, for making it possible.

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

I Love Oscar De La Renta's New Collection

Oscar De La Renta's S/S 2011 collection is so beautiful, I just love the cut and look of these garments. He's got an incredible way of capturing the romantic, glamorous, elegance of the 40s and 50s and yet producing a collection that's so wearable now. I'm in love with that. He's provided a way to indulge in the classics without being 'dated' as old fashioned.

And I love this pin stripped look, I actually thought it was gray at first, but it isn't although it would look marvelous in a lovely solid, not too dark and not too light tone of gray. I would love to wear this outfit.

Here's the link to the pictures from the rest of his beautiful collection
http://fashionshowphotos.net/2011/2011-ss-new-york/oscar-de-la-renta-ss-2011/
Enjoy!

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Eco-Friendly Fashion Solutions

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about the pollution caused by the fashion industry.

This issue can be frightening to anyone in the fashion industry and might even at one time been a reason for some industry professionals or even prospective fashion career enthusiasts to turn their back on the fashion industry in favor of the environment and our future but not now.

We've got hope now thanks to the growing number of caring industry professionals and their corresponding resources manufacturers and scientists dedicated to environmental sustainability.

There are many sustainable resources available for us fashion designers, in every area of clothing design and production. We've got organic natural fiber textiles, natural and eco-friendly fabric paints, dyes and dying techniques as well as a growing availability of organic and eco-friendly sewing notions and even fully bio-degradable polyester thanks to the fibers and textiles supplied by the Ichimura company in Japan (using DuPont's 'Apexa' polymer resin).

Over the next few weeks or so I'm going to develop a resource list of the websites, companies and online stores where fashion designers all over the world can have acess to affordable eco-friendly products and keep up to date and informed about chemicals and textile manufacturers that are serious about providing strictly environmentally friendly products.

As fashion designers and consumers alike, we've got the power to turn our industry into a sustainable practices only industry and we don't have to do it tomorrow, we've got the resources to do it today.

I've got to drop some names here for you to look out for but don't worry I'll be providing more info in my up coming eco friendly fashion lens.

Kitamura (bio degradable polyesters)

Summer Rayne Oakes (the world's first eco-friendly model)

Victor Innovatex launched Eco-Intelligent Polyester (perpetually recyclable, chemical free polyester)

Climatex® Lifecycle biodegradable fabrics made from organic wool and ramie and dyed with 16 different safe non-toxic dyes

Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Climate Change and the Future of Fashion

We love the fantasy and beauty of fashion, a love that borderlines on being a helpless addiction for some and why shouldn't it? It's art and nearly the ultimate expression of the beauty and love of life itself. But what many of us dedicated fashionista's, stylists and fashion designers may not know is that fashion is one of our biggest sources of pollution.

As much as I hate to admit to it it's true, but the reality is taht if we love our planet as well as our fashion we need to look at how fashion pollutes so we can stop it and help save both our planet and our continuous creation of fashion.

How does fashion pollute? What are the factors we need to put an end to?

Take a look...

natural fibers (example: cotton and flax)

Pollution caused

- pesticides and fertilizers used in crop production pollute water systems and often effect the bird and bee population

- non-biodegradable bleaches, dyes and finishing chemicals used in textile production that again pollute water systems

- fossil fuels used in the production and transport of textiles and fibers


synthetic fabrics (example: polyester, acrylic, nylon, spandex)

Pollution caused

- sythetic filiments produced to create polyester, acrylic and other synthetic textiles are basically polymers, leaving us with the same pollution problems as we have with plastic production, after we've thrown our clothes away we'll have a surplus of these waste materials in the environment for 1000s of years to come

- chemical additives, dyes and finishes as well as special chemical treatments, all non-biodegradable, used in their production, polluting water systems around manufacturing facilities

- fossil fuels used in the production and transport of textiles and fibers


As with the other textiles that are in between natural and synthetic such as rayon, they also have similar pollution creation factors attached to them.

As for wool, leather and fur we've got the pollution factor of methane gas, a major green house gass associated with the production of livestock for commercial use) as well as serious animal cruelty issues we don't want when it comes to the treatment of sheep and the killing of animals for their hides.

Now this is not to say we should put fashion in the closet for good for the sake of our planet, this does mean though that we need to put an end to how we pollute throught the production of fashion.

In my next blog post we'll look at the possibilities and solutions necessary to create a new fashion industry using sustainability concepts.

Zac Posen's 09/10 f/w, Karl Lagerfeld's and Armani's new 2010/2011 collections

I'll be adding the links to each of these shows at the bottom of their reviews, enjoy reading and watching and feel free to leave me a comment,

Zac Posen's New Fall/Winter 09/10 Collection

Zac Posen's new Fall/Winter 2011 collection can be described as Luxurious Victorian Futurism. The rich metallic hues with just the right amount of dressy frills along with lovely bias cut numbers make for an elegant collection embodying a Victorian nearly turned minimalist feel.

Each look has a skillful absence of anything overdone and yet contains all the decadence of one of histories most romantic eras. The best Couture way to step into the future.
Zac Posen's 2009/2010 fall/winter collection slideshow

Chanel Fall/Winter 2010 Couture Collection

Karl Lagerfeld as always, has managed to project us into his luxurious well lit otherworldly lair of dreams by producing another collection from his sheer genius of design. Nearly everything in his fall/winter 2010 couture collection is a bolero silhouette but somehow, with all the elements he's used he's managed to make the very repetition of the silhouette itself consistently exciting and a delight for the visual palette.

Look after look, they're all gorgeously exotic designs without easily being culturally placeable with the exception of a few subtly Indian embellishment inspired garments that brilliantly stand far apart from even the remotest associations with Bollywood. Leaving you overwhelmed from the beauty like one that's just woken from a dream you'd rather not have left. We want more Karl Lagerfeld!


Armani's Collection fall/winter 2010

Armani has yet again exhibited his ability to masterfully produce the ultimate feminin easy to wear business suite without using any of the usual fashion additives to do so , no frills, no pink, no lace and none of the usual low cut exposure cheats.

Added, this collection has included a unique and interesting signature medallion size button/clasp type accent reminiscent of tribal style deco yet too sophisticated to be labeled as such adorning the necks and waists of those refined articles of luxury apparel.





You can find more info and resources at:
Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

New Resources To Help You With Your Online Fashion Degrees

Over the past few days I've come across 3 great new information resources for those of us Fashionistas that are looking to become fashion designers on a DIY basis or through traditional college or by getting a few online fashion degrees. (I'll provide the links to each of these sites after I tell you a bit about them)

First, I came across a wonderful explanation behind the precarious copyright laws regarding the protection of Fashion Designs, it's good for any fashion designer to familiarize yourself with these laws, your designs are not protected for your own good, if they were, your work could prove to be your legal undoing, a liability.

However pretty much direct copying is still a frowned upon disgrace, some designers have won battles with each other over this. Thank God, but it's a good thing too because we should all strive to be more creative.

For the greatest amount of protection of your work, document your fashion design process. You can do this by keeping your sketch book of the evolution and inspiration of your ideas, keep the mood board. Collect all your material created during the fashion design process, put it in an envelope and mail it to yourself, and never open it. That's one way, it's all about the creation date, another way I should think, is to post your work online, on a blog, on an online portfolio, person website, the internet is an archive of dated material.

I've done this with my own work already so I guess I've successfully protected myself in a way. Now all I have to do is get my work on the store shelves, well that's another story.

Second site I've stumbled upon was Top Fashion Designers, this webpage is a listing of all the top name fashion designers, not only can you check out their latest collections but you can also get a brief over view of each designers biography. I've enjoyed reading quite a few of them already, they're highlighted facts about their background, how they got started, just a very interesting information resource.

If you're attending an online fashion design school or you have to do a paper on a famous fashion designer, this is the place to go to find out which one you want to write about. As for all of us non-student, DIY people, read up on these designers, you never know where you're going to get your heads up about the next move you should make and that's besides the great collections they've got up.

Third site I found called Couture Candy, would be great in helping your creative wheels turn in the fashion design process. It's a special store that sells very high end, designer label, avant garde street wear, I love the site it's got some great garments to look at, I could get lost browsing this fashion store/gallery for hours looking for the next idea to work with. Not steal mind you, but mutate, add too, and other wise use as a jumping board for my own semi-original garment collection.

So far as the buying is concerned, the prices are high of course, but they aren't too bad at all if you've got the money.


Watch Johanna Blakley talk about Copyright Law in fashion:
Copyright Law In the Fashion Industry

The one stop site for quick biography highlights of all the best designers:
Top Fashion Designers

And here's that great fashion store I found:
Couture Candy

You can find more info and resources at:
Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood's Summer 2010 Collection

Okay, I'm holding on to my dream of being a fashion designer one day in the future (before I'm 50 that is) but at the moment I'm forced to put it on the back burner for a while, yet again. So instead of putting my interest in fashion on the back burner too, because that's stressful you know? I'm going to make this blog about fashion things that strike my fancy and arrest my attention. One such thing recently has been Vivienne Westwood's Summer Collection. In a phrase, her collection strikes me as a kind of nightmarish fantasy of apocalyptic day dreams.

It's confusing at first and disturbing throughout but, yes her collection is thought provoking and I must say I usually appreciate anything that makes me wonder.

Among her pieces are garments that at first sight regardless of the model's 'match flame' hair and ghostly makeup are almost pretty takes on historical costumes and modernized garments. Then when you look a little closer there's awkwardly matched color or textile types or you realize the cut or an accent on it is an "improper" "anti-aesthetic" item that simply feels wrong.

However, retrospect thinking about what a lot of people (such as myself) perceive as beautiful is often reflective of ideals about human virtue or what we feel or wish the world could be like.

In contrast, Vivienne Westwood's fashion deconstruction, seems to oddly reflect the precarious character of humanness. Our aspirations to be something beautiful and peaceful while at the same time existing as a blindly destructive force corrupting that which is around us and ourselves. This approach to fashion, resulting in a collection that has a kind of confident haunting sadness and doom about it. At the end of this I wonder if between the two perspectives of

- one, the beauty of hope, ideals, and positive potentials and nature, etc etc

- and two, the perhaps more presently "realistic" art of fashion deconstruction

...does Vivienne Westwood's "art" hold more validity than the pursuit of traditional beauty as an art style that should be pursued?

As I think about this quote by Napoleon Hill, "What your mind focuses upon, your mind brings into existence.", I'll say this, if words are the building blocks of thought and a picture (and any other visual medium) speaks a thousand words than I feel that it's crucial that we focus on the creation of beauty as it reflects health, balance, human virtue, hope and the possibility of a positive future and not the glamorization of post apocalyptic matches brought to life even if it is art. You can check out what I'm talking about at fashion watch tv . com here's the link to Vivienne Westwood's summer 2010 collection

Till the next Fashion Item catches my thoughts, stay tuned for more and thanks for reading my post.

Have a wonderful day,

Ayisha

Where's My Project Runway Archive

Shoot, you know a few months back I went onto the Project Runway Canada site and discovered that, COOL, they had the entire archive of project runway Canada episodes, that was wonderful because I managed to miss all of them. Well, a few weeks ago I went back on the site and discovered that they got rid of the archive. What was that done for? Ouch, please if anyone knows where I could watch the old episodes without having to suffer through commercials and what not, let me know. There is nothing more enjoyable than watching educational programming on one of your favorite subjects, fashion design.

As a reality show, it brings home the sometimes uncomfortable, downright frightening competitive reality of the fashion industry and I think that was really indispensable to any aspiring fashion designer to watch as it brings you face to face with the challenges of the business of fashion before you actually take the plunge. It was fun to watch too. I wish so much that they'd bring it back. I think I'm going to go back to the site now to see if anything has changed, or maybe I missed something, here's the link in case you're interested http://runway.globaltv.com/default.aspx or am I just so absent minded that there were only 12 episodes to the show and only one season? It doesn't feel good to be so out of touch with fashion television.

A Nasty Hickup In My Path Of Becoming A Fashion Designer

Okay, first word to anybody trying to become a fashion designer without going to school to do so. My dears, my poor poor dears please listen to me very carefully, this is not Chanel's era, we all need to do things differently now, you must learn everything you need to know as a fashion designer before you attempt to wing it on partial knowledge, okay? This is what just happened to me, I contacted a clothing company and they were interested in my designs and wanted to acquire the specs for my garment designs, I don't yet have pattern making skill though and had actually forgotten about the technical aspects of fashion illustrations (the flat 'technical' line drawings used by the pattern makers) and so, there is no practical way to for the company to do business with me in the way that this business is run now. And that's okay, because although I've been dis-illusioned and dis-appointed I was aiming to learn all I had to know as a fashion designer any way. So I haven't of course been knocked off my path. I haven't and you shouldn't be either. Just keep going and focus on the next step in front of you and not how long the journey is.

Anyway though, I've joined the fashion industry network and I've been making a few friends along the way. There are also some products that I know are going to help me out in my path and here's a list of which wonderful things they are: The Lutterloh Pattern Making System, Islander Sewing's Industrial sewing training DVDs and 'Il Figurino Di Moda' Fashion Design Techniques Book and the Portfolio Presentation for Fashion Design book (I've just ordered this last one) So I'm digging in my heals like usual and continuing to find my way.

I wish you all a wonderful day,

Ayisha (Emma)

my new collection line work

I'm wondering how many pictures I can post in this blog entry but I'll try to get all 21 of my new collection design sketches here, comments are welcome, and just to let everyone know who might like these designs enough to hire their creator, I would love to work internationally for a company in in Europe, Asia, Africa or in the Middle East as long as it's okay to still be based here in Canada ( I don't mind computer integrated visual communication okay :) I can't wait to hear what you guys think of my designs this time. Let me know!

Thanks, have a great day everybody

Ayisha

I'm Back From The Dead Ya'll

Oh, the problems that hit you when you're trying to make it in life. My computer broke down, did I tell you that? (I have to use my brother's now, a total bummer) Then I've been unable to log into my blogs here, not been getting too much money made and been up to my ears in anemia and too much house work and errands and not enough sleep. Well, I'm taking a breather right now, sort of.

Here's a little change in plans, thanks to a friend of mine, I'm going to be working on writing and working on a cool fashion related web site, unlike anything else on the web right now. You guys (all my fellow fashion enthusiasts out there) are going to love it. I'm not giving away any secrets yet though, you'll have to wait at least a month or so I'm thinking but, I'm working on it. Anyway, I've got to go for now.

Have a good one

Finally Working On My Collection Again

Whoa, I'm finally working on my collection here again. Got 3 color ways I'm playing around with, I just love them. Can't wait to get started on the samples, but I've got to focus on finishing the presentation for this collection first and putting food on the table. My boss hasn't gotten around to giving me more written assignments, let's just say I'm scared. More bills too, well my philosophy is this, when you have to wait, don't wait, do something else that needs to get done, no matter how scared you are, be productive while you're waiting, work on something you've been working on and be careful not to start anything new. This painful delay gives me a chance to work on my collection so I should be grateful, just grateful with an ulcer starting but never the less grateful.

Also I've got to concentrate on what I need to do to get the collection illustration ready into a complete presentation/portfolio, 1. color everything in the different color ways 2. do some from behind 3. create the front and back 'flat' views (this is to show the basic pattern shapes, shows you know what you're doing, helps out the pattern makers) 4. arrange everything on your final 'support' whether it be digital or not 5. decorate the support to complete the 'look' or 'mood' After that you're done and ready to show the world your work or get busy putting together your samples or rather both at the same time.

A Few More Set Backs But Keep On Kicking

Hey now, my computer just broke down a few days ago and business is going to be seriously slowed down for a while. I've got to redo all the the Photoshop line touch-up stuff on my collection pieces and I've got my bills to pay. Well this is a littel goods news/bad news kind of thing. The credit place gave me another chance with the situation I keep telling them (my brother skipped out on me and racked up his cell phone bill with premium calls, I've got a 900 dollar mistake on my hands) and I'm not working a regular job, yes it's no exageration it's extremely hard to keep the food on the table (I wasn't able to afford toillete paper and toothpaste okay, it's no joke) Any way though, my boss has apparently got more writting work coming my way, I hope I've got a bit of a raise coming, cross my fingers, so I'll be able to swing with, God willing. Lord knows I'm willing to work for it. One of my brothers is here helping me pay the bills so together we should be able to pull through.

Also, the folks at Lutterloh pattern making system got back to me and said that yes I can put together different patterns to come up with my own patterns! So yeah, I'm going to get that package as soon as I can and then, then, I'll be able to create my own samples! I'm so excited by the thought of this, all I have to do is get through this financial crunch and I'll get another chance.

Also, I haven't been able to get any volunteer models in so that I can do my makeup artist course, well, I had another idea I'm going to advertise it like this:

Free Elf Cosmetic High Quality Product try out/Marylin Makeover

Somebody should be interested in that, I'll see how it flies...

Any way I got to get to work here, keep you posted

Collection in Progress

Well, last night I managed to get quite a lot of work done, not only did I get my mood board done finally but I prepped all my designs for coloring on the computer. This involved opening up all the files in Adobe Photoshop 7 and...

1. Converting them to grey scale, this allows you to more efficiently 'clean up' your image later on. Basically what your doing is extracting your line work and throwing the rest away.

2. Go to brightness and contrast and increase both values to 50 and hit okay.

3. Take the magic wand and make sure it's value is at 50

4. You need to get rid of the grey background of your work so you can complete your images, with the magic wand choose a grey area that's a bit lighter than the middle tone of entire background quality and click.

5. The selection is not always perfect but you can do a light clean up after ward with a 'soft' eraser, it's better than getting rid of some of your line work, you don't want to waste time doing that.

6. Get your image back to RGB (or CMYK if you're planning to print them out after, wise choice although not my favorite because blues and greens in cmyk are a lot duller in hue and tend to be more of a challenge to use)

7. When you're ready to color them up create a layer on your image and make sure it's in 'Overlay' mode so you don't have to re-do line work as it will just show through your colors. You're done for now!

I'll keep you posted on my progress hope the info helps you all out :)

My First Digital Mood Board

Hi everybody, here is my first ever mood board period. I usually just keep the ideas all in my head, but professionally you can't do that any way so I've got to change my practices. Be sure to let me know what you think. Thanks

Ahh Life, Another day Another delay

It's alright, I've been dealing with this for years, any way a little secret I've learnt that if you perpetually think about what you're going to do to achieve your goal before you actually go through with it, it'll go smoother and faster than if you just sat down and did. Well that only goes so far. Had to catch up with some funds, my home job employer has given me some lower pay pieces of work to do so it's consumed my time and I've been feeling really worn out with my little daughter having a growing spurt while she's on the breast full time, ahhhh! Bare with me.

I've recently found out about a pattern making system (lutterloh)I want to get my hands on, for $125 I can get it and I've got my mind set on it after I email them and ask can I use the system to create my own patterns from it, give or take a few changes/modifications, and the creative such, design lines will always be a custom job, that's what it's all about, but you want your basic pattern to be somewhat conventional unless you're izzy miyaki or balenciaga, I don't even like their stuff although it is a break and a sometimes eye opening lead into creative thinking.

I prefer Alexander McQueen and John Galliano myself, LLOOVVEE THEM!

Well as for my mood board for my collection, I've managed to get all the pictures off the internet for it, and now all I have to do is put it all together in adobe and decide on some color way variations, (I apologize if I said this already in an earlier post) Also for my collection designs themselves, I've got to start working on those, first repairing the line work, you do that by first putting the photos to grey scale in adobe, then enhancing the lines. Then you convert the images back to rgb and you're set to go with your color work.

When I got my mood board finished I'll post it here.

Bye for now everybody, got to make the weekend mean something for my husband :)

Mood Board Delay

Well now, yesterday I wanted to put together a digital mood board with three color ways and everything that led to my new collection. However my brothers popped on by for a surprise visit. And my day went to hell, then I got busy with my virtual assistant job, then my house work then more VA...you get the picture. Hopefully, today will be different, only thing is, today I'm worried about one of my cats again, one took of two weeks ago and never came back, now another one has taken off last night and hasn't returned yet. I'm going to get ulcers I assure all of you. this kitty is fat too although she's obsessed with running around outside and I'm afraid she might be so fat and slow that she got hit by a car. Then again maybe she's just hiding from the rain. I really hope so. If I'm losing my cats out here though I'm going to start getting suspicious of my neighbors. Mood board, mood board, I have to think about my mood board. You know those are supposed to be put together before your collection, I know that. It's just that it was so well ingrained in my mind that I never needed to put it together for my own use and inspiration, I'm just now putting it together for the sake of my portfolio. :) I'm not showing off, I'm just talented.

Back to the Grid But With Plans

Always have your plans, gotta make some money today though, get back to my fashion collection when I've got a gap of time available. trying to develop some plans with a friend from US of Africa and take care of my kids and my sick cats. One of the kittens have swollen front paws and diarrhea and I don't even have grocery money let alone vet fees to spend on him. I'm trying some ground black seed though, it's apparently a powerful anti-microbial and immune support. And mustard seed powder, you may not know this but it contains the now coveted selenium, anti-cancer agent as well as other things. I'll start a new blog for my cats and herbal log there.

Yeahh! Got My Sketch Work Done For My Collection!

Okay, now we're talking, I've got all the sketch work done for my new collection, I've taken pictures of all of them, I have to load them up to my computer now from my camera so I can do the color work on them and other stuff, flats and so on.

The other day I went on apparel search.com and tried to find out where my collection would be well received, Europe is almost a sure shot. Well I was talking to my husband about it when he called and he was asking me afterwards "how do you know you can have a job like that? wonder if you can't keep having those wonderful ideas?" His seeming lack of faith in my imagination and ability really kicked me but I told him something really valuable I've learned over the years thanks to reading Julian Seamans books, there are no original ideas, and no such thing as artists block. When you need ideas for a new collection, you don't necessarily look for inspiration to come from your own head, ideas, concepts, nothing. What you need to do is be yourself, cultivate a love and appreciation for everything visual, art, architecture, history, all cultures, museums, landscape, past fashion, so called futuristic fashion, movies and so on, even cultivate the ability to appreciate the visual elements of things you don't like or rather be able to spot whatever there is about them that is worth something of note.

You love everything, so what next? Okay, what you've got to do now and this is where being yourself comes in, anything that speaks to you, think about it, look for what ever things you've seen you'd like to combine in different ways to produce some interesting, functional, wearable and beautiful ideas for garments, that's simply what I do. It's true you don't do this very well if you don't culture a love for visual elements everywhere from pretty much everything, but that is something you can learn. Don't forget to learn about different design elements, garment cuts for example so that you've got a variety of them as well that can be combined with your visual chemistry's.

While your putting things together like that you've also got to keep current fashion trends in mind, see if some of them can be thrown tastfully into you collection's design and also be aware of color trends to for what ever forward season you're designing for that way you're collection will be up to date. Have fun!

Every Step Brings You Closer

I watched 'Signe Chanel' again on youtube, I love french documentaries especially about fashion, got to find some more. I've got a little more than half my sketches left to do on my collection before I can get them on my computer for finishing. When I'm done I want to do three things

1. put together my fashion design/art resume
2. post my new collection on all the free portfolio/fashion portfolio sites
3. send my links over to all the Turkish and Kuwait and whatever other clothing manufacturing companies that I think may be interested in my work.

Sounds like a plan, I want to see if someone will hire me to design even without me knowing patternmaking. Also I've got to remember that I should draw up the flat images of the garments to accompany the illustrations. Those are for the patternmakers there to understand the garment better so they can make a pattern that will re-create the depiction of the illustration. See? My mind is thoroughly on my dreams.

Any way though, I've got to get back to my writing work, just had to drop in and let everyone know that I am still in the fashion design hopeful sling. I'm just stuck like the pig in the mud of life. Wait Till The Summer! Oh God, I plan to be done with my new collection way before that, and I think I'll make it the trend cast colors for this coming fall and winter navy blue and brown. Well that's a wrap, back to the grind folks.

Optimism that's not for "Optomists"

Yeah, I'll tell you like it is, you need to hold on to your dreams and not let go, ever, but on a daily basis it's hard because other than holding on to your dreams in your head you've got to sometimes have the discipline in your mind and heart to wait till you can actually take a tiny baby step toward that dream. It almost seems impossible at times but that's what it's going to take if you've got any chance at all to reach your goals that's what your going to have to do. Every time I look at that collection of mine, I love it, I miss it and I wish I had time to work on the dear thing. But life and how screwed up for time I am has me neglecting it in all ways but in my mind. In order to continue actively chasing your dreams you got to except the pain of holding on when times are tough. If you can do that, you've got a chance, by default. It's just going to take you longer unless you get lucky along the way, so just hold on.

See so far what's been going on is that I've got my writing assignments, I've gotten ripped of at the store for 38 dollars, and I'm too short of cash for anything, it's really sad. So it's important that I focus my time on work around the house for my kids and shopping for the stuff that's needed. When it's all done I've got no energy for anything else. With my teeth being broken and my knees hurting so bad it doesn't make anything easier. But I love my collection and I want to be a fashion designer, design beautiful clothes and make a lot of good money and my daughter will be able to look at me and say 'My mother is a fashion designer' and my son can admire me because I've made enough money and I don't need to whine at my husband and ask him for anything. I have control over my life and what I want to do. I'm somebody not because of what other people have done for me but because of what I fought to do for myself, because of talent I have that God gave me that I fought to hold on to use. That's what I'm doing. That's what I'm fighting to do.

The Fight For Time

Ah yes, what will I do today, everyday that I can't get to my collection I plan on doing the line work on, taking pictures of them when they're done, loading them to the computer and coloring and touching them up in Adobe Photoshop. Because right now I'm breastfeeding as I'm writing this and I've got to go get a months worth of juice for my son and that involves a long trek to the store on Fraser Hwy on foot. That's going to take a good chunk of my time and energy. I've also got to think about writting more articles than two to catch up with the money lost last week and the beginning of this week. Not enough sleep last night either, finished up at 4 am. I'm not a loser though, I'm going to fight it no matter what I do, I am going to be a fashion designer! And I'm going to make enough money to start a large agricultural movement in Africa to utilize their native food crops and the vast expanses of desert. All with the money made from my beautiful fashion collections. I'm going to put my art to work.

Slow and Steady and Steady and ....(just hold on....

Yeah, everything in my life is a lot slower than I'd like in my life, but that's okay all I have to do is remind myself that if I hold on to my dream of being a fashion designer by doing or planning something everyday that will bring me closer to that dream, it will indeed come to pass. I wrote my two articles last night, I'm getting faster and that will help me make more money. However my husband wants us to save more money for a house and kids and that's all good, just an extra challenge to face. I can meet it besides, if I didn't my conscience will bother me. Lord knows I don't want that.

I will speed up my writing, I will finish my makeup artist course and I will take a fashion design course and get a job as a fashion designer all in due time. I just have to keep focused. I'm planning to gain some ground with the ladies who put together NOMA by creating a bunch of graphics for their beautiful makeup artist course. I just feel like it's a good idea and I want to finish the line work on my new collection. I'll see if I can do some more on that tomorrow morning and tonight I'm going to see if I can improve upon a mini course I've done and write two more articles, tomorrow night I'd like to shoot for three. The faster I get at doing articles the more money I can make. More money improves both options and time.

The Drudgery of Needing to Make Money at Home

Well now, to all you artistically talented people out there be forewarned, the site 'getpaidtodraw.com' is in fact one of those not-so-dishonest scams but a scam none the less. And here's the explanation as I suffered to discover it (I've just got my refund for it this morning through click bank though) okay, the site leads you to believe that they've got the secret info that will allow you to simply scribble something on a piece of paper and sell it, somebody will actually buy it online including the companies that sell stock photography and images on the web. Okay well I've already signed up for them before 'getpaidtodraw' came out and with this purchase I gave it a chance tried to get the ball rolling on some money making. I know this isn't fashion design but I'm living in the real world where my dreams are built of hard work and supporting my kids and cats at the same time, I need money not only to survive but also to pay for some more sorely needed education in the patternmaking area. I'm thinking about getting either elitepro's fashion design course out of Madrid, Spain, or Etelestia's fashion design and patternmaking courses out of Greece or Vancouver Community College's part time fashion design course.

And I've got some major blockages to get through, I'm going to have bad credit for a whole 6 years on account of that 900 dollar cell phone bill from my younger brother. I won't be able to get a student loan. My kids aren't old enough to go to school and I can't wait till six years, stop whatever job I manage to get to take a course and then fulfill my dreams. Well I'll have to find another way. If I hang in there with my writing job I'll eventually get paid more, I just need patience and discipline. As for that God Damn GetPaidToDraw, I'll let you know, most stock image places are looking for vector art, so if you've done a bunch of computer art in a paint program like adobe photoshop or something don't think you've got it made with a bunch of ready to use inventory. You have to have work available that was created in programs like Adobe illustrator or CorelDraw okay? Now if you've got a program called CorelTrace, you may be in luck, because like me if you've got great color block art you can dump your regular, jpeg file raster art in that program and convert it all to vector based graphics and voila, just a little extra work and you've got inventory. Well I haven't had the time to get that all done yet but I'll get too it.

Just to let you know aside from my kids, cats and house, the things slowing me down are my articles I need to make money with, my fashion collection I'm working on, research on how to make more money and figuring out how to make money and what the darn requirements are to submit my artwork in the first place. It's not simple. But that's okay I'll cut through the hullabaloo eventually and make it to the top of mount Everest eventually.

Word of caution though everyone, if you see one of those god forsaken sites on how to make money easy, remember this, it's not that its a lie flat out, they couldn't stay up for a hot second if they were, no, it's that the way they're talking about making money is a little too obscure, vague and or time consuming. Don't waste your time or your money, I took the chance so you don't have too.

Too Many Directions and Not enough Focus or Money

Ahh, I've dreamt about becoming a fashion designer ever since I can remember and now I'm 30+ and haven't become one yet, I've got two kids, very beautiful kids, too many cats a $900 cell phone bill from my brother and a serious lack of money. However, I still haven't gotten my dream of becoming a fashion designer out of my head.

Instead I set a deadline for myself, I'm going to become a fashion designer before I hit 50 and that's that's.

I've done a bunch of research at my downtown library on what I have to know to become a fashion designer and with a little brush up on my sewing skills and a good patternmaking course I'll be raring to go. Right now I'm working on my new collection and writing articles to make some practical money.

Seeing if I can design a collection without actually having the samples produced and still get hired by whatever company loves my design ideas. Cross my fingers hope to die.... Any way my collection has about 21 pieces and hopefully some Turkish clothing or textile manufactury will love it. I sure do so somebody else has to.

I want to see if I can finish doing the line work for sketches so I can start putting them all together in color and what not on the computer than you'll probably see them up here as well. Also what I plan to do is post it on every free fashion and portfolio site that's free that I can find, see what happens then.