In the last week before the holiday, I spent two days to finish dyeing the fabric needed by the project of Product Placement. Even if the sample experiment was conducted in advance, the desired effect could not be achieved quickly when the amount of fabric was large. The dyeing experiment of Sample can only help determine which color of dye is more appropriate, but the amount of dye needs to be increased when the amount of fabric is large. If the color is not ideal, adjust and balance the amount of different dyes from time to time. After dyeing the fabric, I could continue to make clothes during the holiday. I can only print patterns on the cloth after the vacation.
In the following days, I completed the vintage blouse that had been lying idle for a month and then finished its workbook. Due to the schedule of project of Product Placement, the last two classes of Vintage Blouse can only be postponed until now.
I continue to modify the clothes this week after first fitting and prepare for print pattern.
I draw the pattern on the calico to see the approximate size, so I know how to set the size in Photoshop, and the pattern will look about the same size when I print it on the costume.
The costume I plan to make are mainly made of red fabric, so I bought a lot of white fabric. I experimented with a small sample several times before I achieved satisfactory results.
To make the panier look more natural, I changed some parts. I lifted the second layer of steel and sewn together with the first layer. In order to maintain the balance of the panier, I have to observe and adjust it while hand sewing. I begin to drape the dress until I finished the panier.
With only two weeks left before the holiday, I had to hurry up to choose fabric. I first went to Berwick Street in Soho area, where the fabric was expensive. It’s a good choice if you need high-end fabrics. Then I went to fabric shops in Shepherd’s Bush and it was like heaven, with so many shops and fabrics to choose from and a bit cheaper than Soho. I bought some red fabric and also took some samples.
After buying the fabric, I started to dye samples at school to see if I could achieve the desired effect. Then a tutor recommended me the Bondaweb that would make the stripe of cloth stick to another fabric better, without having to sew stripe to fabric.
The First fitting was on the 26th, and Naomi is helping me make the costume fit better. Therefore, on the weekend, I modified the pattern according to Naomi’s marks and made the costume again.
Since I haven’t been to Tate Modern for a long time, I found some interesting new artworks. Like the work of this artist who was born in India and works in India and the United States. This is his work in 1985. He has tried in various media, such as Graphite, watercolour, ink and Oil paint on Paper on Canvas, and paint and sand on Canvas. Make the work look rich and three-dimensional:
Also saw some surreal artworks, I picked out a few pieces of I like. They are inspired by politics and war, also have to look at the world from the perspective of mental patients. The subject matter of surrealism has always been that I think the imagination is very rich, and the grafting of things that people think are unreasonable together shocks your mind and senses：
【The Making of Rodin】
Auguste Rodin was one of the most important French sculptors in the 19th century. His masterpieces include The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, and the Statue of Balzac. His sculptures are considered to overturn the artistic tradition and influence the development of modern European sculpture. Although rodin is famous for his bronze sculptures and marble sculptures, he was best at using clay, plaster and other materials to shape his figures vividly by constantly overturning and reshaping them. One of the most important exhibits is rodin’s plaster study of “The Thinker”, which, though less complete, has already begun to take shape.
Finally, the steel for the panier that I bought arrived. After I inserted the steel into the channel, I wanted to put them on the mannequin to see the effect. Unexpectedly, a huge problem occurred: the width of Pannier was widened, but I did not change the waist part, so the opening of the waist was too wide to be wore on the mannequin. So I had to add calico on the waist part. Although the panier could be put on the mannequin, another problem comes out, the shape of the panier was changed. I’ll just have to figure out how to adjust it later.
I make the corset: I cut two layers of Coutil Plus Calico and put boning in.
To see the overall effect of the sleeves, I use a layer of soft net and layer of voile, mount them together and then attached them on the base. In the beginning I used a lot of fabric to left some room for modification. The fabric inside the sleeves made at the first time showed too much, and then I cut both the height and width, but it seemed to be a little not well-stacked. Then I cut some new net and Voile again and only short the height, gather them up, the final effect is satisfied.
I brought some books from China about the development history of Chinese costume, because I wanted to understand the history of clothing in the Tang Dynasty, So I picked out the history of this period from each book and read them. Although I learned some knowledge about costume, I also had some doubts. They are more divided into categories of men, women, makeup or hair accessories, and briefly explain the causes of these changes, but not deeply.
After reading these books, I looked up a lot of related information online and got a lot of inspiration. They introduced the men’s and women’s costume in the same period in chronological order. The historical background, social changes and economic environment at that time led to the changes in such costume. This helped me understand how to write a dissertation, analyze and compare the cultural differences between China and the Western countries from what aspects.
I read a book about the Baroque period before, but it just introduced what costume were like at that time, without analyzing the reasons. Because of my previous reading experience in the history of Chinese costume, I know more about which aspects to focus on to collect the information I need on Western costume. We should not only understand the costume itself, but also analyze the causes of costume changes in many aspects.
I have read some books and there is no corset which is very similar to the costume I want to make this time. There is no exact pattern that can be applied. And then I look at the costume for a long time. The upper part look a little bit like the Victoria Bodice that I made before. So I took out the previous pattern and made it with calico. Then put it on the manniquin and adjust it in proportion to the corset that I am going to make.
After this adjustment, a small collar was added at the top. Finished the body part, I begin to drape the sleeves and Bertha. I was thinking about whether the base of the sleeves should be tight or loose. Finally I decided to do a tight one to see the effect, if it is not appropriate, I could change it later.
In the last two weeks of October, after communicating with Kathleen, she suggested that I should first finish the support of the big skirt below, so as to facilitate the draping of the upper part. Although I checked relevant books in the library, the support is called Spanish Farthingale in the picture, but I think its shape is more like a support called Panier which is later than that time.
I made Panier with calico according to the pattern I’ve found. Because it was so big, so I hang it on the laundry rack and looked at it about the width and thought it seemed a little bit narrow. Then I added 12 inches in the center that is 24 inches in front and back pieces sepatately. And then sew them up to check it again, the overall width is relatively satisfactory.
In the second week, I spent most of my time reading books for essay writing. I found several books introducing the Baroque period in the library, and this was the first time I read books about historical costume seriously. During these years, I was studying design, I always looked through books fast to find information that I needed. This was the first time for me to read text patiently. Although I only finished up one book a week, I believed that the speed will be gradually improved. I learned that the evolution of costume was greatly affected by the political and economic situation at that time. When religious disputes are fierce, clothes are relatively conservative. When the overall social environment is relatively stable, people will add a lot of exaggerated decorations to clothes to show their wealth and social status. At present, whichever country is the most powerful, its fashion trend will slowly infiltrate into neighboring countries. Even if some conservative countries do not accept it completely, they will also reflect the influence through the details of costume. Local intellectuals would then worry that such cultural invasions would make people less sensitive to their own culture, sometimes even requiring the king to issue bans on what people could wear. However, it is difficult to reverse the trend. In fact, although the social environment will affect clothes wearing, it can also be used to observe the current stage of society development through costume and whether people have the energy to consider things other than basic needs.
Today is the last day of this exhibition, I went to the wrong room on Wednesday, so I can’t miss this exhibition again today.
The British royal family has been a source of fascination for hundreds of years. For much of that time, most ordinary people would never have seen their king or queen in person. For them, the monarch was only seen in paintings that hung in great houses or civic buildings, as public sculpture or, more often, on the coins in their pockets.
Monarchs had the power to shape and authorise how they were shown. Depending on their personality, the political need and the fashion of the day, the royal portrait could reflect anything from graceful elegance or maternal charm to raw power and extraordinary splendour.
The most successful royal portraits seem to provide insight into the monarch’s character as well as their appearance. From the 16th century, reliable likenesses of kings and queens, their heirs and favorites were produced by painters and sculptors skilled in the new art of portraiture.
Draw mainly from the superb collection of the National Portrait Gallery, this exhibition considers the changing face of monarchy through portraits of some of the people who have ruled Britain over the last five and a half centuries.
I spent a day in the exhibition hall. As I haven’t had a comprehensive understanding of British history, I was very interested in these historical contents. The gallery features portraits of key royal figures from five dynasties, from the TUDORS, STUARTS, GEORGIANS, VICTORIANS to WINDSORS dynasties. When I looked through the whole exhibition, I realized that people all over the world have similar love and hatred: marriage for political needs, the need for male heirs, and the risk of children dying early. Queen Elizabeth had her own suitor but remained single all her life. She fought with Queen Mary for a long time, and finally passed the throne to Queen Mary’s son without an heir. James I was attracted to George Villers by his charm and good looks, and the two may have been lovers. But their relationship was not accepted by the public or the court. The tired face of James II, who feared he would not have a male heir, was recorded by court painters. Mary II ruled in coalition with her Protestant husband William III. Queen Anne was keen to use the iconography of Elizabeth I to support her right to rule.
The most interesting love story is George III and German-born Charlotte first met on their wedding day and overcoming initial obstacles of language, they forged a strong and affectionate bond and had 15 children. Just like many children from rich family always being spoiled, George, the future king of the 15 children, had a reputation for vanity, self-indulgence and debauchery.
The love story between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert is also touching: Victoria first met her cousin Albert in 1836. Victoria was only 18 years old when she came to the throne in 1837. After their second meeting in 1839, the queen confessed in her journal her feelings for him. I think Albert was a great emotional support to Victoria during her reign, but he died at the age of 42.
In the process of understanding these history, I also carefully observe the details of each character’s costume. I can see the change in clothing, but I need to look at more books to see why it happened.
I was going to see this exhibition: Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits. I didn’t think I was in the wrong room, so I took a look at the portraits on display here. Many of the characters in it are from the period of Britain’s rise in the world in the 17th century. I didn’t read the exhibition introduction very carefully, mainly observing the costume of the characters. The intricate designs also show the luxurious side of the royal family, but the beautiful clothes really fascinate me.
When I first saw this picture, I was shocked. I thought the man’s eyes were a bit sinister. Later, I found that he was a captain in the Spanish Navy. He was a man who had conquered the sea. No wonder his eyes were so sharp.
Charles I and the Spanish captain were contemporaries, but you can see the difference in costume. The Spanish captain’s costume still retained elements of the early Baroque era, while Charles I’s clothing was heavily influenced by French baroque.
Here are some earlier photos of royalty in Britain and other countries. You can see the changes in costume brought about by the changing times.
