Busy Bee

All systems are go with my Primark placement. I've had my timetable and its just boosted my excitement! I've been allocated time with every head of department within the buying team and it's beeing treated as a teaching experience than actual work. I'll be given tests and classes on how they use certain systems. Thankfully I have experience working with some of the software they have described so I hopefully won't be too useless.

On a side note, this weekend brings us December 1st! For some this means the start of Christmas shopping, putting the decs up and opening that first door of your advent calendar. For me, it means super cute and silly graphic prints!

I love this little guy and his socks!

 

An advent calendar for those post christmas shopping nights!

Appologies yet again

I really should try harder to keep my blog up to date. I'm useless, I know! So, whats the news. Well I have a work placement organised and I am very, very, VERY excited about it! It is now confirmed that I shall be working along side the women's accessories buying team for Primark. It's only a short term thing and then I shall be moving onto another placement short after to work with the merchandising team. I can't wait!

Not only that but my graduation is organised, tickets bought and gown hire confirmed, I have a feeling that I'm looking forward to it more than I am about Christmas! All I keep thinking is "new shoes, new dress...oh in fact two new dresses! A big reunion with all of my friends that I haven't been able to see in a long time". I'm like a child all over again :D

Not only that, but the knitting will be kick started again! I promise it will be a little more than mug huggers, and I'm feeling something slightly glitzy and glam as its coming up for the party season, so any suggestions, please feel free to drop a comment. I don't bite,  I promise :)

Movember

 

I'm sorry it has been a while an this is unrelated to knitting but I'm taking part in Movember this year and need to help in spreading the word and getting donations.

It's all about raising awareness for men's health. There are plenty of events for breast cancer awareness and I feel that not enough is done for guys, so I joined up.

Movember is a month many men dedicate themselves to but growing (in some cases attempting to grow) a gentlemanly moustache, and ggetting sponsored to do so. I know I cannot grow any magnificent facial hair, but I'm there in spirit as a Mo Sista.

If you could take a look at my page and spread the word, I would be very greatful. And a donation here and there would be just fantastic. I'll be joining in by updating my page with moustache related fashion and trends that I come across to keep you entertained.

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/2702126

 

LFW

So, London Fashion Week was amazing! Catwalk was just stunning and a really brilliant experience. I managed to get some sneaky snaps of the Temperly Pre Autumn and Spring Summer 13 collection (apologies for the poor photos, my camera died and had to use my phone).

The shopping part of the event was a little traumatic, lots of excited women wanting to grab a bargain, pushing past and snatching. But when you have items reduced from £6000 to £900, it is slightly understandable. However pretty much everything was a little too expensive for me, apart from a cup cake stand that was most definitely in my price range!! Super yummy!

Well, as promised, here are the few snaps I managed to take.

 

 

 

Tomorrow isn't just another day

So, tomorrow is the big day and I will be trecking it down to London to see Alice Temperley's SS13 collection! Get ready for photos, news and gossip from the event. I've found out I'm not allowed to blog during the event but I make sure I pop everything up on here once its over and done with.

So excited!

Not long to go...

Not long now unitl I'm off to Fashion Week ad you have no idea how excited I am! Outfit is now sorted, sketch book is at the ready and I'm so ready!

I've managed to get myself a part time job in a small designer shop close to my home town where I'm able to merchandise and get hands on with finding out what customers want.

In the mean time, I've been asked to get on with some snoods ready for christmas. I've done a range of mug huggers that I've donated to a charity that is close to my heart to help them raise some money, and they will be all packaged up along with the mug and some extra little goodies.

I'm going to London Fashion Week!

I've just found out that I've won tickets to be on the front row for the Alice Temperley show on the 22nd of September!!

I'm both super excited and so scared! I will be mingling with some huge names that will be there, both designers and celebrities.

The question I have in mind though is, what do I wear? My wardrobe is still in the "student" zone and I have no idea what people wear to these events, so I need your help on this one, please leave ideas, comments or links in the comments box.

I will be trying to live blog during the event as much as possible with photos and comments, and most importantly with what the clothes are like!

A touch of inspiration

So I felt that I needed a bit of inspiration before cracking on with designing and was looking through other bloggers pages (thank you Knit Grandeur) and found this video about sustainable knitting and thought it would be perfect to include in my next collection.

http://vimeo.com/45456477

My dissertation at University was based on sustainable fashions and recycling clothing as it is something I have a passion for.

I have therefore decided that my collection will use only second hand and recycled yarns, buttons and applique bits and bobs. Most of these will come from a slight obessive hoard of things I have been collecting over the years, others will come from unravled second hand jumpers and yarns I have saved throughout University.

Wish me luck!

Jingle Bells

This is exactly what people don't want to hear on an August bank holiday weekend but it's time to start the winter collection and get back to the knitting machine ready for Christmas.

I will be creating a range of high quality, hand made scarves ready for winter (although we could have done with them during August thanks to this "wonderful" weather) in a range of shapes, sizes and styles and selling them at Chirstmas craft fairs around the Midlands so keep an eye out for a completely unique, hand made little gift thats perfect for those difficult to buy for friends and family members.

I will also be opening an Etsy shop; somewhere that you can go to to order your handmade presents for friends, family and perhaps even yourself. So if you aren't near the midlands, you can order from here and have it delivered to your front door. Once it's up and running I shall post a link for you all to flock to.

In addition, I've just got back from a beautiful sight seeing trip to Bruges in Belgium and thought some photos may be appreciated, I'm hoping to use the amazingly pretty medevil buildings as inspiration for the winter collection.

I hope you all have a wonderful bank holiday despite the bad weather, and I shall keep you all up to date with progress and inspiration for the winter collection.

Post University Activities

Now that University has finished I've found myself with rather a lot of time on my hands. After a fantastic two week holiday in Portugal where I've been able to relax, see some amazing sights and soak up some culture and I'm ready and raring to go!

The job hunt starts here!

Da Vinci Exhibition and Post New Designers

New Designers is now over and seemed to fly by, it was such an amazing oppertunity to speak to professionals and the press as well as seeing some of the UK's best talent in Textiles as well as Fashion, Ceramics, Jewelry and Contemporary Art. Only positive things can come of it I guess!

I also used the oppertunity to see some exhibits whilst in London, as it has been the inspiration for my final years work, the Leonardo Da Vinci:Anatomist exhbit was the first on my list. It was truely amazing and a definate must see! The detail that went into his drawings and the accuracy was just breathe taking. People have said the Mona Lisa was too small and a dissapointment; the anatomical drawings were aroun A5 size and phenominal!



I also saw Gunther von Hagen's Animals Inside out as a personal interest of mine. It was really interesting to see animals in that way, they are either stuffed or in bone/fossil. The plastination was odd, it didnt seem like they were real creatures, just plastic models of them, although the sliced giraffe and horse did seem far more realistic as they still had their orignional features, and the size of the elephant was also amazing.

Here are a few snaps I managed to sneak of the Inside Out exhibit and a few of the Anatoist exhibit but I have a full album here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/julialouisewilliams/

 

Anatomist: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/leonardo-da-vinci-anatomist?_$ja=kw:%2bda%20%2bvinci%20%2banatomist|cgn:Leonardo+Da+Vinci+Anatomist_BMM|cgid:3927871268|tsid:5255|cn:Leonardo+Da+Vinci+Exhibition|cid:96471668|lid:38694317348|mt:Broad|nw:search|crid:14023615628&gclid=CIuzwY2R-bACFc8KtAodnlub9w

Inside Out: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/animal-inside-out/index.html

First day at New Designers

So the first day at New Designers was a relative success. We may not have won any awards but some students at Derby University have had some interest from some very big names such as Jimmy Choo and Radley.

Comments on this years show: Digital print is clearly going to be huge next season as almost everyone has print designs, there are very few weave and knit designers showing this year. The level of quality is incredible though, it really is the best of the graduates in the country.

On a side note, I am happy to announce that I recieved my final University Classification. BA (Hons) Textile Design, 2:1 !!!

New Designers

I found out yesterday that I have been selected out of 14 people from the course to show my work at New Designers in London at the end of the month! I'm so excited to be able to show my work along side some of the best graduates from the UK. Its so amazing to have such a great oppertunity like this. Come on London!
www.newdesigners.com

Final Degree Show Part 2

So, the degree show is up and running at the moment after days of hard labour and perfecting our displays. I'm so pleased with the end result and hope you enjoy/enjoyed it too (if you were able to make it).

The private viewing held on the 1st of June marked the end of a 3 year journey through University and the start of a new one into the world of work. It was amazing to see how far my course mates and I have come from September 2009, the skills we have all gained, the significant style each of us have acquired but most of all, the life long bonds we have. I knew that the day would come to say good bye to it all, I never thought it would come this soon, and I am sad to leave it behind, but I'm so excited to see whats out there and embrace what ever is thrown at me.

Private Viewing at the "Odyssey Degree Show", 01.06.2012

Deciding a layout for the show before the private view

Final Degree Show Part 1

The time has come to put up my degree show, and I thought I would let you get a sneak peak at some of my garments and how I'm displaying them, the next instalment will come after the private view on June 1st
 http://www.derby.ac.uk/degreeshow