Reflection on decoration and sleeve workshop

Reflection on decoration and sleeve workshop

Learning how to decorate a plate tutu and bodice has helped develop my skills at using decoration to tell the story of the character not just to look pretty. I have learnt the importance in ballet and all theatre that the decoration needs to be read from a distance but still delicate. It also helped to develop my skills in using fabrics in different ways so cutting into lace and ribbons to create the decoration rather than just applying a strip of lace looking at how you can use the decoration in a different way. It was hard at times to know how to develop the decoration for the evil character I wasn’t sure what to do after I had applied the patterned silk. I had to learn not to be precious with my work but test and see if something looked good and if it didn’t change it. I enjoyed the freedom we had in this workshop to express different characters we were interested in. It will be interesting working from our designs to try to recreate what Mark has drawn as I feel it will be very different because there is not that same amount of freedom within the decoration when you are working to the specifications of the designer.

I have also developed my hand sewing skills so that it looks neat, also I have learned that to make a stitch stronger you shouldn’t pull it hard as this distorts the costume, I found this in the Battle for the Wind project when sewing the drapes. Instead it is the amount of stitches you use which makes it stronger.

Through working out how to draft my own sleeve has developed my pattern drafting skills and will especially help me in 3^rd year when I will be expected to draft my own patterns in this way. It also helped me to be more independent in my learning.

I am pleased with the outcome of my samples the cream bodice I feel does need a few more beads to create more highlights but I am pleased with how it shows the delicacy of a character like Juliet. The sleeve is a good shape and certainly reflects Degas dancers although just to make it a little puffier I could have made it wider when pattern drafting.