What am I doing here?

 

This week has been somewhat difficult, I attended my 'Taller de Moda' class, with uncertainty as to my continuation with the class, or if I would look to swap to the 'Disseny de Moda' class which is less practical and more conceptual, like project work, also looking into trends. I presented my work and ideas for my collection, however throughout the class we were advised that a complete look has to be completed in toile by the following Monday, this just seemed such a jump up from the very basic ideas and research that I and everyone else had done, and I kept considering the amount of other work that I had to complete for the other modules. I had made my decision to swap. I had so much other things to do and revision for my history exam coming up soon, translating all the Catalan notes, doing all my pattern cutting classes, which is really hard to focus on because it is taught so differently here, then throw in a whole much of language problems I have, oh and not to forget textiles and a giant book I need to make full of knitting samples. Theory exams to go with that! I don't want to create bad work and I feel that if I am over rushed then my work will be substandard, so the swap was entirely necessary. In the photo above you can see some of my pattern cutting work, with some pages photographed from a really interesting book that one of the students had, called 'Pattern Magic' I must buy this book ASAP so that I can learn more of the tricks. There is also one of my toiles for a pair of overly baggy trousers with a skirt that I altered from a classic trouser pattern. It didn't really work so I turned it into a catsuit...as you do. 

The above photograph is proof of how late I arrive home...I pass the Torre Agbar every night when I come home from uni, it's so beautiful, I had to take a quick snap of this. The same day I went in search for fabrics to make another pair of trousers with a geometrical pattern. I discovered a great store nearby called 'Stocks Textiles' it's in Poble Nou. They have some lovely fabrics there and at a reasonable price. Because it's so close this will come in handy for me. I noticed most the well priced tweeds, I know I'm on a budget but I would really love to make some tweet classic pants in a toile....then maybe take them home and wear them. It seems a waste to make my toiles in calico right now...or maybe I just want more clothes for my wardrobe ha! And as you can see by the photographs of the pattern cutting, it's all from scratch. No blocks, really technical. Hard but I feel like I'm learning a good skill here...providing my Spanish improves and it starts sinking in finally! 

These mood boards were what I prepared for my new class on Friday, the one that I swapped to. I am fully aware that I am playing catch up here and I have a lot of work to do. The class is 3 weeks ahead of me, but even with all the work I have to do, I still tried to get some basic concepts and ideas together. Basically what I have to do for one part of the class is to create a final item of clothing influenced my a tradition that has become less popular, take it and reinvent it in a modern way. If that be a textile technique or taking inspiration from a festivity or event itself and working that into a modern fashion concept. I have to say that this really does sound interesting and fun as a project brief. I wanted it to also be something more personal to me, so I chose the English tradition of Morris dancing. Specifically during the event of May Day. 

I presented these two boards to my lecturer and he liked the idea. Obviously I am playing catch up and need to have way more work for next week with fabric samples of what I wish to do for my final garment. But all this aside it went well. And since speaking with my lecturer, I have thought of brining in embroidery, and using the idea of the May Queen wearing such a pale white dress, embroiling this dress with flowers from the celebrations, using PVC strips and weaving them into the white, giving a semi transparent image of the embridary below. In my head it looks brilliant, but it's hard for me to describe. When I get my act together with this I will post up some designs. 

Also for the class we have another project working in groups and we will work on trends, every group has been given a different fashion capital to base trend research on. For this my group, we are working on trends for S/S 2015 New York. This is the time I really could do with assess to WGSN. It would make life a lot easier for me, but oh well...another  challenge ahead...now we shall see if the trend forecasting events really help (I'm sure they do because they were so interesting!) the test of my trend knowledge eeeekk!! 

During the weekend I have had a homesick moment. That lasted the entire weekend. It involved me sitting in my apartment, moping. Seriously the whole weekend. I think that I was so traumatised by the busy weeks of highs and lows that I started losing faith in my abilities. Most days, I leave my apartment at 8am and I don't return home until 9pm. It's really really tough and has an effect on me mentally and phisically. I feel like a zombie. I am so frustrated with myself for not picking things up instantly, I'm letting it get to me way too much. Also it doesn't help that I miss my family, I didn't think that it would effect me like this, I thought that I was strong enough to be away from home for any amount of time. But I'm not, I guess it's fine when you're having fun, but when you're not, you just want some friendly faces around.  FaceTime doesn't seem enough right now...but who am I kidding? As if I would get any time to spend with friends or family if they did come to visit. 

I hope for a more productive and happier week starting tomorrow. I think I've sorted my head out for now. It's a challenge and I don't quit, it may be hard but I must keep going just to prove to myself that I can live in a beautiful hell and come out the other end. Quitters doing get far in life. I must keep going.