Evalutation: All The Fun Of The Fair

My initial ideas for this project ‘All the Fun of the Fair’ was to create a full sketchbook with ideas and varied things relating to the theme Fun Fairs. Before starting the project I had to gather primary and secondary research to create a full sketchbook to do with fun fairs. I would have found my main primary research by doing such things like visiting theme parks, seaside amusement parks, take pictures, quick sketches and gather leaflets/flyers and etc, later on after collecting this kind of primary research and creating a sketchbook. It would have then been developed further into mood boards, visual sheets and a tracing which would then later on be used in the print room to create a screen which would enable me to make my prints and patterns.

I used many methods of research during the holidays I looked into the wide variety of things that linked off the theme Fun Fairs, when returning back to college I had collected a range of secondary research with plenty of images off various websites, my favourite website to use was Pintrest it was very quick and simple to use and I could find the images I wanted with great ease. A few weeks in after coming back to college we went on a trip to Scarborough, whilst there I took pictures of the arcades and amusements, although due to the terrible weather I could not go into the outdoor fun fair amusements to take proper pictures of rides. Even though the weather wasn’t great I still managed to collect all my primary research, throughout this I have also done drawings and sketches of some of the research I have found.

My time management over the summer was not too great I found myself getting distracted and not getting round to doing a lot of things that I wanted to do, although everything didn’t go as I wanted it to when I came back to college I had a lot of information and images to work from so I did not struggle at all when returning. I am quite disappointed with myself for not buckling down as much during the summer but it was not a problem for when I came back because I had collected a lot of research.

I found great influence from the artists and designers I had found; whether past or present the artists and designers I had chosen helped me and inspired me a lot. My historical choices William Morris and Harry Napper were very memorable and famous designers in the world of textiles they looked at floral patterning which was very beautiful and colourful it inspired me to put a lot of colour and vibrancy into my work. My fun fair artists Kristy Mitchell created a stunning circus bodice that is flawless and the other artists found on the website Folksy designed circus canvases with different circus acts and entertainment so in my tracing, mood boards, visual sheets I looked at more of a circus style.

My approach to my tracing came pretty easily to me; I took inspiration from my sketchbook, mood boards and visual sheets.

Initially throughout the whole project everything has been developed from one another, my mood boards were developed from my sketchbook, my visual sheets were developed from my mood boards and my tracing was developed from picking out patterns from everything I had put together. After developing things further I also experimented with different aspects in my work, I played around with different backgrounds for my mood boards and visual sheets and I experimented making the pigment inks and procion dyes to use on my fabric samples

My experience on the sewing machines went okay, when first starting out on using a sewing machine I had to go through some health and safety procedures, one was if there was not a tutor in the room we would have to stop what we were doing and wait until she came back because if something was to happen whilst she was gone then it would have been out own fault for not listening. The second was to not have any phones or earphones around the sewing machines as if a wire would have been caught or distracted by our phones accidents were bound to happen and lastly long hair must be tied back and hair could be caught in the sewing machine. When I first starting using a sewing machine I was slightly familiar with some things but still had to have a little guidance, sometimes I found it quite frustrating whilst on the sewing machines because I would often get a temperamental machine and it would act up but even though it wouldn’t work I problem solved rather than asking for help constantly, when I got a machine that worked fine I found it very easy to use them.

Before entering the print room health and safety precautions had to be made: gloves and aprons had to worn at all time, gloves had to worn to prevent any allergic reactions from things and to stop hand getting dirty the same is with wearing an apron this was to prevent colourant and dyes getting all over clothes and ruining them. Also long hair had to be tied back to stop hair getting in the way when working. My experience in the print room was very fun and I enjoyed myself a lot, I loved getting hands on with things and getting to create my different prints and designs that I had visualised.

I enjoyed quite a few of the textile processes some of my favourites were devore, felting, screen printing, making homemade paper, machine embroidery and free machining. I think out of them all puff binder was my favourite thing to work with as I loved experimenting with the different colours as sometimes the outcomes were really impressive and I loved how the colours would come out like pastel colours.  But throughout my time I did not like or get to grips with batik, I didn't like how the end result turned out and I found it tricky and messy to deal with as the hot wax would drip everywhere and ruin my work.

Overall everything went very well and I would have changed a lot about what I have done, the only thing that I would have changed is that I accidentally forgot to press and wash out one the procion dyes in my sample which is labelled, but in my technical file I have cut a section off the end of my work to show the difference between what it was like washed and unwashed.

Personal I feel like I have been fine with managing my time and workload, from the start I have ensured that my work has been in on time or before and I have done my work to the best standard I could do it to. My overall satisfaction for my first project on this course is very good, I am very pleased with my work I have produced and the final outcome of my final piece is very neat and tidy and I am more than pleased with how it is presented.

Techniques used throughout project:

• Screen printing
• Devore
• Puffbinding
• Pigment inks
• Procion dyes
• Batik
• Paper making
• Felting
• Layer & Burn
• Applique/Sewing