Visual Design: Behind the Scenes with Burberry Prorsum

Most of you know by now that I am a lover of textures, colors and quality craftsmanship. I love everything about the design process. Sketchbooks, fabric swatches, trims and hardware are things of utter beauty to me. I found this video showcasing the behind the scenes craftsmanship of the Burberry Prorsum Spring ’12 line and, of course, I had to share! I wanted to keep this video as a source of inspiration for myself because I love looking at the textures and watching the process of creation, so what better place to keep it than here? I hope you enjoy . . .

The Design Process: My Accessories Design Final Project

Modern Masai Tote by Ayanna Listenbee Handbags

A few weeks back I mentioned that I was ensconced in preparations and projects for finals. In my design class we were asked to come up with a theme, and then design a collection based on that theme. My theme was based on the Masai tribe of Kenya. Once the collection was designed, we were asked to select one style from the collection and then create that item ourselves. I selected the tote bag I designed for the collection. Unfortunately, I sold my industrial sewing machines a few years back. I have not sewn a bag in over 6 years so I underestimated what it would take to sew leather and denim on a (borrowed) home sewing machine! It took me about four days to draft and create the patterns (working feverishly while the kids were at school and at night when they were in bed) and another two days to complete the construction and sewing of the bag. My borrowed machine died and I had to borrow ANOTHER machine to complete the task. As hard and frustrating as it was at times, it was a great exercise and provided a wonderful sense of accomplishment. I plan to incorporate the design into the new line. To see more of the design process check out the pics below. . .

Modern Masai Mood Board

Modern Masai Croqui & Sketch

Masai Tote Details

Design Process

Construction Process

Are there any ideas in your head that you can make a reality in the coming new year?

Artfully Tailored . . .

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Thankful Thursdays: Peace Amongst the Chaos

This is the last week before my final projects are due (on Monday). I am spending most of my time this week creating patterns and sewing a leather tote for my accessories design final. (I’ll post pics soon). I used to sew often, but it’s been some time now since I have sewn (6+ years). Once we introduced kids into the family, the sewing machine took a distant back seat. Needless to say, I am a little rusty. With rustiness comes apprehension . . . a slight anxiousness about the completion of my projects. I have been down this road enough to know that worry gets me nowhere. I used to be a really great worrier. Today, when I feel those familiar feelings of apprehension rising, I take a deep breath, speak the outcome I want to create, thank God for the opportunity to do what I am doing and ask that He bless the works of my hands. It works EVERY time.

How do you find peace amongst the chaos?