Learning Agreement and Work Plan

NAME: Erica Rupp

COURSE: BA (Hons) Costume w/ Performance Design

UNIT TITLE: Self Directed Project

REF. NO./LEVEL: CSS518

WEIGHTING: 2.0

DURATION: 9 Weeks

HOURS OF STUDY: 300 Hours

Unit Leader: Adele Keeley/Graham Cottenden

Your Blog address: http://sdpericar.blogspot.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION: 

I chose to work on the Costume Store project, which also includes Breathe. For the costume store, we have to make a men’s shirt, breeches or a waistcoat, and a women’s blouse, which Dexter choses for us. For Breathe, we are making base costumes, altering existing pieces and creating pieces from designs to go over the base costumes, and working with the community and other students in the Breathe Together Club on Wednesday nights. 

For the Costume Store, I will make a men’s shirt, breeches or a waistcoat, and a women’s blouse, and for Breathe, I will work on the base costumes and making bits for the different dance groups, as well as helping at Breathe Together Club.  And accompanying and recording them both will be my blog.

I chose the Costume Store because I wanted a chance to further develop my sewing skills, particularly working on my neatness. Breathe was added on to the Costume Store, not actually a choice, and at first I wasn’t very thrilled about it because I wasn’t particularly interested in it, but after the brief on it am actually pretty excited. I was initially (and still am, a bit) nervous to have to work with and sort of teach other people how to make things, but overall I’m glad Breathe was added.  

For assessment, I will produce a body of construction work to include 3 garments for the costume store (patterns will be provided). and a body of costume interpretation work for Breathe together with personal reflection of the development of your project in your blog.

Work Plan

12 March, Mon	first day of shirt - costume store
13 March, Tues	late night Battle for the Winds
15 March, Thurs	Breathe intro and demo sessions
19 March, Mon	shirt cont’d - costume store
20 March, Tue	late night Battle for the Winds
21 March, Weds	shirt cont’d - costume store
22 March, Thurs	hand-in learning agreement Breathe - continue base costume painting, t-shirt screen printing etc
23 March, Fri	finish shirt
26 March - 9 April	Easter holiday
11 April, Weds	re-focus meeting begin waistcoat or breeches - costume store first Breathe Together Club
12 April, Thurs	Breathe
13 April, Fri	waistcoat or breeches cont’d - costume store
16 April, Mon	waistcoat or breeches cont’d - costume store
18 April, Weds	Breathe Together Club
19 April, Thurs	Breathe
20 April, Fri	waistcoat or breeches cont’d - costume store
23 April, Mon	waistcoat or breeches cont’d - costume store
25 April, Weds	blog review tutorial
26 April, Thurs	Breathe
27 April, Fri	finish waistcoat or breeches
2 May, Weds	begin women’s blouse - costume store Breathe Together Club
3 May, Thurs	Breathe
4 May, Fri	women’s blouse cont’d
9 May, Weds	women’s blouse cont’d  Breathe Together Club
10 May, Thurs	Breathe
11 May, Fri	women’s blouse cont’d
16 May, Weds	women’s blouse cont’d  Breathe Together Club
17 May, Thurs	student presentations
23 May, Weds	HAND-IN SDP

First Week Breathe Review

Thursday, 15 March 2012, we had our first meeting for Breathe (http://diversecitylondon.org/current_projects.html), where we were briefed that each costume has a dyed top and trouser base that we finished dyeing and fabric painted and we will re-purpose and make bits to go over top to customize the looks.

There are six different dance groups with different defining design elements:

Jesters (cable-tie bracelets, bells, hats)

Navigators (to be determined)

Collectors (ruck-sack-type-thing)

Elders (cloaks)

Regals (corsets, doublets, sashes)

Teenagers (mow-hawk headdresses)

This past week and next week we are only working on the base costumes because the designs won't be completed until after Easter.

This is a finished base costume.

Example of what we should be doing.

Dyed leggings before being fabric painted.

The big drying-wrack pile of painted, finished base costumes.

We were also given t-shirts to wear to the Breathe Club after Easter so that people will be aware of who they can ask for help, etc. and we are supposed to customize them; this is what I've done to mine so far (need a bit of ribbon to lace up the front still...):

Back

Front, corset style top, make your own: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdmsPTLnhRA

First Week (12-15 March) Costume Store Review!

This Monday, 12 March 2012, was our first day of SDP. We started with a re-focus meeting from 10:30-11:30, mainly about the Learning Agreement we all have to fill out (template on myAUCB), which is due in 22 March and is to include a Work Plan.

From 1:30 - 4:30 was our first Costume Store Demonstration.  Our unit is broken down like so:
Make shirt two weeks up to Easter
After Easter make either waistcoat or breeches for three weeks
Make a ladies blouse for final three weeks

I was assigned shirt one, which is like a peasant top, pictured below (research to follow soon):

Front of Shirt

Front Collar Detail

Back Collar Detail

Cuff Detail

 To prepare for next week, we cut out all our pattern pieces:

And were given directions to sew the front placket, hem the slit in the sleeve by the cuff, attach cuffs, and sew the sleeve and side seams (pictures to be added later).