146. At the beginning of this project I didn’t anticipate how my final idea would turn out, I thought I’d end up with something a lot smaller. Looking back, I’m quite surprised that I decided to work on such a large scale as I’ve never really done anything this big before.
My primary research into different techniques and processes has informed the development of my project. I’ve managed to combine a lot of different techniques and materials thanks to this research. My secondary research hasn’t been as useful but has let me act on my ideas (research into natural dye) and let me refine my initial ideas a bit (Kubota collection).
The greatest problem that I’ve overcome during this project was the struggle I had trying to dye my kimono fabric using natural dye. I tried using natural dye four times before deciding to change to chemical dye.
I’m really pleased with the back of the kimono. This is where the hand embroidered hills and tree is. I think the colours of the background and embroidery thread work well together and I put a lot of effort into making the embroidery as neat as possible.
Weekly planning has let me use my time more efficiently and allowed me to get my thoughts in order and progress quicker than I would have without planning.
If I could do this project over again I would have spent less time trying to make the natural dye work and more time developing the design of the front part of the kimono. I would have liked to try using applique for the flowers on the kimono.
I’ve learnt a lot about myself during this project. I’ve learnt that using time management techniques such as weekly timetables helps me get my thoughts in some kind of order. This means that I can work on one thing before moving onto the next rather than trying to get everything done at the same time. I’ve also learnt that I quite like working at a large scale. It’s difficult but I enjoy it and will definitely do more of it.
I’ve taken some creative risks during this project, like when I decided to use chemical dyes. I hadn’t done much experimentation into this but decided that I needed to get my project moving along. This didn’t turn out exactly how I planned , the colours weren’t as bright but I do like how it looks.
If I had to give myself a grade I’d give myself a distinction as I think I’ve ticked every box with this project, especially problem solving and time management.
Next year I’m going to try going big scale again but maybe making garments that are more wearable. I’m not sure if I’d use Japanese themes again but I loved using natural themes and will definitely take inspiration from nature in the second year.
This has been quite a personal project for me but I hope that people who view my work will understand the beauty of the landscape that I live in. I want my work to make people appreciate nature.