Tiffany Russell @tiffanyrussellaucb - Tumblr Blog

Final Evaluation

From the start of this project, I knew that time management was going to be important. With such a tight deadline, I needed to be organised. The weekly schedule I made was really helpful, and stopped me from panicking because I could visually see how I was going to spend my time. It kept me on track, and I was surprised at how closely I managed to stick to my plan, especially as time management has been a probable for me in the past. As a maker I sometimes made mistakes, and by working as part of a team there were delays from funding, fabric arriving, actors being cast and being late to fittings, but what this tight deadline has taught me is that in the industry you don’t have time to fuss and complain about these obstacles to your time, but rather to get on with and be initiative enough to consider where else you can place your efforts in the meantime.

Working for screen has made me realize how unpredictable and likely to change the script/ characters are, and as a result how this changes the costume. I have needed to be adaptable and accepting of these changes, remembering that I am working as part of a team and not an individual; that I’m helping to create someone else’s vision. Details are also important, and I have been far more considerate in the quality of finish in costume than I have been in the past. A lot of my experience is yet to come from working on screen when it comes to shooting, and I’m looking forward to discover what I learn.

Teamwork in this project was hugely beneficial for me, not only in making me feel a part of something and improving my work output, enthusiasm and morale towards the project, but encouraging me to explore ideas and problems with my peers rather than asking a tutor for the answer. Collectively, we all have an understanding of how the ‘look’ of the production should be, so I found it really easy to bounce ideas off of my team.

Working towards a historical costume, I never would have imagined the extent of how important research is before, both second and first hand. It really grew my understanding of how the costume would be constructed by looking at the finished product. Historical guides to pattern drafting can be very vague, so having a solid understanding of what I was making improved my confidence a lot. I need to improve on referring back to my research beyond pattern drafting though, and apply it constantly in my work, if not to prevent mistakes then certainly spotting them at an early enough stage to alter them.

This project was a stretch for what I was used to- I had never made historically accurate garments before. I found myself far more independent as a maker than I have been in the past, using research and my team to help me with construction issues. I time restrictions have forced me to more snap decisions and have the confidence to carry them out. I still feel my hand-stitching can be improved with further practice, and now that I’m aware of how I rush through fittings I am going to set the goal of taking my time with them and going through the costume carefully in the fitting.

This project has certainly built my confidence and independency as a practitioner, both refining my skills and establishing what I need to improve on in the future.

#final evaluation

Bibliography

Sources used for this project:

Botting, D. (1978). The pirates. 1st ed. Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life Books.

Friendship, E. (2008). Pattern cutting for men's costume. 1st ed. London: Methuen Drama.

majoliroja, (2012). JOHNNY DEPP IN COSTUMES AND MAKE UP CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL. [video] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw8LDpK8EJU [Accessed 16 Apr. 2014].

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. (2003). [DVD] Walt Disney: Gore Verbinski.

Rohrer, F. (2013). Blackadder and history. [online] BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22887110 [Accessed 17 Apr. 2014].

Rushton, P. (2004). 18th century costume in National Museums Liverpool. 1st ed. Liverpool, [England]: National Museums Liverpool.

Unknown, (2014). 18th Century Dress - Real Pirates. [online] Sites.google.com. Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/realpirates000/home/historical-topics/clothing-and-accessories/18th-century-dress [Accessed 16 Apr. 2014].

Unknown, (2014). Blogger. [online] Romantichistory.blogspot.co.uk. Available at: http://romantichistory.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/regency-breeches-for-david-progress.html?m=1 [Accessed 6 May. 2014].

Unknown, (2014). Clothing and Accessories - Real Pirates. [online] Sites.google.com. Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/realpirates000/home/historical-topics/clothing-and-accessories [Accessed 16 Apr. 2014].

#bibliography

Theatre vs Screen

Going into this project with a weeks experience in theatre, in addition to two days of tours and workshops at other theatres, it would seem wrong not to compare these experiences in theatre to my experience of working for screen with Buccaneers

Having had work experience on 7 brides for 7 Brothers,a tour of the National Theatre's Running Wardrobe team as well as a tour and workshops at the RSC, I have discovered a few differences, and surprisingly some similarities, in how things are made compared to how I've been making for Screen at the moment, contrasting between Screen and Stage. Detail is very important on screen. I learnt this in DP in the Designing for TV workshop, in which you could see that the camera picks up on the costumes in great detail. As such I was very aware of this when making, and will be still when it comes to breaking down, aiming to build subtle layers. However, with theatre I've learnt that a lot of that detail is lost, with the audience being so far away, and therefor matter like breaking down are altered. The audience still need to see the breaking down, so to make it more obvious things are applied far more heavily, so that if you saw it up close it would wrong and slightly clumsy, but from a distance works to great effect In terms of working with historical/ period costumes, the same rules apply but far more loosely. As a menswear maker mentioned to me at the RSC, their costumes look authentic to the audience, but if they were to look more closely they would see the elements of construction that would loose that effect, not to mention that they are made with the intention of being quick changed, so skill and authenticity have to be compromised to the costume efficiency. Comparing that to my experience for working on screen, I have stuck to being as historically accurate as possible, but screen can create moments were that is compromised for the purpose of the script and funding- I had to add a pocket to my frock coat so the actor can pull something out from it, as well as using calico instead of canvas in the lining. Though not authentic to 18th century, the trick is to give the illusion that it is.

There is also a difference in how you work as a team. 7 Brides for 7 Brothers was a small production, and as such the costume team had many roles,from making to dressing, and as the team was so small they were very close to the rest of the cast and crew and therefore had a good knowledge of what was happening each day, working closely to all other departments. The bigger theatre companies, as well as working for screen, seems more divided into departments an means communication is far more important as it normally involves communicating to your supervisor, so getting across the your point can be a bit more difficult if it is done through another person. Its important as a team that you have confidence in what you're saying and can articulate that well.

I felt with theatre there was a lot more urgency and commotion, due to the performance being live and issues going wrong, there was an adrenaline to get things done quickly, which was very exciting. Screen has the benefit of not being on such a strict schedule, so the pressure isn't as ominous as theatre

Going into costume I had always assumed I would be heading for making for Screen, however these past few weeks looking at how a theatre works have changed my view and now makes me question which one I'd rather work for. I feel I need to finish my experience on Buccaneers and gain more experience for both screen and stage before i can make a confident answer, but this project has definitely open my mind to where my abilities would best lie, and what direction I would find most enjoyable.

#theatre #screen #reflection

Week 6 Reflection

Making Skills

I had concerns about my fitting skills which I expressed in last weeks reflection. Having established them, I now challenged myself to carry out what I said I needed to improve on and apply it to the fitting I did this week> I noticed immediately things I had missed in the first fitting because I had rushed it, such as the pleats falling below the hemline. Taking the time to fit the actor made me far more aware about where the costume fitted on the actor, and as a result I felt I knew more about my costume that I didn't before, which is hard to believe considering how much time I've spent on it! it also made me aware that my confidence in the situation correlates to the actors confidence to me and his character. I felt more in control about what I was doing, and I think the actor felt more confident in his costume as a result.

As my design didn't include sleeves, I has to come up with a way to hem the lining and calico but leave the top fabric raw and frayed. This tested not only my skills and knowledge as a maker, but also my patience, fiddling with the lining so it fitted well around the armhole and carefully hand-stitching to the top fabric, which was difficult.

One skill i feel i need to improve on is my hand-stitching. Along my hem, there are parts of the slip-stitch I am happy with, but in other areas you can tell that I got tired an slacked on the quality of the stitch. To improve this in the future, I should take regular breaks when slip-stitching, and not to underestimate the benefit of using an appropriate needle for the job. I also need to be more adaptable with the quality of slip-stitch on more difficult areas to sew- the rectangles covering the top of the pleats in the lining were very hard to stitch in place, having to deal with the bulk of the pleats, the fiddlyness of the fine lining fabric, as well as stitching them on in a way that won't effect the fall of the lining. I shouldn't have underestimated how long it would take to do this, and would have probably found it easier to do this in a larger space.

In addition to this, once i had constructed the frock coat, I discovered that the buttons were to bright for the look and need to be broken down. If I have time before hand-in I will try and lessen there shine with french enamel varnish, which I have used before and find works very well. If not this is something I intend to do after deadline.

Looking back on my weekly plan, and comparing to how far my construction has come, I am impressed at how well I have stuck to my schedule. With only a few finishing touches to go, I feel confident I will get everything done in plenty of time.

Working for Screen

Looking at my costume essentially finished, I can foresee the breaking down that well be needed so that it doesn't fall flat on the camera. As mentioned, the buttons shine will need to be brought down as they stand out to much. With the frock coat, whilst I like it to be crumpled and creased, I still looks flat with the colour and needs to be dyed and painted on, and in turn so does the breeches. Seeing it all together on the stand, there are instant areas I notice that need to be built on, and I think its a compliment to my knowledge of breaking down and interpretation that I can acknowledge this with my costume. its a skill I should definitely build on, taking the time out for each costume I make to stand back and really look at it as a whole.

Working as part of a Team

This week we had our dress parade, which was amazing to see. Having all f us work so hard, it was great to see the early stages of it all coming together and there was definitely a feeling of team pride going round. It was a brilliant way to show the producer and director what we've been up to, and they in turn were overjoyed at seeing the line up. They even shared with onto the Facebook page, which I think is a great way to keep the whole production in the loop about how the production will look, Its great to see the team response to what we've done, and the feeling of achievement is unlike what you feel when you create something as an individual.

It was also a chance to hear the designers opinions on the costumes, as well as contribute my ideas to the presentation of the other costumes. I didn't realize how important dress parades were, but on reflection they really benefit group morale

Working on a Live Project

Working as part of costume, it can be easy to forget the big task that lays ahead for the production. Creating a period piece for screen is ambitious, and requires a lot of money and funding. The team have started a fundraising scheme, which can be found here, to raise the money needed, but with an estimated £2,500 needed it won't be easy and therefore requires the whole team to really raise awareness of it. The issue on funding is more apparent on small individual projects, and has made me more aware of why our budget was so tight. With a tight deadline before we start shooting, its really important to raise the money.

#weekly reflection

Final Fitting

As I had expected from the first fitting, the costume fit my actor very well. I was conscious on this fitting to take my time with it and make sure it all fitted right. As a result I realized that the hem of my pleats didn't fall evenly to match the hem line, but in fact fell below the hem line. i didn't notice this the first fitting and I'm glad I had a second and spent my time with it, otherwise it would have been to late to alter it before hand in and would have created a lot more work for myself.

I know that fittings are an area that I want to improve on, but through the process of this project I've realized its my confidence to take my time with the fitting that I need to improve on. I feel I have started to develop to improve this already, and in the future this is what I can aim to achieve

#fittings

Dress Parade

Reaching the final stages of this project, it seemed like a good idea to put our costumes together for a dress parade. It was really beneficial to do, allowing not only myself and kathryn as makers to see how well our costumes fitted in with the others, but also for Lucy and the production team to see how all the costumes are coming together, as well as allowing Hannah to see how her designs are being interpreted. By placing all the costumes together, we could see what elements were maybe to modern or didn't fit in with the costume compared to the others. Seeing the dress parade finally allowed me to see everything we've been working on coming together, and now I can't wait to start shooting and seeing how our costumes will fit in with the rest of production. I was really proud of us to see how well it was coming together, and Hannah was more than happy with Duncan's costume so far.

#dress parade

Making Skills- Pocket

Since the script changed that resulted my character needing a pocket, I have felt unsure about how to approach the pocket's construction. Traditionally 18th century frock coats didn't have functioning pockets, so there wasn't an exact way to make them. This demanded some initiative from me, and as such I decided to make a simple flap pocket so not to affect the pockets appearance on the top by adding a welt. Oh! What a Lovely War makers were using a similar method to make their pockets, so I asked them on there construction. I didn't feel confident enough to make the pocket straight away onto my costume, so I practiced with a sample first. I'm glad i did, because there were small mistakes I made in the sample that I then knew not to do in the final one, leading to the pocket being finished to a higher quality.

#making development

Week 5 Reflection

Making Costume for Screen

Now that we a nearing deadline and the production is becoming more prepared for the shoot. I am starting to notice little occurrences that seem unique to screen. After the script-reading, the interpretation of my character had changed from how I originally considered him. My actor played him as creepy and weird, and it made me realize that the design of the character can still be changed to create a completely different persona. Thankfully, this interpretation of the character isn't too different from Hannah's design, and the creepier side of him will probably come across more once I can break the costume down.

Looking at it from a broader view, what I've learnt is that, despite what you think you know about the character, the actor is the one who is interpreting it and the persona is one they create and feel comfortable with. Generally it won't veer off too much from previous expectations, but small change scan happen which could change how the costume s presented. I feel that this changes can happen from the start, from production meetings, meeting the actor, fittings, script readings, right through to rehearsals and days of actual filming.

I can see from this experience, and broadening it on a larger scale, that as a maker, I have to be acceptable to change and prepared to have to alter elements of the costume- its not about working as part of a costume team, but rather a whole team, and correlating how others interpret and want from the script the best I can into the costumes. As I say, this choice doesn't alter my costume much at this stage, but it is an eye-opener to know that changes can occur during any stages of the production and I have to be acceptable to that

Making Skills

During this week, I suffered a blow to my confidence as a maker by wrongly interpreting a pattern. Whilst it wasn't a devastating mistake, it did prove that I need to be more careful when interpreting my patterns, constantly referring back to my research to ensure what I am doing is correct. However, despite this mistake ( which, now I know, I will never do again when making breeches) it did test me in how I would deal with the situation. I didn't have enough fabric to make another pair, and being pressured by time I didn't have the time to waste to fuss over what to do. I had to be confident enough with the mistake to carry on and overcome any obstacles from the mistake as they arose. The main solution was to make sure that the seam was pressed and tidy so it looked as though it fitted with the design.

This week I also learnt a lot more about fittings. I realized I need to be more confident in my fittings with the actors, rather than being too timid to alter the costume on the actor. I need to spend more time go though all of the costume to ensure that all areas fit as they are intended to. In future fittings I want to put this into practice, because as a maker its is a occurrence that I will be dealing with regularly and I won't have time to waste on fitting a costume wrong.

Kathryn also had an issue with her actor, being that he lives in London and couldn't be fitted, Its quite frustrating as a maker being unsure on how to improve your costume if you don't how it fits. A clever solution Lucy came up with was to find another person of similar size and fit them. I thought this was a good solution, and one worth noting for myself in the future.

Working as a Team

Lucy has been great in this project as our supervisor, keeping us constantly updated with the production so that we're not excluded from whats happening. As such I felt a better part of the team and therefore out more effort towards the costume. She's also been good at asking what we need so she can source it, which is good because it forces you as a maker to think ahead and be organised, not to mention testing us to really know the costume and what we're making. Its this kind of team leadership that makes the process run smoothly, but its worth noting that not all productions will run as smoothly as this and i can't rely on the supervisor to be as informative as this, so these actions with organisation are good to put into practice so I can help the supervisor in her role the best I can.

The main thing I've learnt from being part of a team is just how supportive they are. When I discovered I had made the breeches with an additional seam, Kathryn and Lucy were quick to come up with suggestions to hide it and made me feel more confident about how I was going to approach the rest of my making. Having people around who are on the same boat/ deadline as you really makes the work run smother, as well as making it more enjoyable.

#weekly reflection

Making Skills

Having felt confident with my breeches pattern, I realized this week that I had followed it wrong, and as a result input a seam on the fall flap that shouldn't be there. Due to not having enough fabric left over to cut the pattern out again, I unfortunately have to carry on with the breeches as they are.

Its frustrating to find out that something you worked hard on and felt was going well is in fact inaccurate, but due to he time of this project I don't have time to cause a fuss over it and am pressed to carry on so I hit the deadline. I've dealt with the problem by pressing the seam down as sharply as possible, and having brainstormed some ideas with the rest of the team, came to the solution that, as the breeches are going to be so broken down after deadline anyway, I can hide the seam through dark dye and puff binder. Of course it would have to work for the aesthetic of the design, but it will help to cover it up from the eye.

I can foresee this misinterpretation causing small issues with the making later, but I feel confident enough to overcome them.

#reflection #making development

Costume Meeting

Lucy had been to a meeting with the producer and director of Buccaneers and as such organized a meeting to tell myself and Kathryn any important news relevant to us.

In terms of dates, the rehearsals are on the 21st and 22nd of June, with shooting starting on the 23rd.

The producers would like to have all the costumes ready for the 14th June.

The dye room at uni will be closed after the 7th, so we'll have to do some breaking down at home

They are definitely shooting on location, but the locations are to be confirmed

According to Lucy after the script reading, my character of Duncan has been interpreted slightly different to how I originally imagined- he is being played in a slightly weird and creepy manner, where as I fore saw him more as a comical character.

#production meetings

Fittings

Before Fitting

#fitting

RSC- Workshop Taster

This was another opportunity to visit a well-established theatre and how the costume team functions within it. The visit confirmed some uncertainties I had about my future as a Maker. I had always considered making for menswear, and seeing a functioning menswear department, I feel that my skills are more veered towards making for menswear and tailoring as I have more of an interest in its construction. It has also made me inclined to work more in Breaking Down as I really enjoy the freedom of experimentation. Similar to National Theatre, the departments are very divided, but they do have chance to help out in other departments when their own departments workload is low. The pace of work is always changing depending on the production and if it is a modern or period piece, and I like how it is a mix of era's

#working in theatre #menswear #breaking down

Week 4 Reflection

Improvement as a Maker/ Making for a Period Costume

I've noticed during my pattern drafting that I've developed my observation on how patterns should look. I feel that I've strengthened my knowledge and can notice if something looks odd with a pattern. Although I was following instructions on how to make my frock coat, I altered areas along the neckline and armhole to allow a smoother edge.

I also found that working from a historical pattern can be vague and leaves a lot of room of interpretation. I realized that if I didn't do the research at the start I would have struggled to draft the pattern and would likely have made it inaccurately. Having the knowledge from my research allowed me to be aware of how far back the seams should be moved and how the hem should be finished. I feel my interpretation of historical patterns has grown, and in the future I will put more time into my historical research as I now understand how important it can be for the drafting.

Working for Screen

Recently the script changed, involving my character to pull something out of his pocket. Originally I was going to make fake pockets and tack them down, but with this knowledge I now have to adjust my schedule slightly to allow time to make a functioning pocket. Obviously with anything that involves a script, things can change that affect the demand of the costume, and it has made me have to be initiative with my time and be accepting that my expectations of how the costume is constructed can be changed. Thankfully it wasn't a last minute occurrence, but I have to be accepting that this kind of changes can happen very last minute, even when filming. As such I should keep elements of the construction simple and easy to allow for possible changes to be applied.

Working as part of a Team

Once again, having good communication with the production has meant that I have been able to make construction changes easily. I think its important on my part, in future projects, that I make an effort to keep consistent communication with my team, specifically the supervisor, as they are the connection to the rest of the team. If I keep an interest in whats happening in the production, I myself can deduct any possible changes that might need to be made as well.

#weekly reflection

Frock Coat Pattern

As agreed in my Learning Agreement, I used Elizabeth Friendship's 'Pattern Cutting for Men's Costume' as my reference to making and adapting the Frock Coat pattern. I've refereed to guides before when making patterns, but never with a pattern I was completely unfamiliar with. A lot of the instructions were very unspecific, and I only knew the generally right way to shape/ place/ measure seam and pattern lines due to my research that I carried out before. I believe if I hadn't carried out the research that I have from the start, it would have taken me a lot longer to draft my pattern, no to mention the fact it would probably be inaccurate.

The above image shows the frock coat pattern with the side seams moved back. The only way I could judge if this was accurate to the instructions was to compare it to the image given from the guide. A useful technique to judge it more accurately was to divide the given image into sections, repeating the same on my own pattern, so to easily judge how similar the pattern I drafted was to the intended layout.

Again, the above image shows how I had to move the shoulder seam back. it tested my eye as a pattern drafter to recognize what seams and lines looked odd or uneven. For example, I noticed the neckline didn't run smoothly,so I evened the line out by cutting away some of the back neckline.

#making development

Visiting the National Theatre- Running Wardrobe

Since my work experience on Seven Brides for Seven Brothers I have been more interested in looking into the Running of Wardrobe for Theatre. So, when the chance came about to visit the National Theatre to witness what is expected of the Running Wardrobe team in such an established theatre, as well as looking into other departments of costume and how they correspond with each other.

Running Wardrobe for the National Theatre is very different to any experience on theatre I have done before- it is a huge, well established company, and as such the demand on the wardrobe team is huge as well. The maintenance for all the costumes is massive, with having a cast of 50 with around 3-5 costumes each being the norm for a NT production.

I learnt a lot about how wardrobe run in such a big organisation, and it answered a lot of my questions. In particular the difference between working for screen and theatre; listening to the experiences of the team, working for theatre is far more faced paced and can demand quick-thinking solutions, whereas Screen demands early starts and late finishes, with a lot of standing around. It has made me question if I want to work for Screen as I had originally intended, or if theatre is more appealing to me because of its pace and the involvement in the production.

Comparing NT to my experience on Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, because NT is such a big organisation, it results in the costume departments being clearly divided to spread the work load. Personally, I preferred my experience on Seven Brides because it allowed me to do a little of everything, from breaking down, dressing, running wardrobe, making etc. because it was a lot more of a smaller production. However, companies like NT do offer permanent jobs, whereas smaller productions are more temperamental.

#running wardrobe #theatre

Week 3 reflection

Working for Screen/ Live Project

A tight budget isn't exactly surprising when working for screen, or any medium of performance, but having to stick to one so strictly is still a new experience and challenge for me. In the past, whenever I need to buy fabric, I usually found it easy to source. However, because we are on such a tight budget, and our supervisor is in charge of how much we spend, its definitely stretched how far I look for fabric. Its taught me that I need to be more resourceful when sourcing materials, and not strictly go for the most convenient option. If I can save a few pounds on the budget of my costume, it can help the supervisor put that money towards something else that needs it.

I also found that I need to really plan ahead, knowing what I need and when, as working on a live project leaves little time to waste. This is a good method of working generally, and has developed my understanding of where my costume/project is heading.

In addition to this, the production have changed the shoot from in a studio to location. As we had originally considered the shoot to be in a studio, so we bought fabric with the idea that it needed to be light so the actors wouldn't get too hot. The change to location won't affect us too much, due to the season, but it will mean that we will have to organize coats etc.in case they do get cold on location. If it was decided before that it would be location I would have chosen a woolen fabric for the frock coat, but its too late to change the fabric now so we'll have to work round it if there is an issue

Working as part of a Team

So far I'm already a little behind as to where I planned to be. I'm used to working as an individual, so working as part of a team with a budget has resulted in changes in how I've had to approach my construction. Fabric shopping now requires communication among the group so the end result leaves everyone happy with the choice. Its interesting to work on something that, when you want a certain fabric, someone says "Sorry we can't afford it, we'll have to find something else"- it sets far more of a challenge, but in a beneficial way. Obviously, when working in the industry, these kind of situations will present themselves often, so experiencing them now is great preparation to my approach.

My communication within this project has already improved. Myself and Kathryn are both working on similar designs, so when either of us get confused, we discuss through the process and agree on a solution. Its far more satisfying figuring out a solution rather than asking a tutor, and its tested my knowledge of making and construction. I know that when I leave university I will have to work as an individual as well as part of a team, so this has been great practice at improving my problem solving skills

Working as part of the team, I've also had to keep good communication with my supervisor. I'm used to be self-dependent, but because all fabric needs to be bought through Lucy, I'm finding that I have to be more organised in my future planning of what I need so that I can tell her, and if I don't plan ahead I'll waste time. It feel a little frustrating when there are uncontrollable delays in things, a result from neither side of the team, but I've come to understand its all part of the process in a professional setting, and its just a test of how resourceful and initiative I can be with the circumstances

Breaking Down and Dying

One of the reasons I choose the character of Duncan was because I wanted the chance to improve on my breaking down skills. Unfortunately I won't get to do the bulk of this until after deadline, once the costume is made. However, I did have a chance to do some dying on the breeches to build up some layers. I found it really helpful to add some colour depth to the breeches, because even though I'm aware it will be heavily broken down later, it helps me as well as the others on the team, to envision how they will look once broken down.

I do really enjoy experimenting in the dye room, mixing colours and testing what works. I have always considered focusing more on breaking down and dying when in the industry. This will be judge more once I start to properly break down my costume.

#weekly reflection

Fabric Shopping

Myself and Lucy Sammons (supervisor for Buccaneers) went fabric sourcing for my frock coat. Based on my research before, I knew I was looking for a woolen or linen fabric appropriate for the period, preferable an olive green to save time on dying. We tried several places, encountering issues, from the fabric being right not the right colour, to fabric being to thick/ fine, to finding the ideal fabric that was too expensive for our budget (of around £6 for 3 metres). In the endwe ran out of options, so we decided to look online, where we found the ideal fabric.

I've never considered ordering fabric online, but it works out a lot cheaper, and if you know how much of it you need it actually opens a lot more options for you. The only downside is that I need to wait for it to be delivered, delaying my weekly plan of making my frock coat. Despite the delay, I need to plan around it as I haven't got time to waste, so instead I'm going to concentrate on getting my breeches sewn together and complete my pattern for my frock coat and coat out the calico for it so I'm ready to cut my top fabric out as soon as I get it.

#making development

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