Life of a Contour Fashion student.

I cant believe I'm already a week in! It really is going to quickly, life has been so exciting and fast-paced that I keep feeling that I'm missing something when I have free time!

For our induction week (and to be used in our 2nd term) we had to create a bra and knicker set after de-constructing a store brought set. It was really fun but also at times frustrating but I did learn an awful lot about just how many components go into making a bra. 

I chose to make something based on my own style of lingerie rather than the more commercial styles, and went with a burlesque influence.

I had to go to Chatsworth house for a drawing exercise,  Toby wanted to join as it's 'the mother ship' in his words so we spent a lovely sunny Sunday there, wandering around the gardens and house. I have been to a few manor houses now since dating Toby and I have to say this one wasn't very impressive, I know we went at the wrong time of year as it's a summer garden but there wasn't much that was inspiring to me.

For my first official lesson I have been put in the pattern cutting rotation, so that is the focus of my study every monday. On our first day we were set out for product research and trend reporting, and to find and buy a pair of stretch-fabric knickers.  

In the afternoon of that session we had to copy out basic fashion blocks from which to work from and adapt over time for our own creations, we had to do 'A-J' and with 2/3 stencils a letter we ended up coping 4 meters of patterns- which isn't very much fun to drag home!

My wednesday rotation is illustration and I can't wait to get started on this one, our first lesson was learning how to create a basic model which we can adjust with our own style and our homework is to research 20 illustrators for our illustration project. I have nearly finished researching mine but with 10/15 colour pages per artist I have been banned from using Toby's printer (after the last time where I printed out 100 pages of research for my summer project)

Today is week 2, in pattern cutting we learnt how to make a block pattern from an already existing garment (that we picked last week) and for our project we have to develop a technical file. It's already so much work but it's all so inspiring and fun to do that I really am enjoying spending all my free time doing it- Toby isn't enjoying it as much...

 

The work is hard, and there is a lot to remember, and still working along side my course is already becoming a little overwhelming- today I have been up since 6am, at uni 9-5, and working at 5.30-11. Someone bring me coffee!

My birthday weekend!

This weekend I turned 25 and got treated so hard! Toby took me to the Natural History Museum, we drank Prosecco for breakfast on the train and played cards, I got to see the little mammoth that I was dying to see since May (she was so beautiful and perfectly preserved, at 42,000 years old she still had eyelashes and the baby fur under her tummy!) Toby got to geek out in the Natural world section of the museum, saw a cross cutting of a giant sequoia and even got to go inside the cell structure of a plant (fake of course!) 

We were a little naughty and snuck a bottle of Jack Daniels in with us, had a beer and a surprisingly lovely lunch in the restaurant before finishing off the London trip with a drink at the pub with his cousin, who by the way is a mega babe and totally rad!

When we got back to Leicester, Stewart, Nathan and Josh were waiting for us at the station and we went for some drinks at the Lansdowne until they shut (a lot of being there I don't really remember). On sunday and still very much drunk we had breakfast at Bar Dos where Toby had a chill out with his friend Pete while I died in a coffee, we stumbled home and stayed in bed for the rest of the day watching bad films and only getting out to answer the door for the chinese food delivery. 

It has been the best weekend and best Birthday I have had in a long time, I know Toby tried extra hard to give me a great day as last year was a bit of a wash out and he certainly delivered. I've never felt so loved by so many people, 25 is going to be a great year!

(Last) week in photos.

Last week was a pretty quiet one, myself and Toby had our weekly date night in as we are both trying to save money. It was still really fun just drinking, laughing and playing cards. I really need to start taking it easy at the weekends I can't party like I used to and find myself still trying to catch up on sleep come Wednesday! We have so much fun at the time though so maybe ill just bring my bedtime forward from 6am to 2am, especially when I have to be at work for 9.30am!

I don't know if I have mentioned on here or just my other blogs but I'm moving house! In 8 days me and puss will be in our own place and I actually cannot wait! I've never lived completely alone before which I'm a little nervous about but the boy will be over most nights as he is moving to no-mans land, I can have my girls over whenever, loads of space for my sewing and no longer worry about wearing clothes when I want a midnight snack <3 

Bliss.

This weekend...

... has been really quite fun. I worked for most of it but yesterday myself, Toby and a couple of people I work with went to The Orange Tree for a charity music day which was AWESOME. After we had a little too much alcohol in our tummies we went to Wagamamas then came home, had a glass of wine as a night cap and now I have weekend blues seeing as I don't really get weekends anymore and Toby works week days. It's rubbish having to constantly be aware of a bed-time with him having to get up at 6am monday- friday and with me having to get up at 7am on weekends but I guess it just means the time we get to spend together is more special. 

Oh how much I am looking forward to having next saturday AND sunday off for my birthday!

Today...

... has been quite lovely. I had a lazy morning watching TV at the boys while he was at work, sent in some final bits for my (hopefully) new home, I put the deposit down on Wednesday so I'll know by then if it's mine or not. I got a bit crafty and re-framed some memories from the last few weeks, oh how I love rotating my art prints I have a silly big collection. My favourite one is a pressed flower from our weekend camping and a little love note. 

While I was at work Toby txt me to let me know he has booked train tickets to London for my birthday so we are going to get drunk in the Natural History Museum on the 16th August. I'm so happy I get to go there it's my favourite place on earth and they are showing the most intact mammoth uncovered to date until the 3rd September so I'll get to see her! I've been raving about it since May!

OOTD

Jeans: Monki    T-shirt: Joe Forever

 

Please ignore the super creased t-shirt! This is today's OOTD, admittedly jeans were a huge mistake with it being 28degrees out at the moment. Today I went for a flat viewing with my mom and I think I'm gonna take it! It's a really good size, all modern and laminated flooring throughout, a little garden space for puss, around the corner from work and a back alley way that's actually big enough for my monster of a bike! Exciting new home times!

A photo an hour(ish)

So this is my photo an hour (ish) as I've had the day off and it was too lovely outside to be sat in sewing so here it is! My morning started off by saying goodbye to Toby for the day, and after a cup of tea at 6.30am I was not ready to sleep so I watched Peter Pan, my number one nostalgia movie!

 

It's quite a bad photo but my freckles have come out really well this year due to being in the sun so much, my hands are covered in what my momma calls my beauty dots :)

Apparently this little puss is becoming quite the adventurer and spends loads of time in the social club that backs onto our garden! I wish where I worked had a pub cat...

I ventured to my parents today for a catch up and spent a long time reading feminist erotica in the garden, this writer is incredible if your haven't read her work already I highly recommend it!

Me and momma bear took a little shopping trip and I got this b-e-a-utiful new shade of lipstick! 

My little bean is doing a lot better now he is on his meds but his tummy is so swollen and he is giving signs that his kidneys are failing, we will know more when he has another vet appointment next week.

Myself and my mom got bored so she coloured my hair for me. I'm back to outrageously bright orange summer hair like I had this time last year :) I'm thinking of doing a re-cap of the last year as a kind of diary entry because I've been thinking a lot about it lately and how much of a roller coaster it's been!