Our Bali Journey

  • Niamh Phillips

Our Bali Journey This project was inspired by when my brother went away travelling for 7 months. I really missed him when he went away, and wanted to create a collection based on the fact we were twins, and a collection which held a sample for each day we spent together in Bali. For example, I have a sample from when we went to the monkey sanctuary, a sample from the rice paddy fields with the big looping, a sample inspired by a beach club we visited, a sample from the jungle in Bail which all relate to my initial drawings and pictures I have taken within my sketchbook. I wanted to portray the different memories we held in Bali as I found it fascinating looking at the difference in memories we held. Throughout the 10-week project, I have explored texture throughout fabric. I have explored techniques such as foiling, flocking, heat press, laser cutter, digital print, outsourcing to a digital printing company, acid dyeing fabrics, embellishing, using innovative fabrics and the sonic welder. I have continued from my second year and encouraged myself to build on my strengths within the sonic welder, laser cutter and also outsourcing fabrics to ready myself for my final major project. For me, the laser cutter is always a challenge. I had a few problems with the laser cutter for this project, such as when the alignment wasn’t right. I wasted about 3 sessions on the laser cutter due to not making sure that it was aligned properly after a person before me used it. However, after much experimentation and patience, I have finally eased myself into using it and also found myself helping other years and students with the laser cutter which was a big encouragement through my project as this only meant that I’d become much better and stronger within this department. Through following a time management plan, my time management has become much better. I have created samples in time that clearly respond to the brief and have had time to manipulate my fabrics, such as dye my own fabrics within a space of time on my time plan to then manipulate them onto my samples. For one example where I have had to use my time to a good advantage, was when I created this sample to the left. This is my favourite sample throughout the whole of my collection. I put in a lot of time with this sample, and it shows. I feel really proud of what I have accomplished. From not knowing how to die at the end of 2017 to creating a fabric sample that has been completely dyed by myself makes me feel very proud. I used the time plan to successfully plan out my time within this sample. I had to book the laser cutter to make sure I had ample time to cut strips of fabric. This sample holds 8 metres worth of fabric that I have cut on the laser cutter into strips. I then hand dyed these strips to the different colours I needed by using acid dyeing. I then used the sonic welder to create this piece, I individually sonic welded these strips of material onto a piece of fabric that I heat pressed as a background. This shows that I have become better at time management skills and also abiding to a brief to create samples that clearly respond to the brief and clearly show how much further I could go if I had more time within the project. I created a timetable exploring the different uses of machinery and time management for sketchbook work which I could do within this time scale. My work would compare with higher end catwalks. I like the way my work looks unwearable. I am proud of the outcomes of my samples in the way they have all worked as a collection. I have improved in the way I work by pushing the boundaries more within my textiles. I have introduced the heat press as a new technique for myself. I would have never imagined dyeing up my own materials and using the heat press to dye my materials but I feel this technique has worked really well and I will be using this to my advantage in my final major project. I feel that I need to look and outsource new materials for my final major project. I want to make sure I keep up to date with my sketchbook and see how I can push my work further in my sketchbook before creating prints. I want to make sure I push every boundary in how I can create drawings for the next project so that I have a range of abstract shapes and drawings I can use so that my motifs do not repeat in my final collection. I feel that this is the most important part of my weaknesses which I need to bring forward and make into a strength for my final major project. I pushed my boundaries within the print department by using heat press printing. I feel this worked well and both samples using heat press enabled me to expand my collection, especially when using reversible sequin fabric. I tested the heat press onto the reversible sequin and the colour became so vivid and vibrant. ng heat press enabled me to expand my collection, especially when using reversible sequin fabric. I tested the heat press onto the reversible sequin and the colour became so vivid and vibrant.