I decided to write these two past weeks in one, because there is not much to report. We have been toiling all this time, making many small adjustments to each garment to make them work well. It had been a bit more of a challenge for me with kidswear because Iain hasn’t seen the outfit on a boy to make those adjustments with more accuracy. Nevertheless we have agreed on amendments and, having pattern cut each garment approximately 3 times, and we are ready to cut the final fabrics and start making. The rest of the team have had some more in-detail reviews with Iain on a model, which I have dipped in and out of a bit as I have not done so much work on these I didn’t feel I could input or learn much. I have appreciated  learning to label all the pieces and drafts up really well, and making sure it’s really clear form one amendment to another by putting them in separate brown envelopes. This really helps when a new amendment is made if I need to switch between one and the other or go to the master draft, and also necessary where for example the boy’s shirt has been passed between me and another team member, so it’s clear what we have done and what needs doing. This is a valuable piece of professional practice I have mentally noted to carry forward! Time management is also key in these last weeks, where enthusiasm may start to wander but motivation is needed to focus and finish the job well on behalf of the brand. As we continue to work on our reports on the side, we learn more about the brand too which is interesting and impacts our work by understanding what aligns to their style or values better, for example when deciding on finishes and fixtures. Through these weeks I have also learnt some things I had not done before, for example a full facing and lining in a jacket, how to draft and how to sew it. There is a lot to do in this final week coming to get everything done but if we are confident in the toiles it will work really easily - It seems like an illogical time balance but if the toile is perfect then the final piece comes together perfectly too.Â
