You know you're a fashion student when...

You spend too much time piecing things together, working out patterns, what goes where, which shape does what, how much interfacing you need, whether or not the lace is the right shade of white, how many metres of bias binding you need... And then you look at the clock and it's 1:23 am. I'm not complaining- it's fun! Now where's my pro plus?

Don't buy photoshop.

Download GIMP instead!! It's genius!! I've been manipulating my prints on it for a banner for my Etsy shop and a background for this blog- it has every tool you'd find on photoshop and some on illustrator. You can also download a version to do animation and films- it's fun!

The Tudors Costume Exhibition (Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth Harbour)

Hey guys,

So a couple of months ago I was PSYCHED to go to a free exhibition of the costumes from the BBC show The Tudors, starring the wonderful Jonathan Rhys Meyers. They are absolutely incredible, so much hard work and dedication has gone into this project! What amazed me the most is that the costumes look completely different on screen as they did close up in terms of the shapes within needlework and colours. It was so worth going to, they let you touch everything, take pictures etc. It was interesting to see the unique quality within each garment, the fastenings and the manipulation of fabric.

Anyway, less talk, more pics:

Ok, this is worn by Katherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy) in series one for the appearances at court to negotiate a divorce from Henry VIII (JRM) The corset is of a traditional shape and is embellished with thick metallic embroidery and pearls.

Worn by Catherine Parr (Joely Richardson), series 4. I wish I got a better picture of the gathering at the crown of the sleeve, as this is the detail I found most interesting on this dress.

A completely different effect- colours are more defined and rich.

These two outfits are worn by Henry VIII (JRM) in the fourth and final series.  The floral 'metallic' panels attached to the pleats are actually a fine leatherette, finished with a metallic paint to give it that brassy effect, which looks extremely heavy on screen!

This is a gown for the young Princess Elizabeth. I think this dress is perfect for some one with red hair- the colours are strong and can be pulled off by someone with bright features. The waist on this dress was tiny, which contrasted with the way the skirt fell from under the corset. Pleats around the kirtle really made the beige/ gold fabric really pop against the turquoise.

Another dress which fascinated me- this was worn by Jane Seymour (Annabelle Wallis)  in series 3. The colour of this is completely different on screen - almost like a mauve. Again, this dress doesn't look as heavy and rich as it does on screen.

This is my favourite dress- The gown Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer) wears at the end of series 2, as her execution scene. The way this fabric catches the light is spectacular- and shows of the grey in a blue- ish tone. The beadwork around the neckline is also beautiful- and is obviously influenced by one of the most famous of Anne. The pleats at the back give maximum volume, the lilac lining of the sleeves keeps the colours fresh and as pure looking as possible.

This gown is worn by Katherine Howard (Tamzin Merchant), during a dance scene in series 4. The beadwork and embroidery cost a team of women 90 hours to complete (by hand) for a couple of minutes slot on screen! This is by far the most stunning dress, the black and red two tone fabric give it such movement and shine. The top is fitted beautifully with super neat seams running down the back. This is a real work of art.

Hope you like them! I certainly did. The photos aren't perfect- I'm no photographer- but the work can be appreciated. The costume team did such a good job on these- every woman and man in the show looks incredible.

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up."
- Pablo Picasso