He had to out do me.....

So Ivan (Mr Bicknell) found this.... good isn't it?!

http://youtu.be/z5W8EBHNsLc

For Ivan (Mr Bicknell).

Oi - thought you might like this! Thanks Vickie for sharing!

Tate

We are about to start our second season of Turbine generation with Tate - http://turbinegeneration.tate.org.uk/
Here are a few of the hellos that the newbies have making - I am supposed to get them all onto the site but it won't accommodate my wishes at the moment, so enjoy them here!



 

 



First proper week back - Christmas seems so far away!

Blimey, life is speeding along, last week is just a blur now, but here is a bit of a summary of what went down in the life of a textiles teacher anyway!

We (Mr Bicknell and I ) continued to eat Herman.....Herman? I hear you say, why yes - he is a friendship cake don't you know, German probably, who was given to me on Christmas eve to grow....... if you really don't what I'm talking about then check this out -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/nov/30/a-friendship-cake-called-herman

- he was delicious, so much so, that I am now onto "growing" my second batch!

When he stops bubbling you have to worry.....

Next up was the return of the BTEC firsts - not the most organised of groups with lots of absent sketchbooks, and to my horror, discovering that some of them had given their make-up bags away as bloody Christmas presents - DOH! Thank God I made them photograph them last term! So now we are onto a bit of jewellery making, using old clocks and radio parts to make something fab - well, here's hoping anyway!

Along with the hard core tools come the goggles - I love seeing a 14 year old stress about how bad these must make them look!

Lots of photography bits and pieces form their clocks should have taken place this weekend - this is the work of a very organised Molly - hooray for students like this!

 A couple of last minute completed make-up bags....

Kat

and Evie

A lovely ex-student came to visit - Charlotte, who is weaving her way through Middlesex uni - I wish we had looms at college, I used to love weaving on my degree...

Some surprise art work has been popping up in the 3D room - this is one of the things I really love about students - seeing the playfulness associated with being young - something I no longer am.....!

So whilst the 3Ders are getting playful - my lot are working hard on their current projects - well some of them are, all that is, except for Maddie - who for the second time spent a part of my lesson on Thursday spark out - yes indeed, I am that exciting!!!

The Thursday cinema trip saw Deborah and I watching this, and me crying like a baby - not the best film to see when you are in the adoption process.......



Friday night saw the Bicknell's watching this - oh, too beautiful for words.....

And at last! I finished making this wretched tea cosy for my neighbour! Thank you for the pic Heather! OMG, they are ridiculously difficult to make and it serves me right for thinking it would be easy! I am also beaten by my colleague's trousers - it transpires that the zip is actually bonded to the fabric so the only way I can adjust it is to cut it out - so not prepared to do that, far too technical for me sadly, so I will have to admit defeat - anyone have any ideas or top tips? Might try adjusting the pleats at the front instead.....

And whilst I am now sewing a cushion for my friends daughter for Christmas - no I am not that organised, we are talking about the one which has just gone - oops - and sobbing over the death of Dr Greene in ER - nearly onto season 9 now, his Lordship Scratch has decided to consult on the fabric choices - oh lucky me!!!

Gok eat yer heart out!



Too sad!

Late night find....

Whilst doing what I should have done far earlier today (gone midnight already), I discovered this little gem on the artatheart blog.

perfect for the new handmade book project the second years have just been given.....


The Ice Book (HD) from Davy and Kristin McGuire on Vimeo.

The goergeous Hazel white found me this too - I love my ex-students - they are very good to me!



http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2011/12/carved-book-landscapes-by-guy-laramee/?src=footer

It has been a busy old Sunday and I am cross that I didn't get everything done that I had planned - I DID get 10 essays marked, make a powerpoint, blog,  print some clutch bags, watch Dancing On Ice and Wild At  Heart (HOOOOORRRAAAYYY for Sunday night T.V.), and sleep in this morning. I DIDN'T assemble the printed tea cosy my neighbour ordered or take in my colleagues trousers - hmmmm, maybe the lie in was a bad thing.......

Oh God I love Dancing On Ice!

The first years pull it off....and then some!

Happy New College year! And what a start it was - Paul and Ivan's first years did us proud! This week we had a little pretend fashion show to see what they had been up to with their "trashion" project - I was impressed to say the least! there are some amazing location shots in circulation too and I will do my best to steal some for you to see too - but for now, these are Flo's photos  you to ohh and ahh at! Flo BTW is one of my second year lovelies - I have to admit that I am occasionally cross with her for not working as hard as she could, but after her pro-active shooting on Friday and a really bloody good essay, I am currently VERY pleased with her!

So, like last year, the students were given a single object with which to base their designs on, these were..... a clothes peg, an envelope, a plastic bag, a tea bag, a cardboard tube, a sock, a plastic cup, cutlery, a coat hanger, a drinking straw, a pair of rubber gloves and  a plastic bottle.....





















Paul sent me a link to this over the holidays - ha! If only he had sent it sooner - but wow, how cool is this?