back to school

Back to the grind... well, in reality back to college, and an exhausting day getting out of bed at 6.00!!!!!! to beat the traffic and be back to school in a timely fashion.  Clutching my summer sketch book which has turned out to be a never ending saga, everytime I look at it I want to do something additional.. not a bad place to be as it is intended to be a design source and inspiration is everywhere....   I forwent 'student' evening preferring to binge on Dexter then spend my student discount on stuff I don't really want - which made me feel quite smug about my first assignment which entails a reflection on Ethical Consumerism, something I feel quite strongly about.  I'm looking forward to exploring how ethical consumerism can be promoted and what is really happening in the world of textiles, it's a massive subject covering all areas from workplace conditions to global poisoning and then of course to the disposable culture in which we live today.  I'd like to find a way to encourage people to be 'ethical' a bit nearer home, only buying what they need - mending instead of replacing, while I don't mean you have to make your old curtains into a new party dress it can look quite something and would defo be unique...

Some years ago a friend moved into a house with - in my (and hers) opinion - dreadful curtains and I sounded off so much about them that when she finally replaced them she did in fact make me the most terrible party frock with them!!!  If you read my blog regularly then you will know I love to repurpose things and use every singe scrap to try and make something either useful or beautiful..

scrap fabrics repurposed into reverse applique..

Its good to catch up with the other students and share summer holiday stories - our numbers have diminished for various reasons but its a sturdy core left and I look forward to embracing this year with renewed enthusiasm and feel quite excited about what opportunities it might bring.