The end is nigh

Well the weather is getting warmer and my stress levels are rising, that can only mean hand in day is fast approaching. Matalan seems to be a no go, the contact that my tutor had hasn’t got back to us about any work shadowing and as our presentation about any experience we have gained is next week it is unlikely that any will be available to us. Speaking of this presentation the topic for it is to reflect on our experiences that we have gained from being out there in the world of work, and as I haven’t had any how can I reflect?!, these last few weeks I have been waiting to hear back from Matalan with no success and the more time I have had to think about what I want to do after the inevitable happens and I have no more excuses to stay in education and I have to go out and fend for myself. What type of Textiles will I go into?!

I have just finished putting a exhibition show together for another of my modules this semester, my brief is colour in movement and with this my group and I created a concept of pins and dyed yarn creating a piece which I am really pleased with. Doing this installation really has opened my eyes to the scope of what I could do post degree. 

Standfast and Barracks company is working with our group this semester, we have been given the brief to design fabric with our choice of topic. This has been using expressive drawing to start the project then using photoshop to put all these motifs together to create patterns that are commercial for printing. Throughout this brief and spending more and more time using or attempting to use photoshop my confidence is increasing with it and so is my enjoyment of this side of Textiles; the more finer detailing of my patterns. I can almost imagine myself being studio based in a career after University, which maybe is more suited to me being very nit picky and slight perfectionist qualities in my personality, not to say that I ever reach perfection and that I need to learn when to leave my work and move on. I will always need a expressive or creative vent to my career which may come in the form of drawing the initial designs for fabric or making clothes or knitting socks on the side lines to stop me from going truly insane with my quest for perfection. 

And now second year is two days away from being over this is the perfect time to reflect, I enjoy blog posts although I don’t imagine they will be winning any literary wards any time soon I will hope to keep doing these, they help make life a little less busy in the old grey matter and allow me to ramble on without anyone walking off (no one starts reading this in the first place so no offense is taken!). I still think surface pattern is much better suited to me and I hope to continue to look into getting a placement in this so I have a better understanding of where I want to go with my life. 

I will soon be in my final year this is too soon! 

Matalan progress

Matalan have sent a form for me to fill out about which area of Matalan head office I am most keen to learn more about, this is the in house designing side of Matalan. This consists of home furnishing designing such as table clothes and other interiors. Im really hoping that a placement will be available Im really keen to see where this degree could get me, it would be a real motivator for my final year if I think that designing for a company like that is what I want to do (and hopefully it will!). 

The form is asking for dates and so with any luck I will have heard back ASAP from them, so now I play the waiting game for Matalan, Im also pondering about maybe trying to get some work experience or more work shadowing over the summer, this would allow me to look for a longer placement and see whether opportunities really are more forthcoming in the south!! I will need to give this some thought about post degree where I will want to be based North or South and whether this will have a negative effect on job opportunities I suppose I have a bit of time yet but gets me thinking hmmmmm.

Intro

Hi, I’m a Textiles student currently in my second year at University of Central Lancashire in Preston. My interests lie mostly in creating patterns for 2D designs, such as wallpaper design and designs for fabrics. I am currently looking for a placement within a company which works in the area of in house designing for patterns which will be made into soft furnishings.