Tencel, the answer to all the Textiles industries' environmental problems?

I often use this video in KS4 and 5 lessons to show the benefits of the closed loop system fibres like Tencel (the brand name for Lyocell)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_oq6I_7Khg&feature=related

This one is good too, perhaps more for KS4?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5_Z_8iqUAw&NR=1

Although it does go some way to covering some of the nanotechnology stuff on the spec.

I always expect students to write about new fibre developments when answering questions about textiles and the environment, they need to know that a token bit of organic cotton isnt enough to make a real change, there needs to be a viable mass-market alternative.

The bonkers world of Karl

http://chanel-news.chanel.com/en/page/4/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVqgqzTUBxY&feature=player_embedded

Where would the world be without the presence of the brilliant Mr Lagerfeld?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9hIvtWX2FA

His little videos are a great insight into the couture atelier, as is the Valentino film 'The last emporer' I am planning to show the DVD to my sixth formers as an end of term treat (Yes I am thinking about the end of term far too early!)

http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/15377312/Valentino-The-Last-Emperor/Product.html?searchstring=Valentino&searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&urlrefer=search

Handy printing clips

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/screen-printing/916.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/indian-block-printing/917.html

Good Starter/plenary fodder for this time of the year with GCSE students.

Interesting....very interesting

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/nov/25/outdoor-gear-bad-science-ugly

Do you agree? is there a gap in the market for more sartorial technical textiles? and wouldnt this make a great exam question/A-level project???

Ethical fashion article

There always things like this that I stumble upon and feel the needs to share.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/nov/21/monsoon-child-labour-india?intcmp=239

As promised..........

Controlled Task Hell!!

AAAAAAaaaarrrggghhh!!!!!


WHEN will students understand that a CONTROLLED TASK is when you have to work solidly, all lessons, because you CANNOT just catch up at the last minute and you will actually be required to THINK FOR YOURSELF.


I have had a day of this not being the case. As you can probably tell

I will be publishing images to cheer myself up from now until Monday when it will be back to buisness as usual.

They will of course be Textiles related.

Close but no cigar

After attending the Industrial Trust's sumptuous awards ceremony at the gorgeous drapers hall on Tuesday I can report that although my student was a finalst she was not a prize winner. All of the entries in the KS4.5 and undergraduate level were fantastic. Interestingly, very few of them came from Textiles Technology students, many were from a Product Design or Science background and a lot of the teachers that I spoke to were either Product Design or Science too. The winning KS5 entry had done an extended Project Qualification about protective and abrasion resistant textiles, another finalist had a purely science and engineering background and had completed her entry on a year out in industry placement. So where were all the Textiles Technologists?

http://www.industrialtrust.org.uk/drapers.html

The venue was truly stunning and the companies who were exhibiting were fascinating,many were handing out resources like dvds and samples (yay!) more on them in future posts!


I would recommned a quick look at the INdustrial Trust's website to get an idea of the competition and use their very comprehensive resource list for teaching KS 4/5 technical textiles, maybe even enter the competition next year if you havent done so before. The prospect of the cash prize was a good carrot to get my A-level student actually researching the applications of this cutting edge technology.

My dream school trip!!!!

http://www.premierevision.fr/index.php?lang=en&page=52

I use the resources on this sight a lot when teching trend and colour prediction/industrial processes at A-level, it is a long held dream that I will be able to take a group of students to it one day for their student and tutors events day. Plus of course taking in Paris!

Maybe one day, when Textiles takes priority over Biology field trips etc and there is actually a bit of SPACE in my and the students timetables.

AND

Wish me luck for tomorrow night as I am attending the Drapers Technical Textiles competition awards ceremony and one of my A-level students is a finalist, so fingers crossed for her!

Why we need Textiles on the curriculum.

I was browsing a high street shop this weekend when I picked up a top on the sale rack. I did my ususal fibre content check (I'm just not paying any money at all for acrylic, no way.) the said top was Cupro, little used and I decided to check what the assistant knew, I asked her what cupro was and she said with huge confidence that it was a type of coated cotton. Naturally I placed it back on the rail and left silently, inwardly bemoaning the lack of textiles knowledge in the world.

Maybe I will go over regenerated fibres again with my A-level class on Monday............

Fashion virals, the hottest word in fashion PR darling (apparently)

http://www.businessoffashion.com/2010/10/fashion-2-0-top-10-fashion-films-of-the-season-3.html

Very interesting reading for A-level students interested in promoting their work in an up to the minute way. Get them filming and editing, upload to school website and send hard copies to AQA, along wth projects. They love it!

If you dont follow the buisness of fashion website already I thoroughly recommend it for your favorites list.

Cellulose fabric grown in a tank full of bacteria and FINALLY a video of 3D knitting!

This website is related to a current exhibition at the Science Museum which I have yet to visit (why are weekends in term time just too ridiculously full of other stuff to get to an exhibition??) but the website is fab, perfect for research homework or for adding in extra information to controlled task projects.

I loved the tracking of a garment idea to see what ACTUALLY happens to stuff when you take it to the charity shop. Most poeple are doing upcycling projects now but this takes it to the next level.

Follow the section on minimising waste for some great video clips, I have been trying to get a decent video clip of 3D knitting technology for years and the cellulose fibre grown in a tank is totally amazing.

http://antenna.sciencemuseum.org.uk/trashfashion/

Ethical issues in Textiles production

This website is AMAZING when teaching about the ethical issues that surround the Textiles industry

http://fashioninganethicalindustry.org/resources/teachingmaterials/institutional/

Quizez, pictures, and more info than you can shake a stick at. Great for hitting the ethical issues marks for controlled task and lots of research opportunities for A-level students.

The big switch over!!

After years of deliberating and not quite being the right place at the right time, I am very happy to be finally preparing for the big switch over from A-level Textiles Technology to A level Fashion and Textiles. It may seem like a subtle difference but the course content for Fashion in Textiles is totally suited to what I think Textiles education should be all about. I would probably like a little more content on fibres, technical fabric constructions etc ( I will probably find a way to shoe horn this in somewhere) but no more industrial production and manufacturing!! no more role of the health and safety officer! no more memorising BS standard numbers!!!!
After visiting the inspirational Textiles teachers at Esher College and finding that they feel the same way and so have been running their course with huge success for about five years, I cant wait to get started. Hopefully we can replicate this my dept.
Better get my pencil sharpened for the big switch over to actually DRAWING, alongside all the cutting and stitching of course. Yipeeeeeeeeeee!!

Polyvore

I also use polyvore a bit with KS3 and 4 as you can search the 'sets' ie moodboards for themes and can pick up some nice images.

http://www.polyvore.com/

How many bad moodboards do you see in a week?

I have seen so many bad ones lately that I am now on a mission to try and improve them but can it be done? Its the age old can you teach creativity buisness BUT you certainly can point students in the right direction. I have been using this class clip to good effect. (The example above is the kind of thing I dream about students producing, but I use it as a good example in class anyway)

I have been using this little clip to help,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/editorial/moodboard_masterclass/192455

And polyvore in small doses (see above)
and I am going to ban blurry internet pictures and anything from Now! magazine.

Hopefully this will spare me from the gawping mug of Cheryl Cole et al.

Colour trends and forecasting, the very handy Pantone website

I use the Pantone website for GCSE and A-level lessons about colour forecasting and trend prediction, mainly but their colour reports (downloadable PDFs) always have loads of gorgeous fashion illustrations that students are just drawn to in displays, power points etc, they also provide the names of few more unusual designers to look at. All thoroughly useful stuff.

http://www.pantone.co.uk/pages/Pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20753&ca=4


http://www.pantone.co.uk/downloads/articles/pdfs/FCR_SPRING_2011.pdf

Furoshiki - Instant products, no sewing machine required

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a demonstration/workshop about the Japanese art of fabric wrapping yesterday and I have been inspired to bring this into the classroom.

The students who also attended LOVED the bags that you can make and it would be a great starter for any year group, or it could be developed into a nice KS3 project looking at Japanese design.

http://furoshiki.com/

Its also a great way to look at sustainability and recycling.
I think they were also doing it is lush stores recently as an eco alternative to gift wrapping.

Controlled task - How is it for you?

I am about half way through the controlled task with my year 11 students now and with mock exams, trips and various study days and INSETs looming it looks like they are going to have quite a disrupted timetable before the project is finished. They just dont seem to understand what controlled task is all about despite being told many, many times. The lazy ones are not reaching their target grades and just dont grasp the idea that there will be no additional 'catch up' time at the end. It is however sorting the wheat form the chaff a it in terms of who can actually stick to deadlines and who thinks they will just do it all in the weekend before its due in.

Being tough on this means that some students who are bright but lazy are going to get well below their targets but how can I get over this? any ideas on how to MAKE them stick to the deadlines?????

Also, do you have controlled task making lessons in silence? do you let them ask you for help? the comments can be annonymous if you like but I am dying to know how people are REALLY doing this.