General chat with Amy McNally, textile designer

• 1 November 2013
• 

  01/11/2013 14:05

  Catherine Wells

  heyy how are you doing? just wondered do you use fabric pattern books at all? and if so would you mind if i asked you some questions? xxx
• 14 November 2013
• 

  14/11/2013 11:17

  Amy McNally

  Yes ive used quite a few in the past, mainly from the library. One that ive bought though that is particularly good is the cutting- edge book by Estel Vilasega. I also rely mainly on actual existing clothes and other products on wgsn and in magazines. Yer its stressful but do your thing and one thing I'd recommend is that you don't compare yourself because people go at different paces and because on fcp their is such a variety, you just go with your project! I remeber Ugne getting stressed about that! What is it on? So yes anyway i can answer questions on pattern books:-D xxxx
• 26 November 2013
• 

  26/11/2013 17:51

  Catherine Wells

  hello! Could you answer these questions (if you have any opinions on them that'd be marvellous!) The information you give me will be used in support of my work and may be written up in my project/dissertation. Anything you say will be treated with the strictest confidence and your contribution to the discussion will not attribute you as an individual. What you say will be used for illustration only; to reinforce points that I make.:
• 

  26/11/2013 17:51

  Catherine Wells

  1. What are the advantages of using pattern books?

  2. What are the disadvantages of using pattern books?

  3. Do you feel there is a future for pattern books? If so, what changes might there be?

  4. Do you feel pattern books are a crucial part of the consumer purchasing journey?

  5. Do you feel pattern books fully show-off and display a collection appropriately?
• 

  26/11/2013 17:52

  Catherine Wells

  doing a live project with a company that makes the pattern books

  
  
• 

  29/11/2013 13:49

  Amy McNally

  The advantages of pattern books are that they give you inspiration of different patterns and colours that could be used, they let you see what is already on the market, so you can therefore create something more innovative. It is also very useful to have a large variety of patterns in one book because that saves the designer's time by only using one or a few sources
• 

  29/11/2013 13:55

  Amy McNally

  The disadvantages are that often the pattern books are quite commercial, so when you are aiming at a designer/ luxury aesthetic it can be too simple for inspiration. Additionally, if you were inspired by the book it is likely that someone else may have created something similar because they too have used the pattern book
• 

  29/11/2013 13:58

  Amy McNally

  I feel that there is a potential for them, I would be tempted to have them alongside a look book to see how they would work with a garment because half of the time designers look at a combination of elements to see what is successful and what sells. It could also be more trend based and have them changing each season like the collezioni magazine.
• 

  29/11/2013 14:00

  Amy McNally

  Sorry ive not got any time left but can reply morw after work! Does that make sense?? I hope so and hope im not going off on one!! If you want more elaborate, eloquent answers I can do that too on the computer:-) xxxx

  Im a bit of a retard when it comes to facebook!
• 

  29/11/2013 14:12

  Catherine Wells

  Brill! Thanks Amy

  Answers are perfect

  If I need anything else I'll let you know!

  Really appreciate it xxxxx

Victoria Robinson, Textile Designer for Hillary's blinds

Form submission from [Victoria Robinson Textiles] - [CONTACT] - [Form 1]

Victoria Robinson <vic_123@hotmail.co.uk>Fri 13/12/2013 16:24
InboxTo:

Catherine Wells 2011 (N0376064);

Hi Catherine,
Thank you for your email. I didnt even know I was named alumni of the month until you mentioned it, so thank you for letting me know!
Yes I can aswer your questions the best I can:
1. What are the advantages of using pattern books?
It presents the collection as a whole, you can see and feel the fabric. It presents the designs in colour rafts and shows how they may work together by the cutting plan. Fabric details are on each design too you can easily access the composition, name etc.
2. What are the disadvantages of using pattern books?
Limited size -  The size of the sampling may not portray the drape of the fabric or full the repeat of the designs, parts of the design may be cut off.  This can be helped by having an engineered piece of fabric which is cut and sampled at the best part of the design - but this is more costly.
Some sample books you cannot remove the samples which could be seen as a disadvantage but most places provide samples.
3. Do you feel there is a future for pattern books? If so, what changes might there be?
Yes, it showes the full collection - it can be carried around and easily presented. Although alot of things can be viewed online many people want to feel the weight, quality and finish of the fabric and enjoy the experience of looking through the book.
4. Do you feel pattern books are a crucial part of the consumer purchasing journey?
Yes, the customer may not always know what they want,  its offers a selection of fabrics which will ussually have photography visulaing the fabric which is binded into the book. This offers the customer inspiration and a chance to visualise the fabric. Colourn rafts are also a grwat way of showing a customer what fabrics would work together.
5. Do you feel pattern books fully show-off and display a collection appropriately?
 I think it can strongly communicate the concept of the collection, all the designs and colours and photography. Most books dont show every single design photographed as a product but this would be too costly to achieve. Consumers may be looking at a particular design in the book but come across something completely new.
I hope this helps, good luck with you final year at NTU
Many Thanks
Victoria

> Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2013 17:07:02 +0000
> From: N0376064@my.ntu.ac.uk
> To: vic_123@hotmail.co.uk
> Subject: Form submission from [Victoria Robinson Textiles] - [CONTACT] - [Form 1]
>
> date:
> 2013-12-02
>
> time:
> 17:07:02 UTC
>
> Your email address:
> N0376064@my.ntu.ac.uk
>
> Subject:
> Swatch book help
>
> Message:
> To Victoria,
> I received an email from NTU and you were named as alumni of the month (congratulations) and that you are a textile designer, interests me very much. I am currently a third year student at Trent studying Fashion Communication and Promotion, and one of my briefs is to research the future of pattern books,in particular from a textile designer point of view! Do you have a few moments to spare to answer a few questions?


> 1. What are the advantages of using pattern books?
>
> 2. What are the disadvantages of using pattern books?
>
> 3. Do you feel there is a future for pattern books? If so, what changes might there be?
>
> 4. Do you feel pattern books are a crucial part of the consumer purchasing journey?
>
> 5. Do you feel pattern books fully show-off and display a collection appropriately?

The information you give me will be used in support of my work and may be written up in my project/dissertation. Anything you say will be treated with the strictest confidence and your contribution to the discussion will not attribute you as an individual. What you say will be used for illustration only; to reinforce points that I make.
>
> Many thanks in advance
>
> Catherine Wells, 

Upcycled bags from Lynn, Textile Group

From:	Georgina Korrison (georginakorrison@hotmail.co.uk)
Sent:	13 November 2013 15:44:56
To:	Lynn Carr (lynn.carr5@virgin.net)

That's really interesting actually. We were looking at ways in which people re-use the pattern books after they have discontinued. It is such a shame when they have to throw away pattern books. Some companies we have spoken to, send them to schools for their art projects which is good.

If you have any images of your bags made form upcycled fabrics, I would love to see!

Love

Georgina x

From:	Lynn Carr (lynn.carr5@virgin.net) You moved this message to its current location.
Sent:	08 December 2013 22:33:08
To:	Georgina Korrison (georginakorrison@hotmail.co.uk)

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Hi Georgina,

These images are of an installation which also uses upcycled materials….but this time, it’s the wooden logs cut from a fallen birch tree that I rescued from a friend’s wood burner, scrubbed them up and used them in a textile installation to bring them back to life again and draw attention to just how beautiful they are. (Exhibited at the Sam Scorer Gallery, Lincoln July 2013)…

There’s also a mixed media piece from this Birch series and a more contemporary interpretation of the birches which was digitally printed onto canvas.

All for now,

Hope your work is coming on okay.  I guess you’re going to be very busy next year.  Hope all goes well.

 Love,

 Lynn and Alf

please credit the maker by name Jenny Harrison and include ‘copyright reserved by maker’