Polishing Butterflies

To polish the edges of the acrylic butterflies I figured out a way to do it myself instead of taking them to PlacticTec again. Here are the results:

Before

After

Progression

Three pieces of the collection close to complete - currently finishing up the detailing - details being seams, button holes, pockets, etc. I'm also at the start of my fourth garment. Photos of the garments on a model soon to come. Other recent work: research on the history of each garment (age, make, and purpose)

On a side-note, I've decided the final presentation format. Shei Magazine offered to find models and host a runway show for me, as well as publish an article on my work, so I will be having a fashion show afterall. However, I'm still considering the option of exhibiting the clothes in a gallery space even after the show.

Went to the Auto Show

I took 227 pictures.

Over the weekend I bought and assembled a table that used a quite simple yet space effective folding technique for a table from Ikea. I plan to use this folding technique in my design as well improve upon it for my final. I have been studying it and sketching ideas how I can improve upon it. I am also currently going to the hardware store to see if I can buy some materials for trials.

Curved Folding

This study began by a student at Bauhaus and is based off of a circle instead of a square. It's a series of concentric circles with alternating folds. At Bauhaus, the students used knives to score. I had the advantage of using the laser cutter to achieve the necessary scoring. That's the "Michigan Difference." Folding it was obviously a pain, though. Once I understood the basic underlying concept behind curved folding, I could easily and quickly produce more files to test out, yielding more studies.

Hyperbolic Paraboloid

This is my attempt at recreating a form originally conceived by a student of Josef Albers at Bauhaus. Its design consists of a series of concentric squares that alternate direction of folding.

Semicircle Pleating System

Below is a semicircle shaped pleating system. After talking to Matt Schlian, he informed me that a pleating system could form to any shape. In this study, I designed a series of folds that could wrap a semi-circle. It was important to measure the angles correctly, so I first began by illustrating the form I wanted to mimic. I mapped out the angles in illustrator and found that there were only 2 different angles necessary to achieve my intended form. After I had those interior angles, I had to develop a formula that could translate to a folding pattern. I began by mapping out every different angle and looking for a pattern within the diagram.