... Last few days in Lincoln

So i have finished my degree and am on the hunt for jobs! anyone want to give me one that would be amazing! I have decided to do as many things amazing as i can in Lincoln that i haven't done before, or need to repeat because i should have done them more often! The list so far consists of
* going around the cathedral,
* going around Lincoln castle,
* shopping trip to Matalan - just for fun really,
* go back to the cheese society - because it's amazing!!
* see as many people as I can before i never get to see them again.

I only have one more shift in my amazing pub job at ... The Shed... devoted Shedling for 2 ears and now i'm being thrown into the real world of business. I'm thinking of going for a tv presenter job! I don't see why not i'm loud and confident enough to make a fool out of myself on TV lol!

I will be bidding goodbye to my amazing house mates, we've lived together for 2 years now and i will miss everyone of them! All of my amazing fashion friends are going off in the the world of fashion and i wish them all the luck in the world. And as for all my other wonderful uni friends i will miss you ridiculous amounts. I can't wait till Gradutation and Grad ball to see everyone again!!

UNI IS OVER!!!

I have my degree, just need to graduate, my wedding dress is being shipped off to Doddington Hall Wedding fair. and also will be exhibited at the Hub gallery in Sleaford. oh yeh and my brooches that i have made are to be sold in the galleries gift shop! pretty good end to the year!

now all i need to do is pack up my things and head back to Birmingham and find an actual job. it's time for a new adventure and i can't wait! x

the collection consists of 5 dresses, each one accompanied by hand made beaded brooches, which i still have a lot to make!

the centre of the orange dress has the beaded belt to accessories it, it is still to be finished!

Final Collection

my final collection is so close to being completed! just a few finishing touches to be added. In 2 weeks time they will be on a catwalk at the Engine Shed in Lincoln in the 3rd year fashion show.

Brooches!!!

now officially on sale at a shop called Mercury in Lincoln on Steep Hill!

My first attempt at Tatting! will be made into a brooch to accessorize my garments! yey! x

The Mid Way Crit!

So today i had my mid way crit! which involves me standing in a room with my tutors and they look at all the work i have done so far and then normally criticise me instead of my work! however i am in total shock that they were actually helpful to me and like what i had! i think that is the first time ever they have done that ... still no well done for getting into the top 6 of the wedding dress competition tho! i guess that'll ever happen! ah well! im now off home to Sutton Coldfield for the weekend to chill out as its the easter break. family time and my best mates 21st birthday, should be a giggle! carrying my case on the train however doesn't sound like so much fun!

mucho loves xxx

My Final collection

My final collection was originally based on Surrealism, looking into Dali's work i noticed he payed great attention to detail and hiding things throughout his work, mainly sexual images and bugs, such as ants and crickets. I researched into designer Elsa Schiaparelli, as she was a main fashion influence of the Surrealist era.
My final collection was then focused on women's wear with a 1930's influence. After looking into insects my main focus concentrated on beetles. I am creating 5 evening wear dresses, each based on a different beetle, keeping a very sophisticated look the shape of the dresses represents how beetles appear as a slim line shell until in motion, when they open up and the wings are produced.
The fabric used is mainly pure silks and and embroidered sequin lace. All sourced from Barry's Fabric Superstore in Birmingham.
Today i have almost finished my first dress of the collection, it still needs the finishing touches, such as hems. Each dress will also have hand made beetle brooches which will be pinned onto the final collection and moved about to create the desired effect. i have a critique on friday with my tutors, who tend to disagree with everything i do and say, so wish me luck!

Bridal Buyers Awards 2010

So I entered this little competition, turns out I got through and was nominated for the Student Bridal Designer of the Year Award. Out of 299 entrants, 14 got through and I ended up in the final 6 favourites. I wasn't successful at winning, however to get as far as i did is a great achievement and i am thrilled to bits to have it on my CV.

Rumour has it that a tv programme may be made a tad like project catwalk but shown on wedding tv, involving the top 6. No promises made but it would be awesome!

I'd like to give a big thank you to Ian Stewart, a great Bridal designer who sponsored all the fabrics, Andy MacDonald and Anna MacDonald, for being amazing people to have on our table at the awards and have been kind enough to invite me down for some work experience with another designer, Kim West.

A bit about Jo!

So this is my first blog. I used to think that blogging was simply for 14 years olds that had nothing better to do with their lives but post emo blogs online about their hatred towards the world, however, as the world has grown older I have realised that blogs are actually rather handy.

At the moment my life simply consists of a few things, Uni, Work, mates, boyfriend and family. Simple you may think, however trying to get a successful degree, with only a few weeks left to complete it and juggle, my job with boyfriends, mates and family is bloody hard work.

My normal week day consists of me struggling to wake up in my bomb site of a room, after several phone calls off my mother, (who lives back in my home town sutton coldfield and I live with housemates in Lincoln) demanding that I get my lazy arse out of bed and go to uni, because the teachers already disagree with me in general and showing up late, or not at all doesn't really help my situation. After dragging myself out of bed and getting ready I set out for the longest 10 minute walk ever at 8.45am! I get to uni awaiting the teachers to show up for our 9am lesson, of which they show up 45 minutes late, take the register and if i'm in the sewing room, they have the cheek to say I was late, so I simply tell them they are wrong, for them to reply, "hmmmm, well." lets just say the tutors and I sometimes have a clash of opinions. I then slave away at uni, every now and then wasting half an hour getting a cup of tea, to get back home around 5pm. Often around 6pm or 7pm I then have to do a 6 hour shift in a student pub. I'm not complaining tho I love my job to pieces. We often end up going out after work so i will get home around 4/5ish am then start my day again!

The main reason I have started these blogs is to keep a diary of my last few weeks at uni and my struggle to find a job in real world at the age of 20! id much rather just work in a pub and keep going out and having fun with my mates, but apparently that wont pay the bills, so I guess I should probably crack on with the work and see how it goes!

Oh and a cheeky note as to why I have such a long surname, I'm half Greek, and I am very proud of my surname as we are the only family in world to have it, so any Tsouvallaris's out there are realated to me in some way or another.

for my less serious side i'm also on facebook - Jo Tsouvallaris, and Twitter - Jo Tsouvallaris

mucho loves xxx