Its finished.

Im tired.

My eyes have spots in them.

But the photos are sweet and I think Lady Gaga and Simian Mobile Disco would equally be impressed by the audacity of such a swim suit. A swim suit you cant move in. Love it.

It was exhausting, tedious, backbreaking and mindnumbling inane at times and I was constantly marred by set backs and disadvantage. But thats exactly what Annette Kellerman would have experienced after every swim, race, performance, speech. She worked hard to rise above adversity and she prevailed. And in finishing this swimsuit with results of which I am proud, I think I have too.

And my sister looks wicked. Thanks mang.

It was not a good night. The suit did not survive the photoshoot. I have no words left. I am almost as deflated as I was when I learned that Friendly Fires cancelled their gig.

Deflated, but not defeated. I have four hours until the lecturer leaves the building. I have to figure out a way to get the cone detailing to stay attached. I dont know what to do. I think Im going to have to do away with the Look of Giant Conch and just cover the cones with wool and be content. Raspberry.

Monday night. Its due tomorrow at 9am. The suit is finished, the cone cups are in, the shell is made and my sister, Brigitte Bardot (above) is getting ready for my photo shoot. Its 1am. Im tired but its like Chariots of Fire in my living room...the finish line is so close.

Iam the Winner of Life. With so much time to to go, i am about to toile and everything is running like a smooth operator... The pattern, a masterpiece. Everything matched. The cut, pure genius. And even though I closed my eyes while I finished the elastic, even the finish on the back and legs was David Copperfield...Magic. How does he do that?

Then. The twin needle machine broke. And bam reality smacks you in the face like a wet fish .Toiling is not the best. In fact it is shit. Not the shit. Just shit. We are at school, we are so underfunded that we have one machine per four billion students, the lecturers are stretched and we cant locate the dude with the screwdriver to fix anything. So I decide to work independently (read:sulk) and use a differnt finishing method. I dont know how to use it. I fail. Its Faith No More style. Epic. I have to start again. I have one day left.

Patternmaking is the best. It seems to have made without a hitch and Im possibly the world's worst pattern maker. But how do you make a cone with perfect diametre to match the measurments of the sweetheart neckline? After many configurations, I finally mastered the art of cone rolling - by unrolling party hats and french fry cones of course. Yes I eat a lot of French Fries. And All I Do Is Party... AH AH AH AH. Thanks MSTRKRFT for the fun times.



Making the shell style cape collar blah blah was simple too, shapewell folded like the best instument in history the piano accordian and spray painted... and the cute boy at a certain hardware store even had a colour called Oyster Green. That should make a good looking Oyster style shell...

I found these amazing studio shots of these dresses with huge sunray pleated cape style collar situations... Jackpot!!

Kellerman was compared to images of Venus de Milo and Diana the Ancient God of Hunting. Their measurments almost exact, she was described as the perfect modern woman.

A more modern interpretation of the ancient sculpture of Venus is featured in Botticellis Birth of Venus, with a fully formed Venus birthing from the sea a grown woman. This painting represents the strenth, passion, beauty and power of woman, borne from the thunderous might of the sea - Kellerman embodied this and it was with these facets that she inspired a generation.

The image of Venus riding through the waves to shore on a shell always sticks in my mind, for its beauty and powerful presence. I will translate this image into a sort of shell styled cape to be worn behind the swimsuit...

I love the vintage silhouette if swim suits from the 1940s -Betty Grable and Ava Gardner always looked so flirtatious and fun in their beach photo shoots. A boy leg cut and a sweetheart neckline follows a womans natural curves and looks sexy yet fun without giving too much away...

Hedy Lemarr and Rita Hayworth loved the look of pointed breast cups - i think i will use this idea too, with detailing to create the look of a shell bra with conch detailing to keep with the mermaid themes. The look was revived in the 80s by Madonna - vamp - it was trashier, edgier and much more sexualised. That will keep up with current trends!

Hooray! I think my design has nailed the brief!

I wish you could buy creativity from the canteen... I have loads of ideas now, inspired by Kellermans strength but i am struggling to turn these ideas into designs...

Annette Kellerman had polio when she was young?!! And she managed to swim the English Channel?! What?!!

Well Annette Kellerman truely was a hero to her generation. Not only did she emancipate women from the conservative and constricting swimwear but she showed women they could do so much more with their lives than ever before.

As an elite athelete, she showed dedication to her sport, the magnitude ofher physical and emotional strength and her commitment to her health.

As an entertainer, she showed women could be sexual and sensual without being sexualised. She proved women could maintain dignity and gain respect by using poise, grace and strength.

As an ambassador to women stifled by the prudish morals of a turn of the 21st century society, Annette Kellerman became the voice of a generation of women liberated and muse to many who had fallen in love...

And she was a bit rude. Love it.

Ok so knits are tough. The test fabric has a fair bit of stretch in it - it feels nothing like our actual wool so that could prove difficult. And its such an heinous fabric I struggle to cope being in the same room as it, let alone use it to learn machining techniques. The binding machine is surprisingly easy to manipulate as with the overlockers. The elastic may have been a total fluke though, it went in first go. I tried again. It was definately a fluke.

Woollen Mermaids...

Under the Sea, hooray, I love the Little Mermaid!!

Australia's own mermaid Annette Kellerman is to be muse for our first assignment of the year - design and develop a swimsuit out of wool, inspired by Annette Kellermans life and career, that follows a classic 1920s-1950s silhouette and that reflects current trends...

PANIC!!! Out of wool? Ive never worked with wool, or knits, or twin needle machines, or 4 thread overlockers or binding machines!!

INTRIGUE!!! Who is Annette Kellerman? We have a real life mermaid in our maritime history?

EXCITEMENT... I love the classic silhouette of swimsuits from the the 1920s to 50s , vintage patterned fabric, embellishments and apparel decoration, the costume like designs, the playful use of colour and texture! Hooray!

But how am I going to put all this together? And reflect current trends? And all in two weeks?!! I need a disco nap to take this all in. A drink and a dart wouldnt hurt either.