HISTORY OF MY LIFE IN FOUR OBJECTS

Our first theory task was to choose four items drawn from different stages of our life: childhood, early teenage, late teenage and the present.

Childhood –  Amy Baby.

This doll was handmade by my Grandma who knitted it for me for my 2^nd birthday. For a reason i cant remember i named it ‘Amy Baby’ and i can remember taking this doll absolutely everywhere that i went. The doll now looks a little different to what she once did, as her mouth unravelled and came off and the wool has gone 'bobbly' However to say I took her absolutely everywhere with me for a few years she is still in quite good condition. It also has significance now, as my grandma has been given a few months to live, so it is still something important to me that brings back early memories.

 Early Teenage – My First Mobile Phone.

This was my first Mobile phone i had when i was 12 and i loved it so much! It was just used for the internet and mostly texting. I was so excited to have a new ‘flip phone’ which everyone seemed to have at the time. Looking back at this phone Its hard to think about why I loved it so much! I wouldn’t have even known what i had done with this phone if it wasn’t for my little sister now using it  for a play phone. I’m not sure where the phone was manufactured, but i would presume somewhere like china so they could be made cheaply in mass production.

 Late Teenage – My First Sewing Machine.

At the age of 15 i dug out my Mums old sewing machine from when she was younger out of the back of her wardrobe.  It was on it’s last legs but It was still just about working and i thought myself how to use it. Now my new sewing machine is a huge part of my life, as it symbolises my love for art and fashion, but I will always remember teaching myself how to alter and make garments on this sewing machine. This is a 2701 model by Toyota, and was made in Taiwan. I’m not sure of the date of manufacture, but my mum bought the sewing machine new when she was 20, in 1991.

The present - My Vintage Coat.

People always tell me that i have an unhealthy obsession with vintage clothing. This is probably true. My love for vintage clothing started when i was 17 and bought my first vintage item from ‘Wilder’ in Nottingham, this faux fur coat. Since i first stumbled across this tiny vintage shop i have hunted out many more, and now have a wardrobe overflowing with my vintage finds. Even if the sizing is miles too big i take the garment home and alter it into something new. I just find something so fun about getting clothes that no-one else owns. I don’t know who created this coat as there were no labels in the coat when i bought it. However faux fur was properly developed to a good quality in the mid 1950s. I have also come across very similar style coats looking through the internet from the 1960s, but perhaps it could also have been made in the 70s or 80s.