The explored techniques are not exclusive to fashion design.
If you are interested in crafts, arts and journaling, this Instructables is also for you!

What is a Fashion Design Workbook?
A Fashion Design Workbook is a rough book in which you assemble archives, ideas, research, initial sketches and illustrations, textile design try-out...etc... It is the first step towards building a collection. A Workbook is personal to the designer.
Not to be confused with the Fashion Design Portfolio, which is the last digitalised step of your collection in order to promote your work to costumers, shareholders, or to apply for university or jobs in the fashion field..etc...

In this experimental Instructables, we will quickly skim over the possible uses of coffee as source of inspiration in fashion design.

Supplies

Coffee Paint Mixture:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Water
- Cinnamon
- Brown Sugar
- Oil
- Flour
- optional: Glitter

Fashion Illustration Tools:
Sketching:
- Pencil and eraser
- Paper
- optional: reference Book
- optional: Lightbox
Painting:
- Coffee Paint Mixture
- Brushes of different sizes
- Aquarelle Paper
- small containers

Textile Design Tools:
General:
- Thread & Needle
- Calicot/White muslin
- Iron
- Fabric scissors
- Beads, Sequins..etc..

Paper Dyeing Tools:
- Coffee Infused Water
- Large container
- Spray bottle (optional)
- Oven

Assembling Tools:
- Cardboard
- Transparent Foil
- Cutter
- Paper Scissors
- Tape
- Glue stick / Glue

Binding Tools:
- Hole Puncher
- Rope

Step 1: Making Coffee Paint

Experiment with different quantities of water, grounded coffee, coffee waste, cinnamon, tea infused water, oil, brown sugar, ..etc...

There is no right or wrong here. But you want to document throughouly, so you will be able to recreate the same texture and colour in the future.

For reference, my two final mixtures are:
1. Light Aquarelle Coffee:
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon green tea infused water
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon grounged coffee waste
- 1 tablespoon coffee infused water
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 teaspoon gold monoi oil (Yves Rocher)

2. Heavy Oil Coffee:
- 2 teaspoon grounded coffee waste
- 3 tablespoon green tea infused water
- 2 teaspoon grounded medium coffee
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon gold monoi oil (Yves Rocher)
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 splash of gold glitter
- 3 splash of red glitter

Step 2: Fashion Illustration W/ Coffee

I) Drawing on paper
First you want to draw on paper a rough shape of your Illustration.
You can use a picture from the internet or a book (here: Design by: from the book "L'Afrigue est a la mode" by Berenice Geoffroy.Schneider).
You can draw by freee hand or copy by using a light board.

II) Painting with coffee
Make sure to use thicker paper, ideally Aquarelle Paper.
Layer it over your sketch so you don'T have to redraw.
Use Coffee or Tea infused water to wet your pencil.
Make use of the coffee as you would with Aquarelle: start by painting the contours and the shadows. If you need it to be darker, wait for the coffee to dry, and go over it again.
If you need a lighter colour, use less coffee paint and more coffee/tea infused water.

Fix your painting with hairspray.

Step 3: Textile Design Part 1 - Dyeing and Painting Fabric

I) Dyeing Fabric
Dip fabric into coffee infused water for 15-30minutes. Depending on how strong you want the colour be.
I put it in the oven afterwards to dry faster (be careful not to burn it)

II) Painting Fabric
- Experiment by Painting on dyed fabric or on untouched fabric
- Experiment with abstract painting
- Experiment with a pre-drawn pattern

Step 4: Textile Desing Part 2 - Manipulating Fabric

I) Fabric Manipulation
- Experiment with ruffles, smoking, pleats ..etc.. or have a look at the video above for inspiration
Embroidery
- Experiment with different stitches
- Experiment with different thread quality and sizes
- Experiment with beads and sequins
Weaving
- Cut strips out of white muslin, dyed fabric, and painted fabric.
- Weave them together

Step 5: Dyeing Paper

I) Dyeing

Technique 1 as displayed:
"Abstract look"
- Pour coffee infused water into a container
- Dip one side of the paper, let sink for a few seconds
- Dip the other side of the paper, let sink for a few seconds
- Let paper in oven to dry

Technique 2 :
"Coffee Splash"
- Pour coffee infused water into a spray bottle
- Spray water on paper Paper
- Let paper dry in oven

Technique 3:
"Monochrome look"
- Pour coffee infused water into a container
- Dip whole paper into the coffee infused water, let sink for a few seconds
- Let paper in oven to dry

II) Optional: Burning
You can burn the edges of your paper with a lighter or a match.

Step 6: Workbook Layout

I) Layout
- Decide on the layout of your workbook.

II) Assembling
- Cut out display frames for your work, using a cutter.
- Sew frame to content at 0.2-0.5cm
- Sew pages together at 0.5-1cm (i.e page 1+2. Then page 3+4...)

Step 7: Workbook Hardcover + Binding

I) Cover
Front cover:
- Cut a display frame out of cardboard using a cutter
- On the inner side, Tape or glue a transparent foil.
Back cover:
- Fold paper in order to make a pouch.
- On the inner side, tape or glue the pouch onto the cardboard
This will serve as collecting left over materials, such as research, stencils or this Instructable, used in order to create the workbook.

II) Binding
-Punch holes through hard cover and all pages
-Using a round needle and thin rope, tie all pages together.

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Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this project.
Feel free to leave a comment!

Regards,
Maison Manipulation