Jamelia Blackwood shares her progress throughout the Burberry Project here at Legacy, where our members have a go at making their own gowns!
“I started Legacy in 2022 and since then I have been trying out different activities including the gym, art room, health and wellbeing and music. My favourite activity has definitely been the Burberry Project and being able to make my very own dress inspired by one of my favourite movies, Beauty and the Beast.
It started with making my own sketch of the dress I wanted to make, which of course was the main dress from the film where Belle was a housemaid. I made sure to include every detail about the dress in the sketch so that when it came to making the dress it would be easier.
Then came the fun and exciting part, making the dress. I got to play with fabrics and use a mannequin to hold my design on, I then got to learn the skill of draping and sewing whilst the fabric was on the mannequin.
I then got to experiment with fabrics, textures and materials to make my dress. I underwent training from the youth workers at Legacy and it helped me to develop my skills whilst feeling comfortable about making mistakes and learning things I haven’t learnt before.
When I had finally finished designing and making the dress, I was so excited to present it to the youth workers who were all excited to see what I had come up with. I really enjoyed it.
I am so grateful for this project and learning new skills through being here at Legacy with the help of the youth workers.”
