Week 4 - A Practical Assessment

This week we finally had a practical assessment (which is 1 of the 20 of this type of assessment that has to be done for the Diploma) and I am not happy with myself at all. We also had another assessment this week which was pricing up with which I was much happier.

The course is divided up into modules and each module has roughly 4 or 5 assessments in each one, some are practical (where a flower arrangement has to be created), some are practical but are identification, pricing up, maintaining a design, window display etc) and some are theory. I have done pretty well in all the theory assessments so far. I didn't do well with today's assessment, but I take some consolation from the fact that several of us for want of a better phrase fell apart!

Assessment on the course is marked at either Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail, so at least I can tell myself I didn't fail, but I only managed a pass. This was a pretty simple decorative cone wrap, something you would do in a shop possibly a few times a day, but possibly not in exam conditions and with a 15 minute time scale which includes writing a cost sheet too. 15 minutes sounds quite a long time, but boy did it go quickly!




So what did I do well and what did I do badly? The assessment sheets have a long list of criteria which have to be met, starting from being dressed properly (wearing protective clothing ie an apron, to covered shoes), choosing and using the correct tools (a fairly obvious one), to such areas as recession and economy (a less obvious one) to the expected of are the flowers protected, does it look pleasing etc.

The basics, clothing and tools were fine, the choice of flowers works well too, but I totally messed up on my wrapping and got nowhere near completing a cost sheet. I had chosen to use raffia to tie the wrap to save time of making a bow (we are not allowed to use pull bows!) Once I got the wrapping I felt like I was all fingers and thumbs and I couldn't make any of them do what I wanted so when it was finished it looked like a complete bag of nails!!

It looks even more of a mess as the tutor tends to pull things apart as she is marking them. I was not at all happy with this, my main consolation is that it is only a 15 minutes assessment, so will be able to slot this one in again at some point and up it from a Pass to a Merit.

Below is some practicing at home, which I did to take into college. It is a based cross - idiot that I am I never took a photo of the completed cross - sometimes I can be so stupid. It turned out well and I put a complementary spray using dark red roses which made it look very effective.

Basing is where the flowers are placed closely together to give an overall coverage on the oasis. It is important to ensure it is nice and even and where possible using smaller flowers on the outside and the larger ones in the centre. It is important to 'bond' them so that they are touching and there are no gaps, but that they are not so close that they distort their shape or the flower next to them. It is a skill that comes with lots of practice.


Above is a mitred corner which is the best way to get the ribbon looking perfect on a cross, or any design with a corner - again it is something which comes with practice and remembering the techniques. More of that to come once the course has finished - I hope to be able to show some of the techniques.

Above is a Chaplet, which is considered by some to be quite old fashioned now, but does have its place, especially for remembrance or military occasions. This design is based on a mossed wire frame and is a time consuming piece to make as all the salal leaves are wired onto the moss (Laurel is expensive and not readily available from college suppliers although that is the more traditional leaf to use). The complementary spray was difficult and wore my fingers down, as each flower or piece of foliage has to be wired and then pushed into moss and fixed into place. This is an assessment piece - this is a big oh my goodness how will I ever manage to do that especially in 1hour 15 minutes (aargh aargh!!)

We also had a pricing up assessment this week, which is where you have to work out wholesale, wholesale plus VAT, retail and retail plus VAT prices for 10 flower and/or foliages. This one I did much better and managed to get 100% so got my Distinction which I was pretty pleased with. Overall I am glad to have got one practical assessment out of the way as I know have more of an idea what to expect in the next batch of assessments.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox