SEVEN: Pride

I got  asked to take part in a group show this summer, but things have been hectic so I've only gotten a chance to start my piece now!  The show is called SEVEN and opens December 10th.

Each designer was given a choice of one of the Seven Deadly Signs, and I chose Pride. I originally wanted Sloth, but it was taken already.  But I am pretty happy with Pride now. A surface designer by the name of Dee Wilkie would make us each hand dyed silk in the colour corresponding to the sin.  Pride is Purple. I love purple.


One of those awesome oops moments happened when she was working on my silk, her dye pot was not big enough for the 5 meters she needed to make me, which ended up making my silk not solid, but having this awesome shattered look to it.

I like it even better this way.  I will be using black accents to break it up a bit, because that is a lot of pattern and texture.
When if first thought of what I might do I was thinking of a 1940's womens suit and skirt, but I wasn't sure how well silk would tailor and how much of a nightmare that might end up being, so I simplified my design and found inspiration in an unlikely place (though actually pretty likely for me):


Anastasia and Drusilla for Disney's Cinderella!

I'm going for a more 1880-1890's version of their dresses, but the idea is there.

Since I am running short on time, I am making this to fit myself and not a model, which means I was able to modify some of my previous patterns. Which is the entire reason I keep all my patterns lying around.
The skirt is actually the pattern I used to make my grad piece (MidKnight) back in 2012, only I made it the same length all the way around instead.

 

The petticoat is also from the same pattern but instead of just a bustle and the ruffle at the bottom, I've added a full crinoline bustle to it.  I know no one will see it, but I just had to use tulle in the same colours of the fabric Dee made. Why? Because I love hidden surprises.

The skirt and petticoat before I sewed them together.

Same skirt, now with a proper hem, bustle pinned in and crinoline properly poofed out.

 Next on the agenda:  Cutting out the corset fabric, feathered collar and  over skirt bustle.  What will the collar look like?  Well time for another Disney character to inspire me:

It wont be this extreme, and the colours will be reversed... but again, the idea is there.

And now I must go cut out a corset!