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Setting up my work! Here I have been measuring and designing my little space and making it all pretty.

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My finished embroidered flower under bust corset. This took many hours as I am new to embroidering but I found it very enjoyable and therapeutic. It’s relaxing to enjoy, represent and recreate the beauty of mother nature and to appreciate the intricate world we live in.

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My finished painted flower underbust corset. Painted with acrylic using gradient techniques and with environmentally friendly cotton buds. So pleased with it.

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My indoor photoshoot! I was really happy with these. I found that the black backdrop made my dress appear like water, especially when sat down, like I was submerged…

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Made two underbust corsets with my left over fabric, they’ll be embroidered and painted inspired by the flowers and plants that grow around the forests where I live.

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My forest photoshoot! I had to do this sunny photoshoot before the horrible weather sets in for the week..

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Trying on my dress! I wanted to check the fit of the skirt, and it fits so well! I’m really happy with the progress so far 😄

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Further adding some handmade fabric flowers onto the bodice to give more detail and variety

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My (almost) complete bustier top for my dress! Still a few adjustments to do but otherwise I’m very happy with it!

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My dressmaking progress- Here I’m experimenting with making circle skirts, turns out learning pi in math lessons is very important in future life!

Above I’ve cut the dress lining in a half circle skirt, let it to drape overnight, ironed and hemmed the edges neatly. There are also two layers of tulle, one is a half circle and a full circle. I’m hoping to make a petticoat with the half circle skirt to make the skirt a bit fuller. I might add another layer of tulle as I have plenty of it!

Above I’ve been wondering how to incorporate my painting skills into my dress...

I started by using tulle itself and blocking out the netting with glue, leaving it to dry. I found it didn’t flake off and stayed on pretty strong, I quickly painted a flower with some acrylic paint and found I could achieve the same detailing as I could on paper. However.. I feel more three dimensional flowers would help make the dress more fuller and busy than ‘flat’ flowers, so there’s more to experiment with!

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Paola Idrontino - Evanescent (2019)

This textile sculpture created by Idrontino depicts coral bleaching caused by climate change. Each coral has been handmade using recycled fabrics and has taken two years to complete.

I was interested how the shape of the structure portrays an unusual dress that has been engulfed by coral. The vibrant and lively coral at the bottom contrasts the white, dull ones; the warmth and variety of the colours and rounded shapes below seem thriving and welcoming, however this is opposed with the white, ghostly carcasses of coral stacked above, mangled together and creating a grotesque creature that stares down at the onlooker. This contrast is similar to my own design, where the forest green colour of the skirt and bodice fade into a lifeless white at the bottom.

The whimsical yet grotesque structure contrasts delivers a strong message of the need to preserve and protect nature from the damaging effects of climate change.

Images and info:

https://hifructose.com/2019/02/19/the-recent-textile-art-of-paola-idrontino/

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Nicoletta de la Brown - Embriodered Plastic Bags

Here artist Nicolette de la Brown has taken throwaway plastic bags destined to litter the streets and gives them purpose and value by embroidering into them.

A sense of cultural identity is implemented here as Brown suggests that bags like these would hold treasures and valuables bought by the owner with their hard-earned money. She contrasts hastily thrown away bags by putting hours of effort into embroidering them.

It’s interesting how such easily discarded materials once brought a moment of happiness, but now bring years worth of environmental damage. The fragile material so easily capable of suffocating must’ve been easy to sew through and break, making the bag seem ironically delicate and frail.

This has inspired me to be more conscious of my choices when throwing away materials I no longer use, there is always a possibility of reusing and recycling items and repurposing them into valuable possessions again..

The bag itself almost represents a tank top as well, it would’ve been interesting to experiment further with making tops and clothing made from found trash bags, transforming them into interesting garments with embroidered or painted nature designs..

Photos and info:

https://www.brwnpaperbag.com/2014/01/20/nicoletta-de-la-brown-embroidery-plastic-bags/

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Enrica Borghi

Here Borghi creates sustainable fashion by repurposing plastic bottles and waste material into garments such as capes, headpieces and even wedding dresses.

A particular dress I admire is La Regina (above). This ballgown shaped dress is made from plastic bottles, plastic, bags and plexiglass. The dress looks whimsical with it’s see-through feature, looking Cinderella-like as if it was made from glass.

The gown is unusually big and imposing, as if you can walk inside of it and see through the plastic, making the surroundings outside distorted. Borghi is perhaps suggesting the devastating and irreversible impact tons of plastic has made upon the environment and how we have become blind to these issues. There is an unsettling awe upon the beauty and femininity of the dress shape in contrast to the amount of sharp, robust plastic used to make it. In a capitalist world, tons of single use plastics are disposed of daily, all for the sake of ease of use for consumers. Perhaps Borghi is emphasising this issue, and how there is a way we can transform old battered trash back into useful new materials again.

This has made me realise the ways I can recycle old materials instead of buying new materials, I am trying to make the dress inexpensive and to use up scraps where possible. Perhaps I can use old clothes and discarded items as embellishments or accessories for my outfit..

Image from:

http://www.enricaborghi.com/en_US/home/works_installations/fashion/clothes

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My dressmaking progress:

Exploring with pattern making for the bodice of my Mother Nature dress. 7 versions so far!

1st version: here I worked with a pre-made pattern using cotton, it worked and fit very well, it was my first time using a pattern and sewing along a curve so it wasn’t perfect at first.

2nd version: Here I used the fabric given from textiles and explored with making the pattern a corset/ bustier style, I found that when I flipped the two layers inside out, the cups were very small.

3rd version: I adjusted the pattern to make the breast cups bigger on the bodice using old shirts I found.

4th version: I made the full bodice with natural cotton in a single layer using my new adapted pattern and found it fit very well.

5th version: I made the full bodice using two layers of natural cotton fabric and cable ties as boning. When I flipped the layers inside out the cups again looked unusual and small, the cable ties were sharp on the end and cut through the thread, poking out awkwardly of the bodice.

6th version: this was the best turnout so far, I used tulle and cotton fabric/ bias binding and felt the see-through element of the bodice was a nice touch, it emphasises femininity and delicacy which is perfect for a feminine portrayal of Mother Nature. I didn’t flip layers of the bodice inside out and therefore the fit of the cups were good. I also attached a zip, but it was difficult to put the bodice on after, I’ll need to add an elasticated edge to the bodice for it to be easy to wear.

7th version: here I used green organza fabric that I found, however the fabric was too shiny and didn’t achieve the effect I liked in the previous version as the organza wasn’t as stiff and robust as tulle.

Overall I plan to make a mock-up of my 6th version using tulle/ fabric in green, elastic, and a zip fastening, seeing if there’s any adjustments in consideration towards making the skirt component.

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Textiles Workshop!

For this workshop we have been experimenting with everyday materials and how we can transform them into different structures and patterns. Here I’ve used brown envelopes found around the house, ripping and reconstructing the smooth, rectangular object into something new and unusual. My next challenge is to make a hat with brown envelopes, I might make a small hat inspired by the Mad Hatter.

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Painting with coffee and liquid eyeshadow

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Experimenting with non-traditional mediums for Drawing Week 😊