22
May
Butterflies and Pansies Silk Dress
Feminine pinks and frivolity in quirky patchwork and 3 silk types.
Petal bundle-dyed fine silk sleeves, and unique hand painted and embroidered front silk panel.
Starting point for this dress was an Ahimsa silk painting. Ahimsa is similar to light-weight cotton, matching the weights of cotton and poly cotton patchwork in garment. This piece incorporates an experimental batik process, which resulted in a mottled background after waxing and dipping in a logwood dye bath, before final painting over. [see link to logwood dyeing]
Suitable for parties, weddings.
SIZE: 36/38" - max 40 inch bust. Length: shoulder to front hem 36", shoulder to back hem 38". Pink silk top is on bias stretch, so adjusts to size smaller and larger. Available in ETSY when added.. [£175.00] Value is assessed on only the silk batik/painting/embroidery (not full making time)
[Site reconstruction 2020: Post in progress of reorganisation to new site: Additional making images resizing to add]
Making of Butterflies and Pansies Dress [image gallery to add]
Pink silk top - fabric co-ordinate taken from a blouse: colour is similar to the palest background in the logwood batik. Pink bodice top sewn to silk painting just under bust; simple overlap stitching. Original V-necked pink blouse was cut on the cross, so will stretch over varied bust fullness.
Front bodice - Contrasting armhole band taken from neckline of co-ordinating fabric (dress). Pinned to pink silk bound edged armhole for stitching join by hand.
Back bodice - Contrasting armhole banding cut from back and underarm of co-ordinating fabric (dress).
Decided to add sleeves, a petals bundle died silk for upper sleeve, just enough silk; adding sleeve frill from original up-cycled pale dusky pink dress. Overall effect is balanced but the banana leaves on painting need deep crimson stitch decoration.
Silk Painting 'Nigella Butterflies' made into dress centrepiece
The green butterfly came from a photograph I took, and the red butterfly came from another printed fabric design. Pansies added came from cotton print.
Added embroidered lines on pansies give sparkly effect. Nigella seed pod is enhanced by dark seeds inside pod (arial view) and light embroidery on the pod ends. ...The banana leaves would benefit from embroidery also.
Dressmaking process: Silk painting summer 2019 - Dress finished September 2019, but decided to add in sleeves February 2020. Slow fashion!
