Leftovers
Continuing my series “Exploring Memories.” Using scraps and leftover muslin, I created a dress, vest, necklace and wrap. All can be worn with the “Uniform Dress” I began this series with. Here I simply layered them together, alone.
Using an intuitive approach by simply grabbing a piece of leftover muslin, I began to drape on my mannequin. I do not start with a drawing, I just lay a hunk of muslin on the mannequin and begin. Each step informs me of the next.
For this design I knew I wanted to keep the fabric pieces very loose as I draped, so I had plenty of extra fabric to gather, rip and twist once I had the design to suit me. These pieces of muslin have the original drawn lines from past samples of draping projects. Lines that might have been where a dart was intended, or hem, or seam line. I love those extra memories. Some are in red, some are lead pencil.
After I have pinned the newly draped piece, it is carefully lifted off the mannequin. Then I begin to hand-stitch seams, pleats, hems, and embellishments. Trying on as I stitch, making tucks and seams where needed.
The necklace, which reminds me of prayer beads, are made of the selvedge edge threads of the muslin. I keep a box at the end of my cutting table to tuck these threads as I design. Each bead are the threads from that overflowing box, wound into a bead shape, 81 in all. With the tassel created from yet more of those threads. I strung them together, using a glass bead in between each one to add a little weight to the necklace.
I had some extra pieces of muslin I had hand stitched and gathered together in a long stream. While I had a shawl/scarf in mind, on a whim I wrapped it around my head. It can be worn in a host of ways.
I dig the process I think more than actually wearing the finished piece.
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