It's the beginning of Sept and that means it's less then a month until my upcoming show Forged of Nature. The show is a collaboration with Ellen Durken of Iron Maiden Forge and will showcase works in metal and felted wool. (see previous posts or home page for ticket link)
I wanted to show you a video that really highlights the texture of the fabrics I've created and also the hand work that has gone into this collection. The video features my Full Length Drama Coat with one of a kind collar. I've done a few of these one of a kind pieces that are sort of an extension of the techniques I've used for my headpieces.
For this piece I started with the base structure of the coat. It was created using two separate pattern pieces and then sewn together down the spine. The pattern will be available as part of my educational series but more on that later. The next step is creating the heat set tulle pieces. I cut the tulle down into various lengths, fold them into a fan-like shape, and then heat set them to create a curved organic shape. For the Nunofelted pieces I use scraps of organza from other projects as a great way to keep a zero waste studio. I then nunofelted the scraps with black and red merino wool.
With all of my tulle and nunofelted pieces gathered, I start pinning and draping each piece into place. I have a general idea of the shape and volume I want to achieve but I leave room for the textures to guild me. I take turns pinning and draping with hand sewing each piece into place. This lets me gradually build the volume and take time to step back and be sure things are going in the right direction.
I love working this way because it gives me time to really interact with each piece and watch the textures evolve. Please take a moment to check out the video that gives you a more in depth look at the collar that's hard to capture in a photograph. And please let me know what you think in the comments!
Cheers,
Shannah