Life is a garden

Wow, I can't believe how fast time has flown by, this was made over a year ago, and it seems like only yesterday.
I have a strong feeling this will always be my favourite creation.
I say creation because I just don't think dress sounds right with this one.

So my chosen theme was "gardens" and after building a sketchbook of textile-art pieces along this theme it was time to complete my final piece for the topic.

It was an inset day before a half term and I went into sixth form with hopes of getting most of my dress completed to minimize the amount of work I would have to do over my brief break from lessons. I went in at about 8am and set up in one of the textiles rooms (by myself because I was so early) and I just got started. As the other girls began to arrive, they all set up in the other room, I could hear them chatting, eating fish and chips, and listening to music. But I didn't stop. I carried on for 7 hours straight, not sitting down, eating, or even drinking. When I arrived home I literally collapsed in a giant heap of exhaustion, but at least my dress was nearly done. That was probably the most dedicated I have ever been.

Then, while watching some rom-com on TV, I managed to do all the finishing touches and sew the dress together in a further 3 hours.

I wanted to portray parts of a garden which were living, and parts that were not. So I used statues, bird-baths, and balustrades as inspiration for the colouring and the bodice, and draped the skirts to represent petals and used pink tones.

The corset consists of a mod-roc centre, a hand-made paper side, and a polyfilla on fabric side. Around the back are two tea stained panels, with matching laces. The skirts are a jumble of fabrics including a bit of silk. Around the neckline are lace "ivy" pieces with pearls strung around them. A felt and dissolved thread "ivy" strand is slung around the neck in a halter fashion. On the hip is a fabric rose and dissolved thread "wall-climbers".

The model is me, seriously photoshopped to have killer lips (ah i wish) and the camera was on self timer - I ended up with so many funny photos of me struggling to position in my very unwearable dress.