Dress – Shamanic Nights

03 Feb

Bluebird Kimono

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Dressing Gown, Kimono / 3. February 2024 / 0 Comments

09 Jul

Summer Pinks and Butterflies

Amelia Hoskins / Dress / 9. July 2023 / 0 Comments

Summer Pinks and Butterflies patchwork mini dress with sailor collar, front adjustable lace up tie, flared sides and inset flares at lower back. Viscose, polyester and cotton.

Bust adjustable 34" - 38". Model Anna is quite tall, so suitable shorter women, if worn as dress. Sides are shorter than front. Front is (measure?). Back is ?

Making tip: Use a vest top to start or a sleeveless dress (this one has a pale abstract print sleeveless dress as a base with deep V neck). Attach joined lengths of patches at high waist position of base top, continuing down; leaving space between lower patches to insert flares for overall flared dress result. Attach triangular piece behind centre V to allow lace up loose. Sailor collar is cut to fit, with straight grain across shoulders, and needs to be back faced or edged with contrasting binding fabric as this one.

SUMMER PINKS dress £55.00 available direct from maker. (new purchasing coming soon...)

29 May

Dress Design Adaptations

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Upcycle makeover / 29. May 2021 / 0 Comments

Purple Electric Asymmetrical Dress

Inspiration was two prints; white linen with lilac flowers and white cotton with abstract lilac illustrations.

Coordinating purple salt-splashed dyed silk top forms the soft bodice top. Linen and cotton prints cut into rectangular panels joined to the top silk diagonals front and back. Slashing the purple top diagonally gave a bias edge from which to attach the lower cotton and linen print rectangular sections which form a flare over hips as fabric falls.

The sleeve outline was followed but floral linen sleeves are added to shape contour. Hem is therefore made integrally by this method, as a 'handkerchief' style with angles as a style feature. Purple piped edges holds all the pieces together and purple linen is repeated in hem pieces.

(See Making Gallery bottom post)

Design Construction: Top with added panels

Often there are pretty tops which can have lower panels added to make a dress. Shapes can be cut from tops and dresses, to create the princess front and back points. Fabric from dress, or frills and lace can be added to top 'V' shape edges, with panels sewn behind. Front centre lower panel is ecru linen embroidered. Black and cream print panels. Side panels are hand painted silk with grey rabbit designs. Neck shape was original with top, but a contrast print could be used. [Rabbits dress SOLD]

Pinning lower corner cotton panel

Pinning lower joined cotton and linen sections

Pinning lower section to diagonal back cut lower

Pinning lower section to diagonal back cut makes flare

Pinning lower section to diagonal back cut

Pinning lower corner section to back linen

Pinning lower sections to form flare

Pinning lower section to front diagonal cut to make flare

Piped insert to front panels

Lower sections with extra piping length allowed

Cotton print lower side panel

Front sleeve cut away shows back sections joined diagonally

Front sleeve cut away shows back silk top orginal sleeve

Pinning cotton front sleeve front lower side

Joining cotton and linen panels

Purple electric linen print

02 Mar

Silk Painting dresses Kokopelli and Persian Piri

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Silk Painting / 2. March 2021 / 0 Comments

Dress modelled at Exeter Cathedral Green Craft Fair before crimson sash was added. The sash echoes the sash in the painting. Dress began life as a short top without sleeves, collar, or lower frills: from an earlier created range with the Piri silk painting rectangles. A deep teal blue version was sold. After finding the yellow ocre lace blouse in exact colour match; the collar, sleeves and frill were added. The lower cotton abstract print frill was also added; which links to the Piri colours and gives a weight to the dress.

Predominantly Kokopelli as a ‘fertility deity’ is a bearer of seeds and the flute could have been used to help the plants grow with music, or simply announce his coming. Its quite likely such characters travelled for trade through South America and North America, as is believed from the rock petroglyphs. Images show either head feathers, or antennae; some with balls on the end, which almost look like a map to the stars; which might indicate planting time, as recognised by star positions.

Kokopelli (koh-koh-pell-ee) is a deity and symbol of fertility recognized by several Native American groups in the Southwestern part of the country. Like other fertility gods, Kokopelli is known to preside over both agriculture and childbirth….survived from the ancient Anasazi Indian mythology. Kokopelli is also a prominent character in Hopi legends.

A Native American video explanation of how Kokopelli as a man, not a god, brings all the seeds from the previous world. The ‘flute’ maybe a medicine pipe. He could be a simple seed seller, or it could even refer to past colonisation of earth.

02 Dec

Garments Available

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Dressing Gown, Jacket, Skirt / 2. December 2020 / 0 Comments

Dresses

Dressing Gowns

Jackets

Skirts

05 Nov

Tasmanian Blues Robe Dress and Nigella Blues Smock

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Dressing Gown, Robe / 5. November 2020 / 0 Comments

Applique - Seed Pods of Nigella 'Love in a Mist'

Robe Dress has applique lace pod dyed in eucalyptus dye bath after the collar piece. Colour took well, which is a guide to fabric content being cotton or silk. Dark centres to seed pod designs are cut from eucalyptus dyed silk (iron modified). Light centre to pod is from bundle steam died silk with seeds and petals. Nigella blues has variable on same pod idea. A motif is a good means to join over a seam (smock left top). Also provides contrast to break up a solid dark or light area.

Fitting top shape on dummy

Bodice top fitted to lining fabric

Sleeve lining lengthened on dummy

Sleeve lining lengthened patchwork

Sleeve top cut to fit armhole.

Sleeve lining with outer patches added

Floral patch added to upper sleeve and back top bodice

Upper sleeve both lining and upper sides ready

Sleeve ready to be sewn into dress armhole

Creating Floral Sleeve Turn-ups

Sleeve Cuff Pressed

Sleeve cuff attaching to sleeve

Machining Cuff to main Sleeve

Gusset Inserted Under Sleeve

Machining under-arm gusset to dress sides

Gusset inside lining piece

Underarm gusset completed

Facings for Collar Front

Back Neck Section and Collar forming

Collar and Facing forming

22 May

Butterflies and Pansies Silk Dress

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Silk Painting / 22. May 2020 / 0 Comments

Pink Champagne Tea Party Dress

Delightful summery patchwork fun tea party dress in pink, plum, lilac and pansy prints.

Pink silk top from a blouse has a bias cut across the weave grain so stretches across variety of bust shapes without other shaping.

Side zip under arm enables dressing. Shot-taffeta changes from plum pink to lilac in light.

Author's unique Ahimsa silk painted front panel has butterflies and pansies, with centre design of Nigella seed pod and added embroidery. Old rose lace is appliqued over corners which covers greener palm leaves on silk beneath. Background of silk painting is logwood dyed batik.

22 May

Hopi Bird Silk Designs Dresses

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Silk Painting / 22. May 2020 / 0 Comments

Dresses with silk painting of stylized Hopi birds

Opaline Rose dress has tier of grey silk painting with Hopi birds and embroidered Native American quotations

Red Hopi dress has two front silk panels with stylized Hopi birds - black/red on white, and red/white on black. Patchworks uses a red linen skirt and black viscose print in long red dress design. Vogue pattern used: V1234 by Sandra Betzina.

Grey Hopi pinafore has front silk panel of Hopi Birds with feathers and native American sayings combined with grey cotton panels from a Per Una skirt. Winter thickness. Slim fit: (UK size 8 bust, UK size 10 hips)

All dresses modelled by visiting Spanish teacher guest Marian

Printing Experiment: Texture of gold on grey is made using cardboard print block. Dried corn cob leaves which have fine narrow ridges were glued onto a cereal packet cardboard, varnished (acrylic water based) 3 layers. The maze leaves fibre formation has quite pronounced ridges, which resulted, when printed, in natural looking printed lines. I used epaissisant thickener with gutta as a printing paste applied to the cardboard printing block, then pressed on to the silk, and dried before adding the grey dye. The end result after steaming was mostly a blur, but still provides an interesting painterly background texture, which could be developed with different colour overlays, where overlapping lines would create extra colours.

Red Hopi Bird silk painting

Dress side panels show red/orange/black on white ground, and red/orange/white on black ground.

The vogue pattern facilitated side extended pieces which hang well in silk. Red linen bodice is made from a skirt. Polyester red/orange print used for upper and center panel.

I've always been intrigued by Native American culture and found images of abstract bird designs of the Hopi Indians applied to pottery. They reached a height of decorative abstraction, adapting bird designs to fit over any curved pottery surface; a brilliant applied design, in natural pigmented black, terracotta and cream colours.

Category: Dress

BLUEBIRD - Modelled by Giorgia. Simple one front button.

SIZE: Loose all-size fit. Three quarter length sleeves below elbow. Up to 41inch bust. (105cm) Back length 36.5 inches (92 cms)

BLUEBIRD available £175.00 : direct from maker. Price reflects one-off silk painting and full viscose lining.

SILK PAINTING : Front middle panels on left and right sides. The silk painting was originally done independently, then blue coordinates were chosen from materials stock recently to create this garment.

Inspirations from Hopi Pottery of birds and seeds, from which I amalgamated an abstracted design. The blue bird-like image was from a stylised maize shooting from seed. Hopi designs of birds and seeds had similarities of stylisation.

Summer Pinks and Butterflies patchwork mini dress with sailor collar, front adjustable lace up tie, flared sides and inset flares at lower back. Viscose, polyester and cotton.

Bust adjustable 34" - 38". Model Anna is quite tall, so suitable shorter women, if worn as dress. Sides are shorter than front. Front is (measure?). Back is ?

Asymmetrical Cuts - Two dresses with diagonal cut features (both sold) which enable panels to be joined at angles to flare the skirt section

Purple Electric Asymmetrical Dress

Inspiration was two prints; white linen with lilac flowers and white cotton with abstract lilac illustrations.

The sleeve outline was followed but floral linen sleeves are added to shape contour. Hem is therefore made integrally by this method, as a 'handkerchief' style with angles as a style feature. Purple piped edges holds all the pieces together and purple linen is repeated in hem pieces.

(See Making Gallery bottom post)

Design Construction: Top with added panels

Mushroom and Black 'V' panelled long dress

Asymmetrical cut bodice top with added linen 2 inch border with black picot seam insert. Skirt section of cream and black print panels, with embroidered linen front piece. Side painted silk panels with rabbits.

Purple Electric – MAKING Process

Two dresses featuring silk paintings of mythical figures from two different cultures. Piri from Persian art meaning beautiful and graceful girl, or supernatural being similar to angels. Kokopelli the flute playing seed spreader from southwestern Native Americas.

Persian Piri - Dress with 'Piri' feature silk painting

We get our word fairy from peri/feri winged spirit in Persian mythology. Fairy comes to us from Arabic which has no 'p'.

PERSIAN PIRI available direct from maker: £85.00 - (new purchasing coming soon...)

Kokopelli - flute player features in silk painting with feathers, hand and spirals

Motif outlines were made with wax batik technique. Melted wax applied with a tjang gives a very fluid line and must be moved rapidly before wax cools, or causes blobs. The feathers are outlined in nomal gutta resist for silk.

After applying dye, silk is steamed, and washed to remove any wax or other gutta resist paste used in the outlines. Embroidery is used to give definition to motifs.

KOKOPELLI is available. £85.00 Direct from maker. (new purchasing coming soon...)

HANDMADE ORIGINAL CLOTHES - A variety of leisure, fun and decorative ladies' patchwork.

Uniquely shaped, with deep kimono styled sleeves and collar extended to hem.

Red-Pink-Black-Cream patchworks. Knee length with lace-up adjustable front to adapt bust size.

Kimono styled below knee dress, (same style cut as dress Aldebaran) in panels of purples, navy and floral prints. Close fitted back top, with skirt section gathered slightly below bust into high waist.

Unique adjustable front lacing. Front lower skirt stitched closed but can be reopened to customer's preference for open lower dress below lace-up.

Two dresses in coffee/cream/black patchwork: multi styled with stretch cotton bandeau top which performs dually as a dress bust hold up, or cummerbund if worn as a skirt.

Two variations: Black lace hem, lined in nylon knit with coffee coloured feature patchwork print 'Love Never Dies'.

White fringed hem version, unlined, no feature coffee patchwork; just cream and black.

Lose fit large shirt dress in olive green/black/bright pink with parrots print back, and beige green orange passion flowers front printed panel.

Lined in black viscose shirt with orange flower print: allows dress to be worn in reverse.

Robe dress in blue cotton and viscose; below knee, with unique seed pod applique decoration.

Collar is silk painted, on hand dyed gold collar, from maker's eucalyptus bark dye session.

Short sleeved large smock top in same fabrics as Tasmanian Blues robe-dress.

Front buttoned, floral print lined.

Two patchwork panelled dresses with bright cerise knitted buttoned tops.

Two variations: An A-line knee length; and a flared wide skirt with frilled hem on knee

Both have same knitted top.

Adaptation of scarlet red linen skirt, with linen and viscose back panels using Vogue pattern.

Ornate front polyester print patterned applique. Maker's hand silk painted lower tie-back panels of 'Hopi Birds' on black, and white.

Name derived from abstract bird designs on Hopi pottery.

Pinafore dress with full silk painted bib front, and panels of thick grey cotton with silk piped

edgings. Silk painted front panel of 'Hopi Birds', from Hopi potter designs.

Slim fit hips 34-35: model Marian

Frivolous tea party dress in pink and maroon silk, with silk (bundle dyed) sleeves, pink-mauve shot taffeta and cotton with pansy print.

Silk painted front panel of nigella seed pod with butterflies and banana leaves.

Shirt sleeved button fronted smock top dress in grey and lilac, with lower section gathered at bust line.

Lilac/white long striped sleeves have pre-existing turn up tab to elbow. Muted grey/white viscose rose print front and back.

Front has large silk painting one side, featuring Kokopelli design from rock carvings.

Dress converted from mustard yellow cotton/viscose tunic top, with pink/green abstract print lower frill. Lace lower frill, sleeves and collar. Extra long featured two toned pink sash.

Maker's appliqued silk painted panel of 'Piri' figure from Persian illustrations.

AVAILABLE: Direct from maker £160.00

BLUE Patchworks

Applique - Seed Pods of Nigella 'Love in a Mist'