patchwork – Shamanic Nights

03 Oct

Tasmanian Blues Robe Dress and Nigella Blues Smock-2

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Dressing Gown / 3. October 2024 / 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

02 Jul

Abalone Diamonds Dress

Amelia Hoskins / Dress / 2. July 2024 / 0 Comments

02 Dec

Garments Available

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

Dresses

Dressing Gowns

Jackets

Skirts

23 May

Exhibition Totnes Costume Museum

Amelia Hoskins / Coat Dress, Dressing Gown, Robe / 23. May 2020 / 0 Comments

'Mandarin' - Making

Named for a Mandarin-style collar made with a strip on a curve (cut x 2 on bias): Piped edge in black; also on pockets. Patchworks of equal 8 inch x 4 inch. For attractive 'turn-ups', use contrasting fabric. Sleeves have faux turn-ups by adding black lace layer below last black patch layer, which turns back to be stitched also 2 inches up inside lining, to reveal black/white striped cotton-satin lining. The seam formed when stitching to lining, gives a thicker strong line, which will enable a turn-up to sit at the fold-up nicely.

Dress hem is same black lace as end of sleeves. Adding a bottom hem layer 'frames' the garment together; cut double to stitch down inside, encasing the edges of the upper patchwork. Dress uses same striped fabric for front facing lining for interest.

Patchwork robes can be bespoke made to your measurements with your own fabrics. Send me details of your measurements to adjust dummy. If you have an idea of colours, I can show you photos of coordinates in my collection. Silk painting additional quote on enquiry.

Making fee for standard kimono styled robe with collar extended down front facing. Style tweaks can be arranged.

Long large patches: Short to knee - £160, Ankle length - £200.00

Small patches 8 inch x 4inch: Short to knee £220, Ankle length £260.00

Extra materials cost would be lining, as I do not stock new, although I have some thin white cotton in stock. Robes need lining. Summer dresses need not, as patches are over laid zig-zagged.

22 May

Design Philosophy

Amelia Hoskins / About, Design Philosophy, Ethical Fashion / 22. May 2020 / 0 Comments

Harmonisation with Discarded Fabrics

Design inspiration comes from seeing themes evolve between disparate fabric prints and colours, rescued from charity/thrift shops, to be recreated into a new unique garment artwork.

As an artist and textile designer, I have a keen eye for the illustration and patterns in textile prints. I source those which appeal to me, variously of classical floral illustrative, geometric, and astral. A combination of all these together with coordinating plain colours makes a good patchwork.

Not all prints are of personal favourite by themselves, but depending on their colours, I will see a way they would contrast or blend within a theme. A dress full of rose bouquets can be cut up to introduce patch areas highlighting the best flowers. A smaller patchwork piece/area of fabric can become more special than the full repeated print area.

Cotton lace tops (often cotton/acrylic mix) are another good find, as they can be layered over other colours. Most synthetic lace fabrics also surprisingly take up plant dye to some extent, which removes any stark whiteness, too brilliant for patches amongst colours.

I usually choose a starting point of a print, or a part of a garment. then make a pile with other colours and prints (5 is usually sufficient to start with). As you do this, one choice may be removed and replaced with another, as the combined effect literally 'shouts' too dark, too light, etc., depending on the theme in mind. The most subtle patchwork is when the overall effect is of fabrics of a similar tone; i.e. nothing too light, nor too dark, on its own. I often do include black with a strong colour collection, due to its fashion favouritism, but am more careful with lighter tones and darks mixed, when making patch-worked garments using panels larger than traditional patchwork.

Silk Painting Inspirations

Some garments have my hand painted silk panels. The print designs in each fabric collection may suggest a new design to be developed further, using their elements to create a silk painted panel, or I may simply copy some elements combined with other images of my own. Colour mixing dyes to match the existing prints is an essential skill. My silks, Habotai or Ahimsa, are base dyed with natural plants, in pastels and mostly golds. In 2024 I'm experimenting with clamp dyeing backgrounds and making dye paints from plants and roots to use instead of commercial chemical dyes.

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.

Tag: patchwork

BLUE Patchworks

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

NIGELLA BLUES Smock Top Dress

AVAILABLE : £85.00 - Direct from maker

Tasmanian Blues MAKING PROCEDURE

Summer smock styled dress with lace neck feature and diamond patchworks in abalone themed colours of fine fabrics.

Dress on dummy shows additional yoke decoration and scalloped flap inserted between yoke and dress patches

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.

Available to BUY on Shamanic Nights FOLKSY Shop

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.

Available to BUY on Shamanic Nights FOLKSY Shop

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.

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

Front buttoned, floral print lined.

Shamanic Nights FOLKSY Shop [ to be added]

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.

Shamanic Nights FOLKSY Shop [ to be added]

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.

Shamanic Nights FOLKSY Shop [to be added]

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

Shamanic Nights FOLKSY Shop [ to be added]

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.

Shamanic Nights exhibition at the Totnes Costume Museum

Curated theme - 'Innovation and Fashion' - 23rd May‭-‭ 14th June‭ ‬2011

Totnes Costume Museum Robe Oriental Cruise and Robe Mandarin

LINEN CRUISE 1.

'Oriental Cruise'

Exhibition featured first Robes made: using white, cream and ecru linens with viscose and cotton printed patchwork rectangles.

Upper left sleeve shows silk painted panel. Design was copied from a small scale print on robe, seen below arm, but with enlarged scale, and keeping same colours.

Robe sold. A very pleasant scheme which may get revisited.

'Mandarin' (sold)

Modelled by fashion student, at Cockington Court Crafts Fair

Short cotton Kimono Dress (furnishing weight): deep no-fit sleeves and stand up 'mandarin' Chinese styled collar, sleeve turn-ups and bound edged side pocket.

Patchwork contrasts of white/black toile design and orange poppies/olive leaves. Black and white striped lining. Unusual colour contrasts for me, but used up similar heavyweight cottons

See more early original robes at Robes Summer Coats Originals

'Mandarin' - Making

'Bluebird' (sold)

Dress was also chosen for the Totnes Museum Exhibition.

Features three fabrics: olive silk, royal blue linen, with 'bluebird' printed cotton.

Independent fabric colours were a perfect match for each other, the green silk blending well next to the printed cotton.

Modelled by keen browser in rainy Exeter crafts market.

Patchwork robes can be bespoke made to your measurements with your own fabrics. Send me details of your measurements to adjust dummy. If you have an idea of colours, I can show you photos of coordinates in my collection. Silk painting additional quote on enquiry.

Making fee for standard kimono styled robe with collar extended down front facing. Style tweaks can be arranged.

Long large patches: Short to knee - £160, Ankle length - £200.00

Small patches 8 inch x 4inch: Short to knee £220, Ankle length £260.00

Extra materials cost would be lining, as I do not stock new, although I have some thin white cotton in stock. Robes need lining. Summer dresses need not, as patches are over laid zig-zagged.