Galleries

07 Apr

Raspberry Rose Celtic Kimono Dress

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Eco Prints, Kimono, Robe / / 0 Comments

Sumptuous and totally unique kimono dress.  Mixed fabrics: including magenta pink-red velvet devore at back and a variety of silk dyed pieces at front.  Experiments with eco dyeing using plants to dye Ahimsa and Habotai silks.

 

LEFT SIDE SILK LOWER

 

Lower dress side: Habotai silk dyed in golds and purples; created by bundle dyeing [link] - Many layers of over dyeing. Definition added with logwood, lemon juice and woad.  With bundle dyed silks, after steaming, outlines can be added to create 'design' shapes, like flowers.  Useful when the dyed effects merge together with no design definition.

This has come out quite well; using just one piece, cut diagonally to add to each side of garment.

Additional blackberry dyed Ahimsa silk is used bottom front next to it.

LEFT SIDE SILK UPPER

Sleeve section in Ahimsa silk, bundle dyed with various flowers and leaves, and blackberries [background eco print session see Session 4 'To get some colour'.  A blotchy result led to being over-embroidered.

Embroidered Celtic Triskele design of 'rounds' added to silk with overplay of abstracted chain stitch embroidered 'roses'.  Added embroidered 'leaves' extend from circles down sleeve.

Black/pink cotton jersey is seen as 'cuff' below sleeve and is partial lining inside sleeves.  Together with the jersey and the Ahimsa silk, the main 'body' is very warm.

Celtic Raspberry Rose Kimono right side and back

SILK SLEEVES

View shows differences between front and back kimono dress.

Sleeves have a join following down from shoulder.  Different silk bundle dyed outcomes front and back sleeve sides.  Front Ahimsa silk embroidered; back Habotai silk eco steamed tones.

Black and pink patched fabrics seen through crimson red lace.

Black and magenta pink cotton jersey sleeve cuff is an extension of the inner sleeve lining, echoing the pinks used on dress back.  Its always a matter of what fabrics I have in stock to coordinate with.

Model 'Rose' is quite tall. shorter people would find the dress sits on or just above knee.

 

Vivid Magenta velvet devore and crimson cotton lace add a sumptuous tone to the lighter mottled front silks

LINING

Garment is built around an existing black/pink roses polyester printed lining which provides the collar and front buttoning section; i.e. the original front welt is used for front welt on kimono dress, and one side of the sash belt, which threads around waist and having back part elasticated.  New buttons and bound button holes added.  Pink silks either side of front are blackberry dyed.

Embroidery designs over eco dyeing

Original source for Celtic Triskele design is formalised plant forms within a sphere.  Not being geometrically exact, the spheres have more loose design, to simplify embroidery areas, and can be added to according to shape within garment.  Shapes within Triskeles have been modified with lemon juice to discharge some of the left over dye colour, and to create definition in the design.

Embroidery detailed around discharged Triskele designs, over purple/pink areas

Chain stitch follows the outlines of the discharged Triskeles.  Freestyle 'roses' are created within the Triskele design.

Celtic Triskele shapes painted on with lemon juice to discharge blackberry eco steamed Ahimsa silk

This is an idea to design specific coloured areas in eco prints, to be afterwards embroidered with details.

11 Feb

Medicine Wheel Silk Painting

Amelia Hoskins / Silk Painting / / 0 Comments

MEDICINE WHEEL design on 3 garments 

Silk painted:  Medicine Wheel Sundress and Medicine Wheel Mini-Kimono

Printed and embroidered:  Medicine Wheel print on dress 'Desert Walk' and Dress 'Champagne'

MEDICINE WHEEL SUNDRESS

Physical - Emotional - Mental - Spiritual

The four aspects written in my painting's 4 quarters - Native American teacher explains the Four Worlds and the underlying meaning of '4' as a repetitive sacred number theme. There are also four basic elements of earth, air, fire, water.   The geometric embroidered sigil symbols are from a website; and represent metaphysical states.

Sundress Making

Sundress is built around the central silk panel, on tailor's dummy.  First attach strips to silk painting and band above bust, joined under arms.   Side flounces are a useful idea for fuller hips. Attach to side panels. (See pattern shape here) 

Back strips are created fitted to back, with flare vents below waist for movement and design interest. Back buttons for a tighter waist fit.

Machine embroidery used on the symbols.

SUNDRESS MEDICINE WHEEL available: £90.00 Direct from maker.  (new purchasing coming soon...)

Summer Kimono Jacket in patchwork silks

Medicine Wheel Kimono Making

  • Fabrics came from two dresses with interesting border prints: dark brown viscose with large pale green circles, and pale blue and brown silk print with circular border motifs positioned for sleeve edging.
  • A blue/gold tartan was chosen as a highlight colour, by using blue/gold patch to top section of collar and lower down.
  • Kimono type collar is created by wide double strip sewn to neck and front edgings.  Using a seam join at back neck, the best shape can be created to fit neck well, by shaping at an angle on a model or dummy.  For a fold-over collar, upper part needs to be wider (shape seam wider), or use back section cut on bias (across the grain, for stretch).

Making - Sleeves

  • Sleeves are simply the gaps left at the body fabric rectangle edges, left undone (seen at shoulders on dummy).
  • A four-inch strip of the blue/gold tartan was inserted below armhole space for better shaped fit. Strip needs tapering for about 4-6 inches up to sleeve edge opening.
  • A bright blue turquoise fabric was chosen for inside the sleeves, as decorative contrast and when sleeves are rolled up.
  • Narrow bows were already on the fabric used so was left in situ on the sleeve edge.
  • If sleeves are long, then turn-ups are useful using an inside cotton fabric to hold them in place well.
  • Design washed out paler than planned after steaming too long, so machine stitching is used to highlight outlines.

Kimono happy

Silk kimono sold to Jacqui when my garments were sold in local organic fabrics shop.

Length appears shorter on a taller woman than when fitted on dummy during making.  Photo shows how the loose kimono is suitable over other shirts and T-shirts and so looks good on any size.

The silk painting is on her left side, out of view.

Pocket placed over contrasting brown patched piece is a good distinctive decoration.

(shop owner's photo). 

Medicine Wheel  on linen and cotton dress Desert Walk (Sold)

This version of 'Medicine Wheel' was the result of test sample prints at the Double Elephant Print workshop for Mac design 'silk screen' printing. I used my photographs of other 'Medicine Wheel' designs, amalgamated, but there was only two 'screens' (polyester printing screens) each, so the result only shows two of the colour areas.  However, the abstract quality is interesting.  This was a quick way of getting many designs on white, grey, and beige linen and cotton samples.  This applied panel has two prints one above the other over a beige finely striped cotton, which aided the textural background.  Print ink available was not suitable for silk.

Buyer Story:  The craft fair was a washout on a windy and rainy stormy day.  Joce turned up late, from far out of town, after many crafters had left due to bad weather.  I had stayed until the end and was fortunate Joce liked my unique linen printed dress very much.  Its just right for her; the size, style and colour. She was very pleased with her original find on its first display show.

I have several samples remaining of this batch printed 'Medicine Wheel' design on cream and grey, and another dress 'Desert Flare' (not featured).  Also seen nicely on white linen in 'Opaline Frolic'.

'Making' images to be uploaded here.

'Medicine Wheel' print on Dress CHAMPAGNE (available)

Dress features two 'Medicine Wheel' prints grey-on-grey either side of front with embroidered central symbols.  Existing fitted bodice top was the inspiration, cut from a dress, preserving champagne satin frills.  Black and cream fabrics coordinate with the fine cream and black lines in ridged top.  Black viscose utilises an existing dress frill for interesting positioning.

Background image is from a range of small murals featuring Peruvian plant spirits painted in the tropical biome of Eden Project, Cornwall. Bromeliad Colita de Gavilan (Billbergia sp.) is depicted as the headdress of the spirit.

Images copyright Amelia Jane Hoskins Please email for use permission.