FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
100 Acres 100 Years
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
I used to only sew only for Halloween. When I was little, my mom sewed me a Tigger costume, which I wore long before and after Halloween until it died a noble death by washing machine. The stuffed tail proved an endlessly entertaining survivor that had been pinned on since it broke the first time and as such wasn’t in the wash to die with its source. I've wanted to recreate the joy of dancing through the 100 Acre Woods since I got into sewing. Now I’m deep in a hundred-acre outfit of my own!
Turning Tigger into the focus was inspired by the strangely common, "stuffed tiger comes to life," stories. Not merely Tigger, but also Hobbes from Calvin and Hobbes, and Tawky Tawny from the Captain Marvel comics (DC). I love worlds where magic tiger is a pet option!
I picked the Hundred Acre Woods to explore, not only because of the childhood costume, but because I had seen a purse made from the discarded cover of an antique Winnie the Pooh book. I went looking for bustle dresses to give shape to the idea, as originally my focus was on a Tigger-tail bustle, to honor a childhood favorite plushie.
The timing of the theme and the year that Tigger enters the public domain was too good to pass up!
Outline the construction…
The blouse is from an experiment with finding as many natural-fiber lace types as possible and turning them into a lace insertion blouse. The neckline is convertible, as I sewed in snaps under plastic pearls so I could turn it into a square neck blouse or a Victorian high-neck blouse.
In December the weather had turned, and I found this beautiful green speckled chevron wool and contrasting forest green fat quarter to make my first floor-length walking skirt via Youtube instructions. It’s a wardrobe staple now.
Seasonal sadness kicked in. I sewed little applique characters Pooh and Piglet in tiny blanket stitch to go with the Tigger themed outfit, and to stall the jacket and bustle. The pins are based off of the antique designs of the characters, with Piglet especially wearing a green shirt of stripes I made with glass beads.
I drafted and re-drafted the jacket pattern. Then, when I finally got the shapes worked out, I had forgotten the seam allowances! I had to English stitch the pieces of the jacket together by hand and added a couple of black stripes as piecing instead of embroidery to fix the fit issue it caused.
My sewing machine caught tension issues, and the deadline was approaching. The last piece, a bustle inspired by Tigger's tail, was made in the local library Makerspace, which had working machines. I made friends while I was trying not to eye the clock for closing hours. I was barely done on time!
Your design ties perfectly in with the theme. It is such a fun and interesting mix of historical garments, and I find it so very clever. The small brooches you made are also adorable
As a Winnie the Pooh fan myself I danced a little dance for this dress, it’s fabulous! And the little Pooh and Piglet is so precious. Absolutely stunning.
I absolutely love what you have done with this concept! So creative and well realised!
Such a lovely concept, and you’ve done wonderfully with the construction – it’s immaculate!
So incredibly inventive and talented! I absolutely love the brooches and the blouse is beautiful. ❤️
Great fun and so charming. Clever save on the jacket with forgotten seam allowances