FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Circe Ciociara
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
As a feminist Italian witch with a background in classical studies, Circe from "The Odyssey" has always been one of my favourite characters in literature. When I decided to go as her for the contest, I felt like I wanted to celebrate my Italian roots as well so, instead of being a Circe in a chiton, I researched the folk costume of Ciociaria, a rural area south of Rome that includes where Circe's island of Eea was supposed to be. It's a wild land of bandits, peasants and sheperds who during the Romantic Era fascinated painters coming from all Europe to portray them in their colourful traditional dresses, in a romanticized, out-of-their-time way (sometimes giving them means of economic indipendence). My Circe is a "ciociara", a woman of the folk but not less strong and fascinating, who probably knows a lot about herbs and natural remedies. I chose the traditional colours, with a light blue apron because later painters (ie, Waterhouse) often use light blue for Circe and other witches. The first row of ebroidery has a sun decoration because Circe's father was Helios. The second has herbs from the Mediterranean Scrub used in folk magic (Circaea lutetiana, Hyoscyamus niger, Mandragora officinarum, Euphorbia bivonae, Peganum harmala...I asked a coven of fellow witches and anthropologists for help on this research!). The designs of third and fourth rows are inspired by exant Greecian vases: one tells the famous story of Circe turning Ulysses' men into pigs, the other is purely decorative.
Outline the construction…
My main source of study for this project were paintings from the Romantic Era even thought the costumes depicted are more idealised and out of time rather than set in a specific time period. I made everything from scratch specifically for the contest and drafting my own patterns: a cotton petticoat, a bum roll, a woolen gathered skirt, a linen "camicia", a short pair of stays (in linen and canvas, covered in cotton velvet, altered to be almost underbust) and the cotton apron with embroidered panels in the same linen of the shirt. All visible stiches are handmade. I'm particularly proud of two things in the costruction of this outfit. First, almost all the materials I've used are either recycled or were already in my stash (except for the embroidery threads and velvet decorative ribbons). For example the camicia is made from a beautiful embroidered vintage bedshirt. I want my projects to be more sustainable in the future so this was a good start. Second, this was my first ever embroidery project (excluding some really bad cross-stitching as a kid). I never learned embroidery because it requires an amount of patience I don't think I have, but I really wanted to use it both to tell a story and to celebrate a traditional italian craft. Making the embroidery a central part of the project was a leap of faith and a lot of work but I'm quite happy with it.
It’s beautiful! The embroidery is clever and well-done, and I love the colors on the stays.
Thank you so much!
I love the embroidered and its symbolism. The apron is an eye catching centrepiece of your ensemble. Well done.
Thank you! I’m particularly glad you like the symbolism, I put a lot of research and love in that!
I’m blown away and feel very inspired by your apron. The figurative depiction of the ‘pig magic’ made me laugh, but it’s also subtle and easily overlooked at first glance. Despite the humour (I see) in that, I admire the seriousness of the project and the research behind it very much. I loved the herbs and how they visually look interesting and different to each other but are harmonious too. You did a marvellous job on the embroidery of those. I hope you have many opportunities to wear the apron, it deserves to be shown off.
Thank you so much! I actually see the humour in the pig magic as well 😁 I think it’s very ironic that a fascinating woman like Circe “turns men into pigs”! Also I tried to keep a kind-of-naive figurative depiction to keep it true to the style of the figures on Grecian vases. The herbs were a pain to make but I’m glad you like the result!
Really Stunning!!! I feel transporated to another time
Thank you so much!
I never would have guessed this was your first attempt at embroidery! The story and the costume really transport you to another time. Very well done!
Thank you! Yeah it was my first time, it was not a very wise choice considered I did everything in 2-3 weeks but I’m happy you like it!
i love it ! the way you portrayed the story on the apron is super smart and well executed. The shirt and bodice are also super cool 😀
Thank you so much!,
The embroidery is gorgeous, and it’s so beautiful to take two elements of your culture, 2’500 years seperated, and feed one into the other. Brilliant work!
Thank you! While designing this work I really felt the need to dig my fingers in my own culture, which I often neglect too fascinated by “the abroad” 😊
Beautiful work! I love the embroidery, especially the herbs!
Thank you so much!,
You did a great job and should be very proud! Great use of symbolism and well done!
Thank you, I’m glad you like it!
Everything about this is gorgeous! Truly mesmerising work all throughout.
Thanks a lot!,
Absolutely stunning. I’m so impressed by the embroidery. I love how much you researched the folk style.
Thank you! It was really a labour of love!
I love your embroidery and the fact that you were inspired by traditional folk culture of your country! You did such a great job of telling your character’s story, and put so much thought into the design, I really love this, well done!
Thank you so much 😊