FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Dedicate Lark
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
Kassim (Kaz) Mirza (husband and photographer/videographer)
Outline the story …
My inspiration for the competition this year was the character Dedicate Lark from The Circle of Magic Quartet by Tamora Pierce. The character is described as an, “A tall woman in the dark green habit of an Earth dedicate… her skin was golden brown. She wore her curly black hair cut short, and her smile was genuinely welcoming.” She is, appropriately for the competition, a thread mage who works her magic through spinning, weaving, and sewing. As a Dedicate of the Earth Temple at the Winding Circle, her garment is a simple dark green habit. She also frequently carries a leather bag or pouch, which we understand to carry her mage kit. As the co-caretaker of Discipline Cottage, along with her partner Dedicate Rosethorn, it is also understood that she frequently cooks and can be assumed she’d wear an apron while cooking. Finally, as a fully-fledged and educated mage, especially as she was considered a Great Mage, she would have her mage medallion. It’s an accreditation dictating where the individual studied, who their primary teacher was, and what their magic is focused in. Therefore, the pieces of my costume are: dark green cotton habit, white cotton apron, faux-suede mage kit pouch/bag which includes a housewife/hussif sewing kit made with cotton scraps from apron & habit, a homemade drop spindle (with purchased acrylic yarn as a prop), homemade thimble from fabric scraps from the bag, and a metal mage medallion on leather cording.
Outline the construction…
Patterns and tutorials I used: Simplicity 8815 Apron pattern for Misses as the basis with Style A for the main apron, no drape, and the pockets from Style B. “How To Make A Drop Spindle” from the blog The Joy of Handspinning. Housewife/Hussif pattern from Willoughby & Rose and her Youtube tutorial. Winding Circle Logo from Tamora Pierce for the Winding Circle logo that I simplified.
Materials: dark green quilting cotton, white quilting cotton, upholstery-grade faux-suede, matching poly-blend thread, hot glue, leather craft-cording, cardstock, embossing foil, wooden dowel, wooden craft-wheel, metal hook, Silhouette Curio, Silhouette Cameo, Silhouette Design Software, acrylic yarn (prop).
Techniques: machine & hand sewing. Hot glue, embossing utilizing the Silhouette Curio & design software, paper cutting using the Silhouette Cameo & design software. Drafting own patterns onto tracing paper.
Challenges: Cutting patterns and fabric in straight lines/evenly. Drafting patterns onto tracing paper without grid lines. Learning to hand sew seams. Learned to overcast raw edges by machine. Adapted the tentative pattern that I sketched on graph paper for the habit onto tracing paper using simple rectangles. Discarded the sleeve pattern piece when it was too wide to use with the remaining cotton fabric and I cut the sleeves out in as wide and as symmetrical rectangles as I using the remaining fabric. Cutting the neckline too wide. I struggled to turn the bag strap inside out, so I undid the stitching and resewed from the outside.
I love these books and I’m so glad you made this! I love to see one of my favorite characters come to life.
Thank you so much!!
Wow, I love all the detail that’s gone into having the entire outfit, magekit and medallion and all! And that’s such a beautiful shade of green, too.
Thank you so much!!
I commented on the video but I want to add it here too – I love seeing one of my favorite series and characters represented! You put a lot of thought, effort and importantly love into this and it shows!
Thank you so much!!
It’s so great to see Lark represented. You made a wonderful assortment of all the things I can see Lark wearing/using.
Thank you so much!!
I love the circle of magic books! You did such a great job with this outfit! I love all of the accessories; they’re very well thought out!
Thank you so much!!
This is beautiful. Congratulations on entering 🙂
Thank you so much!!
That green dress! I want it!!! Beautiful job!
Ahhh thank you!!! It’s a simple green cotton from JoAnn’s of all places. Technically quilting cotton I think and in the color “Kona Pesto” if you or anyone else wants to pick it up for yourself.
Love the simple and elegant lines of the dress. The perfect draping on the straight grain shows meticulous attention to cutting and symmetry. Pintucks at the top of the apron for easier fit on the bust, green detailing on the pockets make the apron practical and a delight to wear. The pouch shows the same meticulous and clean cutting and stitching.
Wonderful entry, and a skilled and talented sewer. Congratulations on bringing the character to life so beautifully.
Thank you so much Mom!! <3
Beautiful! I love this color and I love your work. Your inside seams are no neat, and you’ve included so many aspects of the character! Even your description is beautiful, I want to read this book now!
Thank you so much!! And definitely go read the books! They’re a pretty quick read (only a couple hundred pages if I remember correctly) and Tamora Pierce does an wonderful job world-building. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
I’m so glad you chose this series, and this character in particular! I was sorely tempted to make a Sandry or Lark outfit, but decided against it. Yours is perfect! I particularly love the medallion!
Thank you so much!! What did you end up making instead of Sandry/Lark (assuming you entered)? <3
Beautiful work! Love the books, and so cool to see them come to life!
Thank you so much!!
Love this character and series! Wonderful work 🙂
Thank you so much!
Love it love it love it! And the ‘Lark Hussif’ is the cherry on top!
Ahh thank you so much!!
The completeness of the detail accessories and your research into these nicely complement the outfit. The dress drapes well. Lovely work, lovely color. Congratulations on your well thought out entry.
Thank you very much!!
So many wonderful details, right down to the spinning kit! I feel like you stepped right out of a book. Well done!
Thank you so much!!
This is amazing! You really brought Lark to life!
Thank you so much!!
This is wonderful! Green is a great color and is used in the “magical” world to represent Earth (obvs!) I love your design and that medallion…WOO! Thank you!
Thank you so much!!
Such a vibrant green! I love it 🙂
Thank you so much!
Love the Dedicate Lark outfit. You have nailed the character and the tone of the books wonderfully.
Congratulations on pushing yourself and working round the challenges you encountered.
Thank you so much!!
I was so excited to see that someone did one of Tammy’s characters. You even did the medallion!! Absolutely nailed the character. I can just see her in this!
Thank you so much!!