FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
It’s a magical world, Hobbes ol’ buddy!
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
My entry was based off of Calvin and Hobbes. My father passed in 2020, and one of his favourite books to read to me growing up was the Calvin and Hobbes series. While I am still unsure if this meets the theme, I think the insights into the human condition, as well as their reckless optimism, fit well into 2020 and 2021. Given that the main characters were based on the theologists, I thought I could draw on that for inspiration. I decided to base the design on Thomas Hobbes, who's most famous book was released in 1651. The colouring is a mixture of the two main characters (Calvin and Hobbes), with a faux tiger shawl/muff to tie the theme together (and include some of the whimsy of the comics).
Outline the construction…
The pattern was based on the pattern taken of the paper dress in "Seventeenth-century Women's Dress Patterns". The bodice is made out of twill, and red silk backed with red cotton. As the first problem I ran into was the silk I had ordered didn't have the body needed for this construction. After experimenting I found that the cotton gave it the structure and body I was looking for, so all of those pieces were flat lined together. The twill bones bodice pieces were finished separately then stitched together, with the fashion fabric being stitched onto the finished garment. Raw edges were bound with matching bias tape. Sleeves were finished separately then pleated. Similarly the skirt is made of the same silk/cotton was finished, pleated, and stitched to it's finished waist band. Boning channels and long seams of the skirt panels were sewn by machine, but all of the rest was constructed by hand. The fur was recycled from a second hand fur coat, and hand dyed / painted I tried to imagine how I would actually use a tiger pelt when choosing the design. While almost every technique I tried was new, including thread marking, basting, separately finished bodice pieces, eyelets and binding, I found the biggest challenge was taking the time to do something well and purposefully I wanted all parts, not just the visible parts, to be finished nicely and overcome the pull of finishing something quickly, but in a way I would be unsatisfied with.
LOLOLOLOL (in the best possible way). Fabulous! What joy this brings me as a Calvin and Hobbes fan! Thank you for making this because it is the happiest dress in the world.
This is beautiful. Love the colors. Lot of work but you nailed it. Great job
Yay!!! what aa fun interpretation and the colors are fabulous! Excellent work!
I’m sorry… let me pick my jaw up off the floor. this is so gorgeous and I instantly knew what it was. Love it!
What an utterly brilliant idea, beautifully executed! I love Calvin & Hobbes and you’ve done an amazing job here.
I absolutely love this!
I love this in a way I’m finding hard to put into words. What a beautiful homage to your father and to Bill Watterson!
Calvin and Hobbes – such a marvellous idea!
What an inventive and whimsical approach to the theme! And it all came out so beautifully. Well done!
This is so awesome! I love everything about this dress! The faux fur is perfect! Thank you so much!