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Keats Fae Dress

stitch-1

SUBMITTED BY:

Kitty Berry

LINKS:

(click images to to enlarge)

Outline the story …

For my submission I was inspired by the poem, La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats. This poem has been a long favorite of mine, and I enjoy how Keats situated this poem in the past and uses a bewitched Knight to tell the story of a fae woman, while describing her many dualities. The fairy is beautiful and dangerous, unearthly and of the earth, she is seemingly loving and yet merciless. Despite many warnings throughout the poem, the knight falls perilously under her spell. This poem is a romantic illustration of a fairy, who uses her innocent and lovely appearance to bring a man to his death. The poem inspired me to create a dress for the Fae woman. I wanted to exhibit many of the dualities of the fairy. I used the silhouette of a kirtle to recall the medieval times, an era long past, but included princess seams to add a touch of romanticism. I also dyed my fabric and chose lively but earthly colors and details to create an ethereal and enchanting effect, with just a hint of toxicity.

Outline the construction…

I had many limiting factors due to the current lockdown in Germany, one of them was materials since many of the shops are closed and there are significant shipping delays. I used two old bedsheets to create this dress. First, I hand dyed my sheets to a pale green color. Then I drafted a pattern for the dress, referencing princess seams of tea gowns, and the shapes of kirtles. I assembled the dress using a facing for the front and back center pieces of the dress, and finished all edges with a enclosed French seam to keep the look of the gown simple and polished. Next, I hand embroidered eyelets for the front lacing and then hand embellished the front and back of the gown using crystals and small ribbon flowers.

COMMENTS

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4 Comments

  1. Avatar Kathleen Davies on March 12, 2021 at 8:34 am

    I love the simplicity of the shape and the lovely little beading and floral detail – so subtle and yet so lovely!

  2. Avatar Leora Wambach on March 15, 2021 at 5:57 am

    The sparklies!!! 8D So pretty!! Also, your hair is sooo pretty!

  3. Avatar Manon L'Hostis on March 15, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    The sparkle details are wonderful! And I love this shape on you, it’s very flattering♡

  4. Avatar Kikkii von Fustian on March 29, 2021 at 8:16 pm

    I love this, it’s so ethereal and definitely gives off a fae vibe <3 The eyelets look really well made as well, great job🥰

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