FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Sorceress Nicci
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
Nicci is a sorceress in Terry Goodkind’s “Sword of Truth” series who becomes one of the main characters and has a redemptive character arc. She is introduced as “Death’s Mistress”, serving as an enforcer to a man bent on conquering the world in the name of a twisted theocratic ideology in which Nicci had been brainwashed from a young age to believe she has no intrinsic self-worth. Through the protagonist Richard’s actions, she eventually repudiates that evil creed, and joins the fight against the conqueror.
I drew from “Faith of the Fallen” which consistently describes Nicci as wearing a fitted “fine black dress” with a laced bodice and open neckline (e.g., chapters 7, 9). Nicci only wears black (e.g., very end of chapter 11, mid-chapter 28) and it’s a primary way she is recognized (e.g., chapters 12, 17, end of 20).
I was inspired by people upcycling garments into something completely different. I decided to disassemble a vintage kimono and use the center/body portion as the base for a loosely fitted overdress (like an 18th century polonaise but retaining some kimono elements) and make a fitted underdress (like a medieval 4-gore kirtle) based on the book’s descriptions. There is a Thierry Mugler black velvet evening dress with glass beading at the VA Museum that I adore, so I decided to model the kirtle’s neckline on that. Adapting a linear/rectangular garment into a form-following dress was a challenge that taught me a lot about “fit”.
Outline the construction…
The outfit is entirely hand sewn by me except for a few intact kimono seams/hems. I neither used nor made any patterns, following my typical methods of draping and “drawing with pins” (marking the outline of pieces onto fabric with pins according to my measurements and photos used as shape references). The kirtle is a medium weight black-on-black floral embroidered cotton suiting spiral-laced in front with faux leather cord. All medieval-style dresses I’ve made were loose or gap-laced, so creating a laced-closed kirtle was new to me. The overdress starts with a medium weight black linen bodice lining (as if making a polonaise) onto which I sewed the remainder of the black linen kimono. I cut the kimono front panel to match the lining, then shaped it to lie smooth with darts at the bust and side seams. It took a few tries to determine how to widen the skirt of the overdress using the fabric removed from the kimono front while keeping the kimono’s lines and incorporating “retroussée”. The free-hanging kimono sleeve pieces attach to the unfitted kimono shoulder edges. I whipstitched the beaded trim edges for a textured effect; the plain black organza ribbon is only attached along one edge for movement. The knot-and-loop bodice closure is a twisted grey-silver-white cord I then covered with black organza ribbon to look “antiqued”, as is the “buckle” for the separate black velveteen wired ribbon girdle. I deliberately used different textures and shades of black to keep it visually interesting.
Stunning work! Love the use of trim and draping!
Thank you! It was definitely a 3D puzzle to get the drape right, and the trim definitely helped the gown look ‘finished’.
Such nice movement. She looks powerful
Thank you! I was hoping the dress would convey a sense of confidence and power that the character has.
Lots of details! Your piece is so elegant, I love it♡
Thank you so much! It was so fun to wear and I felt like a queen (but I think I’ll wait until warmer weather to wear it outside again).
I like how you upcycled an existing garment for this project and the translucency of the black linen is gorgeous. I also love the fit of your kirtle – you did great!
Thank you! This project definitely challenged me, but I’ve learned a lot I can apply to future ones.
Suits you well! Nice hand sewing!
Thank you! I enjoyed making the ensemble, but also had fun ‘being’ Nicci for the photos.