FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
The Voiceless Maid
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/690528555362431648/
Outline the story …
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen.
In the Ocean deep and blue.
The Sea King has 6 daughters. When each of the girls reach age 15 they may swim to the surface and see the world up there. The youngest mermaid - skin as bright as a rose; eyes a deep blue - has still to wait 5 years before she can see the world above.
Outside the kings marvelous castle each princess has a small garden that they tend to in different ways. The youngest has a statue of a young boy amongst red flowers.
Finally she reaches 15 and as the sun sets the world unfolds itself to her. A celebration on a ship gets her attention. A handsome prince turns 16 and the mermaid falls in love. As storm approaches and wretches the ship. She saves the prince from drowning.
The little mermaid goes to the Sea Witch and in exchange for her voice she gets a potion to drink. She drinks it by the grounds of the castle belonging to the prince, and it slashes her tail in two. The prince finds her. She cannot talk but dances most wonderfully.
The prince is to marry a princess that he has never seen, though once he sees her, he thinks the princess once saved his life. After the wedding, the mermaid dives into the water turning to foam but The Daughters of Air has come and with them she will have an immortal soul.
Outline the construction…
Everything I used - except the reed and the pattern - I had in my stash. The reed I was able to buy in Denmark - to my surprise - and the pattern I bought from Reconstructing History. I have only once before used a pattern and that was from Simplicity (it did not go well.) The materials were some unknown damask/jacquard fabric bought in the second hand store, cotton canvas, cotton deluxe, some trim, thread.
I sewed the boning channels on my sewing machine, the binding, trim, eyelets sewn by hand. Mostly whipstitches and felling stitches. Eyelets I used 4 strand thread. There was no boning channels marked on the pattern so I found a YouTube video from the American Duchess very helpful. I have learn the hard way to never use ROUND reed. I should just have used cable ties/zip ties.
It’s very beautiful and the details are exquisite. <3
Congrats !
Thank you so much!
Beautifully made. The colours and fabric choices are so lovely and really capture the subject. Well done
Thank you very much!
These look beautiful! and so intense, Love!
Thank you so much!
Such a beautiful colour, and the trim looks so perfect with it. Gorgeous! Good luck x
Thank you so much!
I guess I’m lucky my stach held such nice trims 😉
The fabric seems to shimmer as it “waves” over the boning, reminding me of the sea. Well chosen to complement your theme!
Thank you so much!
I had not thought of that at all…. But you are right it does look like that. Thank you for pointing that out to me, <3
The boning channels! I am so impressed.
ahhh thank you so much!
It’s the first time ever I’ve done boning channels. <3
Lovely story and a very challenging project! VEry impressive. Well done!
Thank you very much!
Stays are always a big deal, and yours look lovely! Great job!!
Thank you so much!
Just. Wow! You did a beautiful job.
Aahhh Thank you!
Stunning!!! Absolutely stunning!! Incredibly detailed and I adore the fabric you chose. Wonderful job!
Thank you so very much!
Mona- This is beautiful! I’m so happy to see others interpreting The little mermaid- It’s just so exiting to see how different people latch on to different parts of the tale.
Yours is STUNNING! And I can relate to how difficult it can be getting a hols of materials in Denmark XD
Kitty – Thank you so much!
I love that so many others chose The little mermaid. I adore that story endlessly!
We need more shops in DK that has materials for historybounding, Historical inspired etc. for sure!
Oh, wow! This is one of the prettiest sets of stays I’ve ever seen, and in honor of my all-time favorite fairy tell too! I love the choice to bone them with reed – something about the resulting texture just seems so much more mermaid-like, as well as reeds being a thing that grows in water.
Thank you so much!
I had quite a struggle with the reed as it was 4mm in diameter but it does give a nice texture to this garment.
Beautifully done! These stays are stunning – you did an amazing job with the precision of the boning and details. I love how the fabric is so ocean-y, too, and the trim like wavetops.
Thank you so much!
Those stays are beautiful. I love the entire ensemble! Thank you!
Thank you so much!
These are stunning! Beautifully finished, the binding and boning channels are so neat, and I adore the choice of shimmering blue fabric, combined with the trim it makes me think of frothing ocean waves, just perfect!
Thank you so much!
The fabric and trim on your stays are perfect. Amazing detail, and it definitely fits your character 🙂