FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Transformation
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
A Princess under an enchantment takes the form of a white doe, her true identity is only revealed when the sun sets. The White Doe (or The Doe in the Woods) is a French literary fairy tale written by Madame d'Aulnoy; Andrew Lang included it in The Orange Fairy Book. The story was originally written in the 18th century which lent to a historically inspired silhouette of that era. Fantasy elements incorporated into the design seen in children's book illustrations. I choose the white fabric to mirror the colour of the fawn, and virtue . Red trim to represent loss of innocence and the arrows strike. I called my design "Transformation" and thought the story relevant to myself and hopefully others as we all have been at times under enchantments and illusions that can make it hard to express ones self, but ultimately with perseverance we can assume our true identity, I feel I have transformed a lot through this sewing journey and can only come closer to knowing more about my self alongside others.
Outline the construction…
I used inexpensive materials; poplin cotton, poly cotton thread , for the body of the costume and for the trim I applied some cotton lace with crimson ribbon.
I had many challenges to over come, but with help from the community and their sound advice, I made it here. I also used the Met, V&A, and history bloggers such as Cathy Hay's YouTube when I needed a prod to keep going. Most of my issues were to do with geography and poor tech and a couple of cyclones. The sewing really helped relax me, so that was a joy. For the pattern I made my own which should be clear in the photographs, as the challenge was to try to step out side of our own comfort zone. I did use the American Duchess Pattern 8578 as a guide to fit as had just finished making that as my first foray into sewing, so it helped a lot. The rest I just took a guess and pencilled as best I could. The garments are machine stitched in the larger sections but all hand joined and finished by hand.
You stepped out from a fairy tale book! I love it! And the story, the inspiration, each detail are all so beautiful!
Truly gorgeous! 🥰
Thank you so much Caroline and thank you for your support .
WE MADE IT! You look amazing.
Thank you so much and am so happy for us all x
This is a dream. I want to wander through a fairytale in it. I’m so impressed by the beauty and detail. Best of luck x
Thank you so much Laura . This years competition has been such fun , I am already looking forward to the next as I met so many nice people .
Well done, this is really stunning !
Thank you Floriane – very kind of you . There are so many fun and creative costumes this year it is a visual feast . I am loving all the entries and yet to make it to intermediate in what is left to check out . 🙂
Absolutely beautiful. A dream in white.
Thank you Andrea , Very nice of you .
Lovely! I love the inspiration and the red that you put in. The bodice looks great with the integrated boning. I would have loved a picture from the back with the lovely stripe that you put there as well. Very well done!
Thank you so much , I was fully boned that day with stays and the bodice. I put the boning into the bodice so I had the option of wearing it with out them as it becomes very hot where I live. I actually enjoyed that part of the challenge and think I will do it more in the future as a cheat the heat trick .
Such a lovely dress! I’ll always be weak for the white with red color accents combo.
The sleeves are so many layers. The bodice is one.. the ‘over dress” the second and then peeping out the chemise. I do love a busy or statement sleeve ! Thank you so much for your kind comment .
Thank you Ame. I love that combo too. I have a weakness for crimson shades particularly , I did not need a lot it adds some depth . 🙂
Those sleeves! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you Suzie 🙂
This is so beautiful. The silhouette is lovely and that little pop of crimson against the white is so evocative. Well done.
Thank you Regina that is very nice of you 🙂
Absolutely stunning!! I can’t believe this is your first piece. Incredible job!
You can not see the failed bits lol ..The first thing I made was the stays … ( that took 3 attempts ) This costume was a huge learning curb. A lot of lost hours sleep , some tantrums and some wins. I had a big idea and probs reached a bit too far for my skills ( the photos only really show the best bits ) but had soooo much fun along the way 🙂
what a pretty, pretty dress! i’ve missed a lot of the finer details of it looking at your instagram posts– the white-on-white satin edging, the fine lace, the sweetness of the ribbon trim. really lovely work! good luck, from craftyroo/icarus!
Hey Crafty-gal ! We had soooo much fun along the way didn’t we !! I am looking forward to another nutty challenge or activity already . I can not wait !!! next year seems so far away, I feel like a kid who is in the back seat of a car saying every 5 mins ” Are we there yet ? ”
My next step is waiting for admissions to open this year , I am hoping they will do acceptances in April sometime after the comp. I am so keen to learn and learn 🙂
Thanks so much for cheering me on . <3
So many exquisite details! And the overall look is beautiful. Just magical.
Thank you for your kind comment Valerie. we all had so much fun this year I can not wait till next. 🙂
Beautiful detail work! Well done!
Thanks so much Lisa , I tried very hard and am just happy to have actually finished it in time. It was a close shave. I think I made every mistake in the book . So it took a lot of backtracking but I learned so much from it . I had a great time making it 🙂
You look like you stepped out of a painting (or forward in time from the past) – what a gorgeous ensemble! The fine detail work is amazing (the red is perfection), and it’s such an elegant creation. Very well done!
Thank you KC , I was very nervous about entering, but loved that I did as I met so many nice people .
Looking about at all the entries has just made my list of ” I wishes ” so much longer . I am just so pleased I made it to here , I feel like we all did so great . 🙂 Am proud of everyone I see in the comp as we all connect on the time spent with the machine or needle – a labor of love – that bonds us . I think that is super cool.
Dear Senta,
I‘m SO happy and proud that you managed to participate in the competition against all odds (tech issues) and show off your beautiful, hand-crafted costume! The project is very ambitious and it turned out so well 😍
These stays are so pretty. I love the design! Thank you!
This is beautiful! I love the 18th century design, the gorgeous lace, the pure white with a splash of red ribbon, your work is truly magical! Well done for completing it despite the challenges!
This dress is wonderful and very fitting for a cursed princess. I especially like the red ribbons and the lace you used.
I love this outfit, especially the small splash of red and the significance of it in your design!