Fabric Drapery

With the fabric i dyed i wanted to fit it in with the context for my work: fashion. I am lucky i have a mannequin i could use and i draped my fabric over creating flamingo shapes,and the colours worked realy well together, i was pleased with the outcomes. I made use of pleating my fabric to reveal little layers over one another, and the colours then flashed between. I would love to of made a garment, but the idea of my course is to think about the use of materials and techniques and propose ideas and suggestions for what they could become,as anyone within the industry could take my fabric and create anything they invisage it! I wanted it to be for the body, to represent the idea of feathers are birds 'clothes' and wanted to directly manipulate this idea by creating 'layers' and 'feathery' textures for us as humans to wear...

Basic drapery with 2 colours, working with panelling ideas. This 'idea' doesn't have a structure as such so don't think it represents effectively a bird shape. However it does represent the freedom of the feathers.

Close up of pleated panelling and dip dye effect.

Combining a previous technique of joining together fabric, adding another layer, colour and texture into the mix. Adding this neckline also adds charcter to the piece,and corresponds to a flamingos elegant neck!

This dress has a geometric and sturtured feel. The panelling has working both vertically and horizontally, but this shows a clear image of the colours working together intertwining and blending together freely just like feathers would.

Close up. Also with this drapery i have used a variety of materials such as silk, light and heavy weight cotton so it is interesting to see how each piece hangs. The cotton has a nicer look when it hangs as it drapes, you can clearly see the edging, wheras the silk is light and so cannot hold shape as well.

Aassymetric drapery: I really like this one, it's different to the others and you get a gradual decline of colours and pleating, it is using silk which gives a delicate and light feel to it. This is what i want to achieve as feathers to me are light and layered up to create a rainbow of colours blending together with ease.

I am starting to work myway down the mannequin adding in layers and i have also added in a contrasting piece of material from a previous print of a feathery texture. My eye is immediatley drawn to it, you can see it is heavier than silk and the accent colour is much bolder and heavier than the silk.

Again varying the textures by adding pre-dyed cotton, and devore silk on top of the light silk. The difference between the first layered drapery of just silk and the combination of silk and other heavier fabrics are quite clear and i don't think it works as effectively to turn into a garment that relates to flamingos.

I really like this one! I got rid of the patterned fabric and the layered sample to keep it simple and so that the focus is on the colour and the drapery! I love how the colours all blend together, and in the same colour tone.

Close up of the colours and drapery.

Closer close up. I like it :) It's delicate and the colours easily translate back to a flamingo and the idea of it being free in shape (apart from the structured neckline) i think it represents the bird well. In the wind and within movement (something else i was also looking into) the shapes of a birds feathers is not structured and is free and light. I would love to turn my fabric into a dress, i may play around with some more ideas that it could become!