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very happy with the tension and knit of this - going to use this technique for the dress and top. in final i will extend the number of needles to 50 i think to make the shoulders a bit longer, and will dye the final knit

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finalising tension (decided on 7 on the chunky gauge machine), number of stitches/needles across (approx 46, could move to 50 on the top in look 2), and number of rows (96 for top).

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measuring the sections of the skirt for look 2 to ensure i can replicate the pleating/smocking in final fabric, and to transfer measurements into segments of curved waistband

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measuring the sections of the skirt for look 2 to ensure i can replicate the pleating/smocking in final fabric, and to transfer measurements into segments of curved waistband

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the entire pleated part of the skirt when laid flat (not pleated) is 3.5 metres, and the non pleated panel that goes underneath is a little under a metre

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making the curved waistband for look 2 process

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making the curved waistband for look 2 process

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fitting the pattern in paper onto the mannequin before cutting out into calico

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making a curved waistband for look 2 process

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making a curved waistband for look 2 process

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sewn onto pleated skirt

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at this point i am trying to create a repeat that means i can print as many metres as i need and have it seamless. i like how the photo looks 'glitchy' but i also don't really want the image to repeat every metre or so. i want it to look like the original photo

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i needed to figure out how i was going to use this photo of my dad across a skirt that used upwards of 3 metres in pleated fabric. i decided that the most important part of the photo for me is the essence of it; because i know this photo off by heart, the colours, landscape, people, and objects in the image are evocative of a specific memory. using photoshop techniques, i deconstructed parts of the photo and layered it on top of each other so the final print will look like a fragmented memory of this photograph. i don't know if this is the final print i will use but as an artwork i do like this

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i decided i wanted to A) keep the original image in tact and B) not have the two people repeat as this kind of takes you out of the idea that you are in a glimpse of someones memory and makes it look fake. i learned how to use the AI generative fill feature in photoshop, and dragged either side of the image out so that the entire image is 5 metres long and 140cm tall (height of fabric). i was SO impressed with how well the AI created this new background that actually makes you feel like you're seeing dad and uncle chris in the bush. its like an actual panorama view. i knew the fabric needed to be approx 4 metres long, but made the image 5 metres to be sure and so that there are no overlaps

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i had a strike off (40x40cm) made on cotton poplin of the AI expanded image which i loved - the colours were perfect, the image wasn't pixilated, and the fabric pleated well.

days after i had already ordered the fabric i am told that they've run out of cotton poplin and that the wait would now be another 5 days. i decided to swap to cotton voile as it was the same fabric height (140cm), light weight, and i tested that it pleated well too. at first i was unsure but now that i've constructed the skirt, i am happy that i went with voile because it is so lightweight

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finalising fabric colours with the digital print

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finalising fabric colours with the digital print

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a process image from Ella at digital fabrics of my 5 metres being printed onto cotton voile

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because the fabric printed at 140cm in height, i was able to use the top of the image (trees) as the waistband so it seamlessly connected to the top of the skirt

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i absolutely love how the print turned out. the positioning of dad on the skirt is perfect - the pleating opens up when the skirt is in motion and reveals his face. the colours work perfectly with the knit and the waistband and belt loops seamlessly attach to the rest of the skirt

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making a curved waistband for look 2 process

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making a curved waistband for look 2 process

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now cut into calico and pinned on mannequin - fits well

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collecting many many bags of red onion skin

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collecting many many bags of red onion skin

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dyeing my final knit panels and silk overlay

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dyeing my final knit panels and silk overlay

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first time dyeing all of my final pieces at home. i bought a 20L stock pot to dye them all in one go

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at this point, the knit and silk pieces had been in the bath for almost 2.5 hours and the colour was still very light. i was so confused because i had used about 4 bags of red onion skin, and usually i would only need to put my samples in the bath for half an hour - an hour max to achieve very rich colour

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blocking knit and drying silk overlay the first time

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blocking knit and drying silk overlay the first time

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after the first dye bath i blocked the knits by pinning them onto drying racks, and dried the silk on a washing line. the colour is not accurate in this image, but i wasn't happy with the outcome because the greens were too vibrant, too light, which was not what i wanted and did not go with my other fabrics. i was super worried because i hadn't ever dyed with red onion skin twice so i was hesitant to overdye it. at this point i had not yet figured out that if i used an iron modifier that it would reach basically the perfect colour. looking back this would have saved me a lot of time, effort and trips to woolworths to the onion section!

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so much happier with this outcome - it is a big darker than my samples but the tone is perfect and this colour ended up being even better than i imagined. only small issue was there is a few black spots of iron on the silk which is a non issue for me as the imperfections that happen when you are using natural materials are all part of the beauty

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dyeing bought cotton check fabric from drapers with red and brown onion skin

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dyeing bought cotton check fabric from drapers with red and brown onion skin

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the original fabric i bought from drapers was light brown. i dyed a small sample with red onion skin and i much preferred how it worked with the other fabrics. at home i then dyed 3 metred of it for the final shirt in look 1

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59 needles wide X 300 long

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trying to block the knit on an ironing board

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trying to block the knit on an ironing board

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i tried blocking the dress panels the way i have done with the smaller panels but it was too big - and i now realise that i would only need to block it after it is dyed

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mixing a colour that works with the rest of the fabrics

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mixing a colour that works with the rest of the fabrics

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i mixed a few different browns and greens until i landed on the right one. i tested each on a small strip of the dyed check shirting material. i also needed to use a different kind of print paste that made the pigment more opaque on the check fabric

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screen printing a passage from dads memorial book on the cuff

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screen printing a passage from dads memorial book on the cuff

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i pre cut all of the pattern pieces and then screen printed as the text was a placement print and the exact location of each piece of text is important

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using masking tape to section off the screen so i can choose which parts of it i want to print where

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using masking tape to section off the screen so i can choose which parts of it i want to print where

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printing the final piece of text that is across the front of the final shirt 

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printing the final piece of text that is across the front of the final shirt 

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"memories of him"

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piece of text printed along the button placket. i had to pre fold the placket to ensure the text would be in the right spot when the garment is sewn

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i loved how the smocking looked in the prototype. its so structured and visuallu appealing. i thought that i could achieve this exact look in my cotton final fabric. i didnt take into account that this calico was VERY stiff and structured, and my final check cotton shirting was a lot softer

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the smocking for the final took HOURS whereas i smocked the prototype in 30 minutes flat. i unpicked it probably 4 times. it was a lot more difficult for it to hold any structure because of how soft the fabric was. next time i smock i need to take this into account. however, this shirt was wad more wearable and moveable than the prototype

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the pleat/smocking hybrid looks really visually striking in the final skirt

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150 words