SPRING COLLECTION: DESIGN #5 OF 5

This is the final look in my collection (and my favorite; which is why I saved it for last!) This look was inspired by soil and the expansive network of tree roots. Again, I wanted to stick with the theme of a second skin and I particularly envisioned the imagery of roots wrapping around the body and these brown appliques were perfect for the effect I was looking for. Similarly, I was also inspired by the way that dust or the feathery bristles of dandelions look as the float through in mid-air. I added a tulle maxi-skirt overlay on which I then attached more of the brown appliques to the hem so they would give the appearance of being suspended in mid-air while also looking as if they were crawling upwards.

For this dress, I purchased about 3 yards of thick muslin ($3 per yard), 3.5 yards of shimmery brown tulle ($2 per yard), and $28 worth of brown appliques ($2 each and I bought 14). I also used a gold accented zipper in the back as well as black elastic at the waist of the tulle maxi skirt (which might I mention is removable so you can wear the dress short, or long with the tulle skirt!) And for the dye, I used a mixture of the Cocoa Brown powder Rit dye ($3) and the Tan ($3).

The construction of this dress started by making a basic strapless, babydoll dress. Then I pinned on the appliques to the dress and machine sewed them on. It didn't matter if it wasn't neat, so long as they stayed put because I did not sew them onto the interior lining, so I had the lining available to cover up the stitch lines afterwards. For the tulle overlay, I just made a maxi skirt and put in a waistband. I also machine sewed on the appliques to the skirt because the tulle is so thin that you wouldn't even be able to see where I had sewn regardless. The total cost of materials to make this dress was approximately $60.

This dress was everyone's favorite at the fashion show :D Hopefully it is yours too because I believe this to be the strongest piece in my collection. I still love my other pieces but this is the piece that I will be most proud to present to colleges! (Unless I am able to make more pieces this summer as I am working on the fine arts portion of my portfolio). I hope you guys like this piece as much as I do!

I'd also like to say THANK YOU to everyone for your undying support and constructive criticism. It's hard to put into words how much I appreciate it. So let's just say I appreciate it as much as I love Robert Downey Jr!!! :) As I've said before, in the future, should I fulfill my aspirations as I envision, I will remember the support I received in the beginning the most because without it, I would not be where I was in the end.