Craft and Hobby Summer Show - Crafty Couture Display

Once a year, the Craft and Hobby Association holds its annual summer show in Chicago and they ask twenty of their Professional Design Members to create a mixed-media dress for display in the main hall.

My entry, “Enchanted Beach Dress” is created from white Mulberry paper and a white silk scarf, which I batiked. 

If you ever worked with Mulberry paper, you know that it tears quickly when wet.  I had my challenge cut out for me.

Inspired by barefoot walks on a romantically moonlit beach, this dress with coordinating batik silk scarf celebrates the fusion of fashion and craft.  The paper dress’ silhouette has a sophisticated, yet simple design -- capturing a relaxing summer feeling.

The sparkling blue over-skirt represents the shimmering ocean waves.

  

The dress was fashioned from white Mulberry paper which has been dyed and batiked to coordinate with my silk batik scarf.   Batik is traditionally performed on silk or cotton fabric, but works very well on paper. 

The shell belt is accented with a starfish which has orange crystals for added sparkle. 

Special THANK YOU to:

ILoveToCreate®

for sending 

Aleene’s® for their OK to Wash it® glue 

and Tuplip® products 

which provide the rich color and sparkle.

And to

Velcro® for sending their thin mini wafers 

which holds the dress closed.

These wonderful companies not only gave me their products to use in this project, but also gave great advice on which of their products would be best to use.