A Dress for Every Season

After beavering away with my sketchbook, I've finally completed the last four pieces for my outfit/costume design goal!

053. Design 50 outfits/costumes

Having four left to design, I chose the seasons as my theme...

Spring Flower (47/50)

+ Dress: Spring green pencil dress with clear vinyl  3/4 circle overskirt embellished with fabric daisies.
+ Jacket: Cropped short sleeve clear vinyl with fabric daisy embellishments.
+ Belt: Broad white elastic with daisy buckle.
+ Shoes: White canvas wedges with daisy embellished rubber mesh in side-panel and daisy design embossed on wedge.

Summer Days (48/50)

+ Top: Cropped red flouncy top with butterfly sleeves and embroidered trim (yellow suns and red edging on gold leather).
+ Skort: Flouncy red shorts/culottes with gold leather overskirt and waistband (embroidered as on top). Side zip.
+ Sandals: Knee-high flat 'gladiator' style in gold leather with yellow embroidered sun at knee.

Autumn Leaves (49/50)

+ Hat: Green slouchy knit with spikes (like on conker shell)
+ Shirt: Green fine knit with high neck and frill sleeves
+ Cuffs: Green moulded leather, like conker shells
+ Dress: High-low hem, sleeveless, made of red/orange/yellow fabric leaves on orange tulle
+ Trousers: Green moulded leather, as on cuffs.
+ Coat: Red/orange/yellow tartan wool with blanket fringe, longer at back. Green leather shoulder/elbow patches/buckles (as on trousers).
+ Boots: Green leather (as before) platform wedges with leaf cutout in wedge.

Winter Nights (50/50)

+ Hat: White faux fur embellished with blue tulle yoyo, silver sequin star and clear plastic 'icicles'.
+ Coat: Floor length white velvet with high collar and 'icicle' spile detail on shoulder, silver star buttons.
+ Dress: Ankle-length ice blue tulle with silver sequin star embellishments. Rolled collar and front button fastening.
+ Corset: Silver leather with silver sequin stars.
+ Shorts: Silver leather, zip at back.
+ Shoes: White velvet courts with clear 'ice' platform and 'icicle' heel; faux fur trim around foot and sequin star motifs on toe/heel/side.


So that's the last of my fifty designs!
I think the spring one is probably the most 'fashion' of them all, though all four of these have more of a fashion feel than the majority of my designs--probably because the majority were costume designs rather than fashion.

I'm not sure if I would make any of these designs completely, though there are aspects of a lot of them that I'd like to create! Starting right at the beginning with my 'Garden Punk' design, I seem to have come full circle back to a nature theme with my more recent succulent inspired designs, and the nature themes in these seasons designs. I don't know if that says I'm repetitive, or that nature is everywhere, and a great source of inspiration!

Either way, my designing is Done.

Now I can cross the goal off the list. Hurrah!

You can see all my designs for this goal on my Goal 53 Tag. Which would you choose to make?

Blessed Bling: Three Dresses

Another goal that I have nearly finished now is goal 53: design 50 outfits/costumes. I posted some plant-inspired designs the other day, and here are three more.

This time I took inspiration from religious reliquaries. These jewel-bedecked reliquaries and remains are utterly fascinating, and the colours and decoration make them a great source of inspiration, if a little morbid! (Check out my Morbid Curiosities board on Pinterest to see what I mean!)

Relinquished Reliquary (44/50)

+ Dress: Long-sleeved, high-necked fishtail dress of deep red velvet and gold lace. Strapless red velvet bodice/top of skirt, shoulders/high neck/sleeves and bottom 2/3 of skirt from gold lace. 1" woven gold trim on velvet.
+ Necklace: Large cut glass gems (blue, purple and red) on gold filigree
+ Belt: Moulded gold leather with glass gems as before.
+ Boots: Open toe slingbacks of moulded gold leather with gems as before.

Hallowed Heart (45/50)

+ Dress: Blue velvet bodice and skirt with powdery blue-grey silk puff sleeves and underskirt. Gold trim on waistband and around red and purple glass gem & filigree-encrusted heart on front. Skirt decorated with red and purple gems on gold diamond-shaped filigree.
+ Necklace: Chunky filigree and red/purple glass gems
+ Sleeves: Filigree and glass, covering back of hand
+Boots: Blue velvet thigh-high open toe boots with heart detail on foot and heel, red/purple gems on gold filigree on leg.

Cherished Chalice (46/50)

+ Dress: Deep purple velvet mermaid dress with lavender-grey long hem and high-necked 'undershirt'. Gold woven trim and straps encrusted with emerald green and ruby red glass gems.
+ Bangles: Gold metal with green and red gems.
+ Necklace: Choker of green and red gems on filigree.
+ Shoes: Open toe purple velvet sho with gold trim/heel/sole and red and green gems.



Despite what a pain in the butt it was to colour all the detail on these, I'm really pleased with how these ones turned out. Had I the money (or the skill, or the motivation) I would make these and probably actually wear them (even if it was only to the shops...!)

Succulent Gals or Spiky Ladies?

After designing costumes for characters from Folk Tales of the Sea People as part of goal 53 (Design 50 outfits/costumes), I set my sights on designing outfits based on other subjects.

As I looked around my room for ideas, my gaze alighted on the sunniest corner, inhabited by a small family of succulents, and over the following days, these designs happened.

As usual, you can click to view them larger :)

Aloe Girl (37/50)
Inspiration: Aloe

+ Dress: Green halterneck with velvet bodice and skirt/collar formed of lightly padded matte vinyl 'leaves'.
+ Sandals: Light brown flat sandals lacing up to the knee.

Spiky Soft (38/50)
Inspiration: Cactus of unknown type

+ Dress: Green bardot/halterneck hybrid. Jersey bodice with long spikes on straps. Balloon-like skirt of moulded fleece (like bumps on cactus) to just above knee.
+ Boots: Green rubber thigh high heels.

Of Fins and Feathers: Four Costume Designs

I've been working my butt off to design more costumes for characters from my Folk Tales of the Sea People series, as part of goal 53. Design 50 outfits/costumes.

Then I skipped a few, because I didn't feel inspired by them.

Long story short, here are the last four costumes for those characters, bringing my total up to 36!

Shui (33/50)
From: The Fish Who Grew Legs

+ Full overhead mask: Blue sequins with black lips and 'goggles'. Shimmery yellow boned 'fins' around neck, spreading onto shoulders/chest, and down centre of head like a long trailing mohawk.
+ Tunic: Blue and black circular pailettes (black stripes on blue) with loose pailettes on sleeves and hem.
+ Shoes: High-top flat courts, blue and black sequins with black lacing at ankle and shimmery yellow boned 'fins' across arch (same fabric as mask).

Moana (34/50)
From: Fresh Water and Salt Water

+ Jacket: Red sequins with low hook and eye fastening. Dark blue crinkled 'fin' like high collar, cuffs and peplum hem.
+ Trousers: Same fabrics as jacket, 'fins' on lower half.
+ Shoes: Flat shoes, same fabrics as before, 'fins' covering toes and red sequins at heel.

Melanchor (35/50)
From: Fresh Water and Salt Water

+ Circlet: Silver feather 'hearts'.
+ Neck Corset: Black leather, laces up front.
+ Top: White stretch velvet with broad white feather sleeves
+ Corset: White leather with whote feather 'skirt'--like wings at front, curving around hips.
+ Skirt: White velvet asymmetric circle skirt, longer at back.
+ Boots: Thigh high black leather with high heel and lacing at back.

Nereus (36/50)
From: Fresh Water and Salt Water

+ Jacket: Blue neoprene with lighter blue crinkled cap sleeves, collar and deep hem. Hook and eye fastening.
+ Trousers: Same fabrics as jacket. Lighter blue from mid-thigh.
+ Shoes: Dark blue leather, curled toes and stitch detail at the sides.





Now I've done these, I likely won't be designing costumes for all of the characters in Folk Tales of the Sea People. It was fun at first, but became a bit of a chore, and I guess some of my designs have become kind of 'samey'.
I did purposefully design two similar outfits in this set, that of Moana and Nereus. With Shui and Melanchor, I wanted to design something a bit more 'out there' though both ended up a little tame! For those who haven't read the stories, Shui is the titular "fish" who grew legs, whilst Melanchor is one of the 'Swan People': an anthropomorphised black-necked swan. I wanted to incorporate this somewhat into their costumes!

As for what costumes/outfits I'll design next, I'm undecided whether to design more for characters from other stories, or whether to design more 'everyday' outfits for the last 14 of the goal!

You can see all my designs so far on my Goal 53 tag.

A Glashtyn's Slippers: 7 Costume Designs

About a month ago, I posted some more designs for a goal on The List:

053. Design 50 outfits/costumes

Since I've been trying harder to be productive recently, here's some more!

Once again, these are for characters from my Folk Tales of the Sea People stories--this time all from The Wily Old Glashtyn.

Damla (26/50)

+ Dress: Floor length, pale blue sparkly glitter fabric with semi-transparent blue-silver crinkly collar, hem and insert to skirt.
+ Sleeves: Same fabrics as dress, crinkle fabric like 'fins' along seams.
+ Necklace: Grey-silver star on brown cord (primitively formed, unlike smartness of the dress).

 Damla (version 2) (27/50)

+ Tunic: Baggy, plain grey-blue cotton and 3/4 sleeves. Collar and cuffs are darker blue, slightly padded and stitched with pale blue. Tunic has a slit to the hip on one side.
+ Belt: Simple pale blue cord.
+ Skirt: Floor length fishtail in navy cotton.
+ Necklace: As before.

Murchadh ("old") (28/50)

+ Cap: Peaked, brown and slouchy, with a band decorated like frogspawn.
+ Shirt: Discoloured grey-white with lacing and diamond and triangle-shaped slate grey buttons (the buttons are just for decoration)
+ Jacket: Faded brown rough fabric, with a roll collar, tattered cuffs, and pockets at chest and hips. Hip pockets have embroidered decoration--a cane on the left, and frogspawn trim on the right.
+ Trousers: Cropped with tattered hems, same fabric as jacket and generally unremarkable.
+ Slippers: Brown leather + low fitting at sides. Brown and cream patent leather upper, reminiscent of the layers of a shell.

Murchadh ("young") (29/50)

+ Tunic: Green with darker green shoulder patches. Collar/armholes also darker green, padded and embroidered in gold. Breast pockets with gold embroidery--left decorated with 'frogspawn' trim and two embroidered interlocked gold rings, right embroidered with coral. Two slits to hips in front, two in the back, triangular slate grey button at top of each slit.
+ Belt: Gold and soft, winds around multiple times.
+ Trousers: Dark green and half-length, cuffs fasten with glass buttons reminiscent of frogspawn egg.
+ Slippers: Same style as old Murchadh, but in black.

Morgan (30/50)

+ Tunic: Dark purple/red/brown with button fastening to the side. Dark gold buttons on front, and two on each sleeve. Broad padded collar and padded feature at armholes (like young Murchadh, but with sleeves)--dark blue and decorated with criss-crossed dark gold trim.
+ Belt: Dark gold wrap around 'obi' style.
+ Skirt: Floor length fishtail style, same main colour as tunic, with central insert of dark blue with dark gold criss-cross trim (same as collar). Dark gold silk inserts either side of central piece, up to mid-thigh. Dark gold button at top of each. 

Meredith (31/50)

+ Shirt: Dark green and longsleeved with broad cuffs and gold buttons. Lighter green seaweed-inspired collar and inserts on shoulder seams, with dark green metallic sequin trim.
+ Necklace: Same as Damla's, but on longer cord.
+ Belt: Wide, gold leather with broad trim/tie of dark green sequins.
+ Skirt: Floor length fishtail style with train at back. Main part is dark green metallic sequinned fabric. Front centre section and insert at back from same fabric and trims as the collar. Has pockets, concealed at seam of front skirt section.

Muir (32/50)

+ Tunic: Dark blue, sleeveless. Padded collar and armholes--brown with dark blue embroidery.
+ Belt: Brown cord.
+ Gauntlets/Cuffs: Brown leather.
+ Necklace: Same as Damla/Meredith.
+ Skirt: Floor length fishtail style, plain brown fabric.




Well that's it for costume designs for characters from this story. I tried to make allusions to life cycles in the symbols of Murchadh's costumes (a cane for old age, frogspawn for birth/childhood, rings for adulthood, coral for death). Wanted to have some kind of similarity between Morgan and Meredith's costumes, hence the inserts on the skirts and shoulders, and the long sleeves. Also wanted to have a link between the styles of Damla (version 2) and Muir, so essentially designed very similar costumes with only a few differences.

With 32 costumes designed, I'm quite comfortably heading towards my goal of 50! Over the past few days, I've been trying to draw one costume per day, in the hope I might actually finish this goal this year!

You can see all the costumes I've designed for this goal on my goal 53 tag.

A Dress for a Dragon

It's been a while since I posted any of my designs for goal 53. Design 50 outfits/costumes

And by 'a while', I mean almost a year.

I was still drawing some last march, but then forgot about that goal until December, when I drew some more!

Having picked up the goal again this year, here's a new batch of costume designs. Once again, they're for characters from Folk Tales of the Sea People. Sometimes I've given them a more humanoid spin, imagining these as designs for a theatrical production! Sometimes they're a little odd, such as this first one...

Kashanbo (19/50)
From: The Gentleman Traveller

+ Longline waistcoat of dark green suiting, with lining and collar the colour of wet green seaweed. Batwing-shaped collar and asymmetric hem, gold buttons shaped like turtle shells
+ Off-white lycra dress shirt with seaweed green buttons and pin tucks
+ Top hat to match waistcoat
+ Gold leather mask shaped like a beak
+ Cropped breeches to match waistcoat, cuffs have two-buttoning fastening (smaller version of waistcoat buttons)
+ Off-white stockings
+ Webbed gloves with extra long fingers--seaweed green leather with cotton 'web'
+ Webbed boots to match gloves, extended to look more frog (or kappa!) like.

Read on for triplets, draugs, dragons and more!

A Human Dragon

I've been working on some more costume designs for goal #53, "Design 50 costumes/outfits".

Once again they're designed for characters in my Folk Tales of the Sea People stories, including that of a dragon in human form...

Maya (12/20)
From: The Clam Keeper and the Sailor

+ Floor-length strapless silver gown covered with silver scales (aluminium or satin)
+ Silver satin insert in back of skirt, flowing down into boned semicircular trail (to resemble tail fin)
+ Metal scale gauntlets
+ Red ribbon at neck

Etienne (13/50)
From: The Clam Keeper and the Sailor

+ White cotton hat with upturned brim
+ Worn-looking white shirt with sleeves rolled up, pearl buttons and peach-coloured shell emblem embroidered on breast pocket.
+ Blue and white fine-striped 'sailor pants' with navy buttons, rolled to above knee
+ Woven leather sandals

A Mermaid at the Film Premiere

Garden Punk (01/50)

One of my goals on The List, which I've picked as one of my top ten this year, is this:

53. Design 50 outfits/costumes

This basically means any kind of outfit/costume, be it simple or outlandish, daywear or evening wear, streetwear or theatre costume.

I started this goal in 2014 with the 'Garden Punk' design above, which I drew when I was trying to figure out what to do with some fabric I'd picked up at a charity shop.
Then...I drew no more.

Come end of 2016, and I got started on more designs!
For the time being, I decided to design outfits for some of the characters in my Folk Tales of the Sea People stories.

So here are the first handful of designs, which I've come up with over the past few days.
(Click photos to see bigger versions)

 Cadogan Browne (02/50)
From: Folk Tales of the Sea People Introduction

+ Blue-grey tailcoat with grey collar and gold mermaid-design buttons.
+ Black hat with band to match tailcoat.
+ Dark grey trousers and gloves
+ Off-white shirt
+ Dark blue cravat
+ Black boots
+ Wooden cane
+ Worn brown leather satchel

Halwyn (Transformation) (03/50)
From: Halwyn, or A Pinch of Salt
(I drew this as a half-and-half of two versions - sea and land - but am counting it as a single design, for her transformation between Selkie and Human)

Sea:
+ Long-sleeved, floor-length brown faux suede dress with uneven neckline and seal tail-like quilted train, all embellished with black rhinestones

Land:
+ Long-sleeved brown faux suede minidress with uneven hem/neckline/cuffs and black rhinestones
+ Flesh-toned leggings (dancewear fabrics) with patches of faux suede, and black rhinestones

Both: Long cloak with hood and wooden fastening; gold charm on bracelet depicting a footprint on land. Sleeves are part faux suede, part flesh-toned dance fabric, to give the appearance that the suede 'pelt' is part of the skin.