Crustacea at Woolon 2017

For a couple of months this year, my work room was a mass of pink plaid wool!

Austin got in on it, always ready for some fabric appreciation.

With the assistance of Blake and Luna of course.

I entered Woolon this year, at a bit of a mad time! However, I managed to pull it all together and ship the garments off on time, and I dedicated this project to my nana Joy who passed away right in the middle of it all.

I’m glad I pressed on with it, as it gave me a focus at this challenging and emotional time.

I enjoyed manipulating and working with this wool, I spent hours and hours pad stitching these panels on one bodice to give stability and form to the neckline. I am pleased with the result after all that work!

Hours and hours of hand stitching! Love it though.

Here are some photos from the awards show….

The complete collection, above.

For this project I created a collection of garments, called Crustacea, three garments in total, they needed to be connected somehow, thematically, technically or through textile.

I chose a pair of pink wool blankets that my mum was given as a wedding gift in the 70s, they had been well used, first as blankets, and and then as curtains, and now as wearable art…

Crustacea is a reference to the ocean, and coastal inhabitants that I grew to love through beach combing with nana Joy over many years of my childhood.

The textile had become worn and stained, and faded over time, and I incorporated these marks of time and use into the design. I really love working with wool, and these garments exploit the drape that can be achieved with these old woollen blankets. The garment above is the one I used all that padstitching to shape the neckline and the triangular shaping panel at the side.

Photographed at the event by Janyne Fletcher.