Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Artist Profile: 101 Bedsheets

Lately I have been asked to document some artists' work. What a pleasure for me! So for the next few posts, I'd like to introduce you to some of these very special, creative people.
 this is Barbara, the dress form
Today I feature the work of a 13 year-old sewist and designer, Ella Simon, who has been teaching herself to sew. She may have used a pattern once. As in, one time in her life. (Um, friends, do I need to say that this boggles my mind?!)

 note the cute keyhole detail on the back
Ella has lots of old bedsheets to play around with, so many of her garments are white, but sometimes she dyes them. Or embellishes them with fabric scraps or a jaunty colored zipper or a fabric bow.
 princess waist, slightly dropped hem in the back


 sweet criss-crossing and pleats on the back
Barbara the dress form needed to suck in a bit for this next one. Particularly in Barbara's rear. There was a bit of pulling and tugging. 


and in this photo, it looks like hugging
This lovely light green number has a zipper that some might say was sewn inside out, with the dingle dangly bit on the inside of the fabric. But this was a deliberate choice by the designer, who liked the more industrial look of the zipper on the reverse side.



 I love the use of zipper here on the front of the bodice, as a completely decorative accent.
 A little overstitching, in the photo below.
Some have wondered whether Ella should be finishing every hem and seam. My humble opinion is a definite no. That part can come later, when she cares, when she wants a finished hem. Or maybe she'll end up with a team of sewists who will do this for her.
This is a young person who takes joy in her creative work, who is making her own visions manifest through exploring the limitations of fabric and the three-dimensional form of the human body. Hooray for the next generation of creative problem-solvers! Thanks, Ella, for suggesting the impromptu photo shoot of you, Barbara, and a few of your pieces.

1 comment:

  1. i love love love that she is not using patterns. i never have been able to use them, and definitely prefer my own designs, some successful- some not- all part of the learning- and I've lately managed to sell a bunch of my hand sewn bonnets etc. at our farmers market. I do wish i had a dress form though! she is lovely. Ella i mean, not the dress form. well, that too.

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