Reflection

Upon reflection of my final piece, I decided that the face appliqués didn't seem to sit well in the context of the garment as a whole. The heavy, almost cartoon appearance of these contrasted too severely with the gentle pastel colours in the corset panels and didn't seem to quite fit in with the 'vintage' feel of the garment. I therefore decided to rethink the appliqués on the corset. I chose to stick with the Swan Lake dancing theme and create appliqués linking to this. The materials I used to create these appliqués included textured organza (melted with a heat gun), shards of sparkly fabrics to give the effect of water and bugle beads. These were all in pale blues and pinks, which I felt were more appropriate colours, as they would be much more subtle on the corset. I used blue and pink stitch to add details, keeping the appliqués very understated, whilst still keeping the same amount of detail.

To complete the garment I added a second pleated ruffle to the neckline of the corset to increase texture. I also created an eight-layer white tutu underneath the bottom calico layer on the tutu to increase volume and to create a fuller, more classic tutu shape.

I think that these adjustments have refined my outcome and taken it to the next level. I feel that the garment sits well together now as a whole and looks finished. I am pleased that I have reviewed and refined my final piece as I think it has improved the quality of the garment as well as fulfilling my aims to create a practical garment inspired by the work of artists that I have studied, as well as my own personal story.