Altered Couture - A Dress of Books

Pictured here I am about to stitch Amelia Bedelia!

Ouch!

On June 15, 2011 there will be a recycled fashion show at Frontier Cafe in Brunswick, ME. For that event I am altering kid's books into a dress book.



Christine De Troy dreamed up this baby and put out a call for entry via Five Rivers Arts Alliance email. http://www.fiveriversartsalliance.org/ The Criteria: spend no more than $30.00 for materials from local shops, Salvation Army, Second Hand Rose, Blessings, Michele's Consignment, Estilio Consignment or Goodwill, alter the purchase and participate in the fashion show. I selected kids' board books from Goodwill and was able to pick up 24 titles for just under $30.00.

Julia has agreed to model the dress!
Yeah.




My plan is to cut the boards into smaller pieces and have them hang like large sequins, or book-quins on a simple shift type dress.





Definition of sequin http://www.word-origins.com/definition/sequin.html

I have been trying to figure out how I am going to make this stucture work. I spent most of one rainy day cutting the board books pages into 1.5 x 3" (and some longer) pieces. I can always cut them shorter. So now I have 680 pieces.

I want to keep my options open and maybe have the book-quins cascade into longer and longer pieces. I watched three movies while cutting the pieces. I wonder how many square feet of images I'll have to work with.

Next I have to figure out how to attach the book-quins and build a dress out of them. I tried stitching the book-quins together at the corners. Seemed akward and it was difficult to align holes and stitches neatly, also no movement.






I think I'll need an under structure to sew the pieces onto. I tried making holes with a hole punch so I could sew them but that is not working. I ripped one of my Amelia Bedilia book-quins and I don't want to lose any of the great characters I've carefully cut out. Maybe I can sew them onto a slip or shift.





Today I am stitching the top of the book-quins on my trusty Elna. Steve found it at the Woolwich Flea Market. He tuned it up and it runs great!

Next I will be attaching the book-quins to the under structure.

Now I learn I have to choose music. I have been mesmerized by Bjork singing in a dress designed by Alexander McQueen. It is covered with bells. Here she is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgk360PZJ7w

May 31,I finished up stitching the tops of each book-quin piece. Next to start sewing them on the silk under-dress.