Altered Couture

I have joined a group of artists who will be showing work in the Altered Couture Fashion Show, June 15th 6pm at Frontier Cafe. Christine DeTroy is the organizer. The criteria: $30.00 maximum may be spent at local recycle stores.

Last week, Steve and I went to second hand store and purchased 22 'board books' for children. I chose books with colorful images and selected favorite children's authors and illustrators. Here is the list of books I purchased:

A You’re Adorable illustrations by Martha Alexander, words, Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise and Sidney Lippmann, Candlewick Press
Barney Plays Nose to Toes art Tricia Legault, designer Hilarie Brannan Ireton, The Lyons Group

Bear on a Bike illustrations by Debbie Harter, written Stella Blackstone

Bring Basil Bear Along! illustrations by Dominic Catalano written by Marilyn J. Woody

Bob the Builder, Let’s Count illustrated by Vinjce Giarrano, buy Kelly Chipponeri, Simon Spotlight

Down on the Farm illustrations by Will Hillenbrand written by Merrily Kutner, Holiday House

Farmer for a Day paper and engineering Richard Ferguson written by Dawn Sirett Doring Kindersly

Find the Puppy illustrations by Stephen Cartwright, Usborne

Five Little Skunks illustrations by Roberta Collier-Morales written by Gloria Adams Hug, Jez Alborough, Candlewick Press

Hush-a-Bye Baby illustrations by Lisa Kopper, Grosset & Dunlap

Keep on Truckin’ with Arthur! Marc Brown, Random House

Imagine Me as a Zebra illustrations by Mike Boldt, written Christina Nora Miss Mary Mack illustrations by Nadine Bernard Westcott written by Mary Ann Hoberman, Westcott Hoberman

Noah’s Ark Pam Adams, Child’s Play International

Teddy Bear Tales & Rhymes! illustrations by Simone Abel, Artful Doodlers, Maggie Downer and Jan Lewis, text Rachel Elliott, Dynamo DesignTucker, Slingsby Limited

The Care Bears Up and Down pictures by Carolyn Bracken, Random House The Real Mother Goose Rhymes illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright, Random House

The Story of America’s Birthday illustrations by Stacy Venturi-Pickett, written by Patricia A. Pingry, Ideals Publications, a division of Guideposts

You Can’t Scare Me! illustrations by Robin Boyer, by Kathy Hacker, School Zone Publishing

9 Fruits Alive, illustrations by David Austin Clar written by Mindy McDonald 10 Minutes till Bedtime Peggy Rathmann, Scholastic Inc

My choices include some longstanding favorites and some 'why did you pick that?' items. The purple in Barney should be fun to work in to the piece and they all bring some emotion up in me and are certain to be conversation starters. I will alter the books and transform the boards into a piece of clothing. I have been picturing a 50's style shift. I am planning a simple shape and hope it will hang somewhat like cloth.

I am planning to cut the books into rectangles and trapezoids, make holes in the corners and link them together. I have a few choices for the linking material. I could use ribbon, wire, yarn or elastic. Clear tubing might be interesting. Although I want it to be comfortable. Each connecting material has it's bonuses and drawbacks. I will do some experiments and see what looks best and what holds up well. A bold color and large diameter may distract from the book elements, on the other hand, it could become an interesting feature. Elastic cord comes in lots of colors and is thin enough to almost disappear and would make wearing it might simplify getting it off and on. A zipper on the dress might be interesting.

I have found a model, Julia and am very excited about that prospect. Maybe I can find someone to do her hair. I am thinking beehive. We'll see what she thinks.

So far I have documented the books and cut them apart. I am curious to know how many square feet of material I have to work with. Some of the boards have great color on both sides so it will be hard to decide which to put on the front, but it may be completely reversible!

I looked through my patterns and determined I do not have what I need. But now can look for pattern that will fit Julia.