Design
Concept
In 1984, I learned to dye fabric in color and value gradations. As I was dyeing one day it occurred to me that I could make a pleated skirt from my hand dyed fabric in which each pleat would be a different color in a gradation. As an experiment, I tried this with cotton fabric. In addition to making each pleat a different color, I also pieced in three extra squares of the gradation colors in each pleat. The squares run diagonally across the pleats. The undersides of the pleats were an olive green, the half-way color between orange and blue. Once the skirt was finished, I cut the remaining graduated fabrics into bias strips and hand knit them into a checked vest to match the skirt.
This ensemble was exhibited in one show, but was not practical to wear, because the cotton fabric wrinkled. As soon as I knew the experiment would work, I made Orange Meets Blue #2 in silk, an outfit I still wear occasionally for openings and lectures. |
