Spring Rhapsody

On March 23, 2021 By ResaIn Floral189 Comments

Ever dream of making an Art Gown that burst forth from the drab of winter?

Then, it blooms into the brilliance of spring!

Surely that Art Gown would be a flower garden.

Which is why I dedicate Spring Rhapsody to Amy Rose. Amy takes superlative photos of flowers, and she grows the most beautiful roses. She takes fabulous, magic photos all year long. Yet, her flowers, especially roses are stand out.

Her photography was recently featured on another post focusing on spring. Frank’s Beach Walk Reflections on Spring.

The Making Of:

It all began when a friend sent me about 40 pounds of old fabrics. There was a damask pillow case, that worked with a shiny coppery brown fabric. It seemed a bit earthy coloured for a gown. I thought: earth, garden, Amy’s flowers.

The shiny coppery fabric is odd: rubbery, perhaps used for upholstery, annoying to work with and exceptionally lustrous.

The box also included many scraps of colourful acetate linings, and scriffles of a delicate net embroidered with gold and pearls.

The colourful acetates picked nicely into the subtleties of the Damask. Shapes were cut out of the net scraps, overlaid onto the acetates and stitched on.

Gold buttons, from another friend’s buckets of buttons, were used as centres to gather the flowers around. Then began the biggest mess ever made, in the making of an Art Gown.

The mess was worth it!

I couldn’t take enough pics.

OUTTAKES

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This girl was a joy, from morning…

….until night.

Art Gown Spring Rhapsody © Resa McConaghy – 2021

I send my best to all of you, my blog pals. I adore you all, please take care and have the best spring ever!

O Royal Treasure

On August 7, 2017August 8, 2017 By ResaIn Floral124 Comments

Were you ever impassioned to make an Art Gown from 150 O’s?

Yes! Then you probably know this year is Canada’s 150th birthday.

In 1967, Canada was 100 years old. Our national anthem is “O Canada”. In celebration, Joyce Wieland created a famous lithograph of O’s formed by her red painted lips.

Yet, this is the Art Gown dedicated to Ralph from Bluefish Way, and Ralph lives in Spain. Ah, but he lives in Cañada del Real Tesoro, Spain. Canada/Cañada – it was a thrilling discovery.

According to Mini-Me, Ralph, and what Belen Soto told me, it means Path to the Royal Treasure.

Turned out the path to O Royal Treasure was a 4 month trek.

150 flowers were created. Using a dinner plate, and 2 different sized saucers. I cut out 150 circles, gathered the edges, & drew them into flowers. I painted my lips red, formed an O, and implanted an O on each of the flowers.

The bodice was hell to shape, as it is made from a bargain bin stretch poplin.

To sew on the skirt, I removed the bodice from Judy. When I put it back on Judy, the poplin had grown a size bigger. More shaping was required.

A giant bow was stuffed with net. Perfect for sewing on 22 flowers!

O Royal Treasure outtakes.

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There’s a final twist!

Ralph is engaged! Click n the banner below to read the post!

⭐ An Art Gowns Heritage Moment ⭐

Mini-Me educates O Royal Treasure on how to fit in with Art Gowns. “Never do dishes, vacuum or any housework. Make sure to plan a dinner party for all of the girls, as soon as possible!”

In a a dream-like state, O Royal Treasure heads to the dining room to plan her first dinner.

Photos © Resa McConaghy – August 4, 5 & 6, 2017

500 Meters of thread were used in the making of O Royal Treasure.

Never, never, never buy stretch poplin!

If you’re an Art Gown, always listen to Mini-Me’s advice. She’s been living in the Art Gowns’ room since before Strawberry Kisses, my very first girl.

Wild Rose

On November 7, 2015February 26, 2018 By ResaIn Floral114 Comments

Could you ever fall in love with a wild rose bush, as it languishes in sun?

Then you’d want to take it home, but soon realize there’s not enough top soil in your apartment.

My solution? Make an Art Gown, and dedicate it to someone who has the earthy requirements!

Wendy Ellen Thomas is perfect! Visit her blog Chez Chloé & see what I mean.

Wild Rose is a simple concept. Black is the earth.

Pink is the wild roses.

As a veggie, I will never wear a leather dress I inherited from work, but I can do it justice.

Originally, it was a mini with tank style bodice & nasty zippers up the front.

With much glee, I cut away and restyled.

I spent less than $30.00 on a delicate pink lace with rose pattern.

I used the lace for the corset insert & the skirt.

To decorate the bodice I began cutting flowers from the lace.

That was about 3 dozen delicately flowing petals I cut out.

Once I’d decided to use a swath of black voile for the tail, I began cutting out 200 more roses.

Each wild rose was hand sewn onto the voile.

Wild Rose outakes

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Wild Rose settles into her new home’s “Art Gowns” Room.

She bathes her tail in the warm sunshine.

Wild Rose is a romantic …

… and pines for a lover.

Wild Rose says, “Let’s invite Wendy Ellen Thomas over for dinner!” She can really cook up a storm & Resa will do the dishes!”

Wild Rose designed, made & written by Resa McConaghy – October, 2015

Photos © Resa McConaghy – taken November 4 – 2015

Autumn Orchid

On March 20, 2015February 26, 2018 By ResaIn Floral96 Comments

Did you ever have to “make-over” an internet shawl contestant into an “Art Gown”?

If you have, you know it’s not as painful as standing in the shadows of love,

…but still, you spent a lot of time looking out the window wondering how!

Between the challenges of life, the window of opportunity and the shadows of love, lies hope. I dedicate “Autumn Orchid” to Cindy Knoke, and I hope she just loves it!

Cindy’s Blog is filled with color, nature, joy and adventure. It is a most positive place to visit, and as beautiful as any “Art Gown”

This gown started, as a shawl.

The shawl took over 40 hours.

Due to paint drying times, this was over a three week period.

I chose yardage of a 90″ wide piece of floral patterned curtain lace.

This ensured that there would be no seams in the shawl, that it would be 1 piece unto itself.

Cutting deep into the lace around the flowers, a unique bordeur was created.

After mixing metallic copper acrylic paint with fabric medium, I painted the bordeur.

Both sides of the lace were painted.

When finished and dry, the paint was meticulously heat set with a hot iron.

Using finishing scissors, I cut off all micro bits of painted fray.

This made a very smooth edge.

The shawl was entered in a very fabulous talent contest.

It was so exciting!

The slideshow features some of my fave shots of the finished shawl.

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Oh…. boohoo! My shawl didn’t win. I moodily wandered around the “Art Gown” room for awhile.

Then, I thought of Cindy, & remembered the old saying “If life gives you a lemon shawl, make “Art Gown” lemonade!”

I halved the remaining lace.

One piece went into a pail with copper acrylic paint and water.

The other half was hand painted with copper, cobalt turquoise & a blend of the two.

I cut around the lace pattern to form a bodice.

For the skirt, the shawl was folded diagonally, as you saw in the slideshow, then fastened around Judy’s waist with the opening in the back. The pail soaked lace was inserted into the back opening.

Flowers were cut out from the rest of the lace. In back, they were ruched onto the insert. In front, they were used like flat puzzle pieces.

Voilà, more “Autumn Orchid”

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One last nostalgic look.

P.S. I did find a fabulous turquoise orchid online. It is a rights reserved image, so I can’t show you.

“Art Gown” Autumn Orchid designed by Resa McConaghy – November, 2014

All photos taken by Resa McConaghy – November, 2014

Flora Blanca

On May 24, 2013February 26, 2018 By ResaIn Floral107 Comments

Did you ever have to move a bevy of jaded “Art Gowns” to a new “WordPress” site?

It would be easier to transplant a garden to another city!

That’s why this “Art Gown” is inspired by and dedicated to my beloved niece Sherrie. She is the only person I know who would actually help me dig up an entire garden, lug it then replant it.

Hence, I decided to do a Garden themed “Art Gown”

Of course wool and paper popped immediately into my mind.

Not just any wool, but a pure, fine and all natural wool, fit for the Pope’s cassock.

Not just any paper, but pictures of Roses, Begonias, Peonies, Lilies, Orchids and Poppies by “Irving Penn”.

Yes, I cut up the entire book. It is a true labor of love cutting around the beads of dew, thorns, intricate ruffles and fine hairs of “Mr. Penn’s” photographs.

The Gown

itself is

based

on an

Orchid.

I used 2

bottles

of clear

drying

craft glue . If I made this on a display Judy, it could be varnished and made into a decoupage type sculpture.

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“Art Gowns” remind me of the mid nineteen hundreds Hollywood Movie Glamor. That’s why I love the Black & White treatment.

Dearest Darling ♥♥♥ Sherrie ♥♥♥

Thanks for helping me move my garden!

Dream of Love

On March 9, 2013February 26, 2018 By ResaIn Floral, Romance161 Comments

Did you ever design a gown about falling in love, and dreams of romance?

Well I did, because “love rules”!

So it makes total sense that my “Art Gown” #5 has been inspired by Imelda Evans of Wine, Women and Wordplay. Imelda is an author, and her first novel out is an EBook romance, “Rules Are For Breaking”on the “destiny Romance” label.

Having read the book, the first thing I was inspired to do was make 4 dozen silk organza flowers in shades of Mango.

To prevent fraying, I cut strips of true bias in five widths (2-6 inches) then made squares.

I fan layered 4 squares of the same size, ran a large hand stitch through the center to give me a point from which to pince, twist and secure with a few hand stitches.

Each flower came out different. I used a wired organza ribbon in green to mock leaves.

I saw the flowers on a black velvet gown with a cut silk velvet asymmetrically draped, creating subtle lines.

When the gown was finished, I had to ask it a question about Imelda.

“How did Imelda feel when she found out she was a 2012 finalist in Australian Romance Reader Awards”?

Of course Dream Of Love had a direct quote.

“In answer to your question, my initial reaction to being a finalist was shock. I truly got chills. It honestly had never occurred to me that I would be on the list. So when I came across my name and my book, at first, I hardly believed it.

I closed my eyes and opened them again. Then I scrolled up to the top of the page to make sure that I was really reading the list of finalists. Then I went back and looked again.

Then I went back onto facebook and found someone I knew who was online (it was quite late) and got them to confirm that I wasn’t hallucinating. And through it all, my skin was clammy with the shock.

Since then, whenever I think about it, it has made me so happy.

I know my book isn’t the best book of 2012, but to be someone’s – anyone’s – favourite anything is so humbling and delightful. It is so encouraging! I can’t please all of the people all of the time, but if I have pleased even one person that much, I’m very, very happy.”

Well, I’ve read Rules Are For Breaking and if you love love the way I love love, you might want to read it, too.

Love,

Resa

♥♥♥

“Art Gown” Dream of Love designed by Resa McConaghy – March, 2013

All photos taken by Resa McConaghy – March 2013

Test shot of "Dream of Love before she was finished. — Test shot of “Dream of Love before she was finished.

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