Lo, in the east is a glamour and gleam,
Like waves that lap on the shores of a dream,
Or voice their lure in a poet's theme!
- L.M. Montgomery
Maple Moonrise is a neo-goddess; Canadian born simultaneously on the Pacific beaches of British Columbia and Atlantic shores of Prince Edward Island.
Maple Moonrise throws her beams on the all of the arts: poetry, story telling, painting, drawing, music, dance, sculpture, and more.
She decrees – Make Art not War!
It is in this spirit of arts appreciation, and a desire for Peace on Earth, that she is dedicated to Rebecca Budd.
The Making Of
It began when I opened a gift box & found 4 massive lace curtains. From the colour, fabric & finish, I’d date it mid-late 70’s.
The box arrived while I was preparing the post – La Belle Époque .
The drawing of Rebecca I was working on came to mind. The fabric was draped over it, a pic was taken and an Art Gown idea was born.
As you can see, the fabric arrived after the sketch was done, but before the colour was added.
There were 4 panels, all the same. They were 56″ wide & at the deepest points 115′ long.
As you can see from the drawing of the panels, there are no cut ends, so these pieces were custom woven.
Selvages were woven into a geometric picot.
The ends were scalloped. The scallops were scalloped. The lace is a floral repeat pattern, not overall. There’s a mesh type drop out with 3 solid lines at about the 3/4 point.
The fabric was one sided. Although the pattern showed on both sides, when light hit – one side shone, the other died.
There were several pieces of older, varying in shades of white, acetate satin & one piece of nasty modern poly satin in the stash baskets.
Those were pinned to Judy and the lace was thrown on top.
Test shots were taken.
Sometimes the lace lit like various shades of maple syrup: a light golden to dark brown to shades of reddish brown.
The fabric of 3 panels was cut across the mesh drop out.. A skirt was draped from these. The scallops were used to trim the gown’s tail.
There’s nothing like a creative mess!
The last panel was cut up for the bussell, and the picot selvage was used to trim the bodice.
The tail is asymmetric due to the shape of the last large scrap of fabric. No waste here!
The left over satin became bows.
Her self adorned beauty …
… tried a small bow.
… and a Big Bow
Then a tassel got involved.
The bows and the tassel decided to work together
One bow said to the other bow, “at least we’re not tied up in knots! Even the tassel is hanging around.”
The tassel, dangling a truth, thought;”I’m so glad they’re ribbon each other, because they just drain the colour out of everything when they tangle. !”
Attempts at Novelty Shots & Outtakes
Lucy Maude Montgomery (1874-1941) is still inspiring 118 years after Anne of Green Gables hit the stands. Her poem was the final inspiration that pulled together the many ideas for naming Maple Moonrise.
Harbour Moonrise
There is never a wind to sing o'er the sea
On its dimpled bosom that holdeth in fee
Wealth of silver and magicry;
And the harbor is like to an ebon cup
With mother-o-pearl to the lips lined up,
And brimmed with the wine of entranced delight,
Purple and rare, from the flagon of night.
Lo, in the east is a glamour and gleam,
Like waves that lap on the shores of a dream,
Or voice their lure in a poet's theme!
And behind the curtseying fisher boats
The barge of the rising moon upfloats,
The pilot ship over unknown seas
Of treasure-laden cloud argosies.
Ere ever she drifts from the ocean's rim,
Out from the background of shadows dim,
Stealeth a boat; o'er her golden rim;
Noiselessly, swiftly, it swayeth by
Into the bourne of enchanted sky,
Like a fairy shallop that seeks the strand
Of a far and uncharted fairyland.
Now, ere the sleeping winds may stir,
Send, O, my heart, a wish with her,
Like to a venturous mariner;
For who knoweth but that on an elfin sea
She may meet the bark that is sailing to thee,
And, winging thy message across the foam,
May hasten the hour when thy ship comes home?
-Lucy Maude Montgomery
About Rebecca Budd
Of the many blogs Rebecca has and has had over the years, I find myself drawn to her Reading Room, Chasing Art blog and her her podcast –Tea Toast and Trivia.
Maple Moonrise ©️ Resa McConaghy is 1-of-a kind; designed & hand made w/ repurposed fabrics.
All photos Of Maple Moonrise ©️ Resa McConaghy
Art Gowns 
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