Project Runway contestant or not? This is my contribution.

A few years back I completed the current application for Project Runway contestants. While answering the questions I began to question my competitiveness.  I chose then not to participate because I didn't want to put my creativity under the gun like that.  Not very many people can pull me into a competitive event, but in this case....

Rhonda, you did it, here I am...competing in a fabric creativity contest.

 I was excited to receive the print, a bark cloth with a one way boarder design.  What was I to do?  I know I couldn't just stick to the black and white, since I prefer color burst in my designs, I thought it would be good to die the print.  That quickly left my thoughts, since I was not sure how it would turn out.  I only had one shot at this.  So I tested some machine embroidery,  and copying the print onto another fabric.  That didn't work either.   Painting, was my next option, and of course it did work, and that was what I set out to do.

I wanted to make the print a reverse affect or release onto the second adjourning color to give it a continuous flow across the seam lines. In order to do that I traced and transferred the design from the main fabric. To do this I used a color pencil along with tracing paper.  Once I traced the design onto the paper, I then used the end of the paintbrush to draw it to the fabric using wax transfer paper.

The paint use for the release on the black was by Jacquard Lumiere Metallic Silver.  I got it from my local art supply store, Jerry's Artarama.  The paint orange paint is a glitter paint pen by DecoColor, also purchased at Jerry's.

The fabric used included the contest piece, a bark cloth, provided by Rhonda at Rhondas' Creative Life.  It has the texture of a linen/cotton, and has a terrific drape.  Complimentary fabrics:  Black- peach suede, and the coral fabric is a poly crepe, both from my stash.  For the top, I used a black ponte knit in conjunction with the coral crepe.

The patterns were Vogue 9004 for the top view A and McCalls 6755 skirt.  For the skirt I omitted the right side seam in order to not break the flow of the print and make it appear to wrap around the body.

On the back of the top, I continued the design freehand into the the waist and up the center back.  This way it would look like I have one continuous flow from floor to should blades.

I added flat piping to the front to give a contrast between the white and the coral.

This was a fun project.  I love painting and thus will most likely include paint into more projects in the future.  As for Project Runway, well, I need to develop just a few more skills in time management.

I would love if you would go over to Rhonda's blog and vote for my entry.