Cloth simulation

I finished dyeing my commercial-cloth samples and did a mockup today:

(Sorry for the angle, the photo was shot from the side and then turned in Photoshop.)

Here is the photo seen in sideways orientation (the direction from which the photo was taken):

I just LOVE this simulation!  Of course it looks nothing like the finished, woven, etc. fabric will, but it tells me roughly how the design plays out, which is really all I need to know right now.

And it has given me one very interesting idea…why not burn out everything EXCEPT the leaves in the top layer?  This would leave a fine gold mesh with colored leaves, drifting on top of the background fabric.  This would be more appropriate than burning out the leaf motifs, as it would give the airy, floaty feeling that I want to convey with this piece.  I love this idea a lot – the challenge will be to make that very gauzy fabric stable enough to be sewn into a garment.  Obviously you make the selvedges denser to accommodate the seams, but there may be other changes needed.  Lots more sampling needed for that!  I will probably those samples my next warp.