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I digested some of the thoughts overnight. I really like the leaf motifs – aesthetically the lines would also do, but the leaves tie back into the theme and the lines really don’t.
So I did some more experiments with leaves this morning:
#1 is the original leaf arrangement from yesterday. #2 is the same, minus the last leaf. #3 is Bonnie’s suggestion, a single leaf near the top. I pinned it where you would normally put a brooch, and it looks rather nice there. #4 moves the leaves out from the border of the curve, and #5 is the same without the final leaf.
Conclusions:
- While #4 needs some tweaking to the line (needs to be curvier instead of straight), I like it better than #1. In #1 the leaves are infringing on the curve, visually speaking; in #4 they echo but don’t trample over the curve. So thank you to whoever suggested moving them over!
- Mixed feelings on #5. As someone pointed out, having four leaves leads the eye down to the waist, which is not where I want attention. On the other hand, ending the series at the bust feels somehow incomplete. On the whole I think I like #4 better, but need to mull it over.
- I like #3 a lot – the single leaf breaks up the yellow without being overwhelming, and is classically simple – aesthetically, probably better than #4. However, it doesn’t give the “feel” of falling leaves, and thus isn’t as good thematically.
I need to mull #3 vs. #4 over some more. I may prepare the appliques and pin them on after the facings have been put on, so I can get a better idea of what it will look like in the finished garment. Small changes in placement can make a huge difference, so the closer I get to the finished look, the better off I’ll be.
Off to put on the facings! I think it will be a lot easier to visualize once the facings are on.
what about #3 (one leaf) but pointing toward about 5:00?
It’s looking lovely, of course! But, you knew that.
I wonder about the leaves pointing down — I get “their falling”, but from a logical perspective it seems a little constructed. What about having the series of leaves with different ones rotated to different angles? That might add a tumbling leaf feel?
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fab idea with so many possibilities… remember the fall of the leaf is static – randomly turning them may help
? if the top leaf matched the left shoulder’s color would it look as if it were cut-out of the yellow ground allowing [visually] allowing the base fabric to show through. if you follow the falling leaf motif corresponding the color all the way down the smallest would disapper into the to the hem.
? start with a larger leaf falling at the shoulder both at the front and back
love reading your blog – so inspirational
Beautiful work Tien,
I think I like the 1 leaf. And, I would argue that it doesn’t need to be facing down to be a falling leaf.
I like #4. With the leaves getting smaller I don’t think it emphasizes the waist–it actually leads the eye up (which may not be the direction you want the eye to go if you’re thinking of drifting leaves).
I’m always impressed by how long you can work on one project–I too soon get to the “I’m over it” stage.
what if you continued the leaves all the way to the bottom of the garment?
Actually, I automatically interpreted the lines as a stylized bare-branched tree….
Umm, I’m going to say that I prefer the original. I do like it that close to the curve. I do like all four. I think having the reverse color sequence keeps the eye focused up rather than at the waist. And, finally, the single leaf makes me think of a Star Trek uniform.
Very definite opinions from an admittedly untrained eye. It’s always easier to know exactly what you like when someone else is doing the work!
I appreciate DMartin’s comment. Especially since your initial inspiration was DeLenn’s costume from Babylon 5. (Granted the two series share only a scifi commonality.) Now I can’t get the Star Trek image out of my mind!
What if the first leaf was upward and the next two pointed down somewhat asymmetrically slightly left and right.