In Holey Matrimony

I designed an eyelet lace shrug for my friend Gabrielle, she and Paul are tying the knot on July 18. She's nervous, but at the last fitting she was elated to see her shrug come together. It fits on her as snug as a glove, but it's very comfortable. It's something old and something new, but I didn't want it to look too antique. Earlier we met and did some sketches and looked at yarn samples from Stitch Therapy and pattern books.





The design is inspired by Galadriel's dream sequence from "Fellowship of the Ring." I named both the eyelet pattern and the shrug "Barathyel" (Grey Elvish word for Queen). It's made with Linea Pura Biosoja — a light poly-blend of soy, cotton, and bamboo. It's perfect for a warm July wedding. The subtle strides of cream & ivory and the syncopated lace pattern make the garment appear as if it’s in constant motion — even when it's just resting on the mannequin.



The bell sleeves are very traditional, but the mantle drapes over the body on the bias in an asymmetric cut. It also makes the traditional bell sleeves look more LOTR and less Renaissance Fair.



The body wraps as one piece from the front and around the back. The top of the shrug (arms and shoulders) are also knit across as one piece. The bell sleeves are picked up and knit down. I'm still working on the back panel that join the top and the body.



A Mannequin?! You might be wondering how I ended up with a mannequin body. No, I didn't find it on the street. About two summers ago I stopped into Stacey Joy Elkin's shop Redlipstick. She had seen photos of the shrug I made for Caroline on my blog and read that I used a pillow and duct tape to make a form. She insisted that I need a mannequin body so she generously loaned me one.



But she didn't have a bag large enough to cover it so I walked home with it in it's raw state tucked under my arm through a small crowd of giggling school children and pointing parents. You have to admit, putting a Keyfood bag over the top half of a bare torso would have seemed even more creepy... I digress. But the mannequin helped me a lot. Better finish this up, final fitting with gown is on Tuesday.