from these hands...: Peace Within 安内 PT 2

In this posting, I would like to share with you the balancing of print on the fabric and pattern flow in the design.

Story Dolls©: Leslie Molen

Hand made Stools by Gary Leitch

Working photos by Leslie

Fabric Print Size

As I stated in last week's posting read more here, I started with this piece of silk brocade. Many years ago when I started doll making it was a "rule" that the fabric print had to be in keeping with the scale and size of the doll.

I have broken that rule as often as possible, especially if I love the fabric and want- need- to use it, as was definitely in this case.

If we look at the above fabric it has a lovely Chinese symbol that could be the center of attention. So I used it front and center of the dress border. boom!

To balance off not only in contrasting color but in scale, I used a delicate silk brocade for the top section of the dress. The print worked as a flowing organic pattern complimenting the circular design of the Chinese symbol.

Below, you can see the three pieces that I lined it with the orange duiponi to bring in not only the warm element but to create a foundation of a triad of color for both my prints. I feel that the small scale of the top part of the dress balances nicely with the large scale of the bottom section- due to the swirling pattern within each.

I added the collar line with a piece of plaid vintage kimono fabric that I turned on the bias so to not only ease better around the curve of the collar but to break up the linear design of the plaid. For color, it ties in with the original aubergine silk border. Isn't it great when it all falls together!?

Using Fabric Print as Borders

Going forward..time for the sleeves...

I decided to use this piece of Indian silk for its wonderful border. I had to stabilize the delicate fabric. Note how I placed it so the border would be right on the edge after my sewing it to the lining.

Here is the garment with sleeves in place before it is hand-sewed together.

The final piece for the dress is the pants.

I loved the vintage kimono fabric for the base of the pants especially the print, subdued in the pattern with all the right coloring to compliment the top of the dress.

I repeated the sleeve print border as a band around the pants hemline.

Overall Balance of the Print Design

Let's take a look at the piece as a whole using just the print of the fabric.

The two "O" repeat themselves in the hat center piece and also in the dress border center. This circular design prompts your eye to find another, which your eye needs to travel down the doll. AND since we are working 3-dimensionally- this circle repeats itself on the top of the hat!
The ":::::" is repeated in the top of the dress and balanced below within the pants.

The "S" is within the floral design of the top of the dress and in the sleeves that repeat again in the border of the pants.

Overall Balance of the Pattern Design

So now, if we step back from the actual print and look at the doll as a whole, you can see that the way I designed the pattern and styled her hair has many triangular shapes. This creates a beautiful and flowing balance of the doll as a whole.

You can take this exact same process and look at the doll on the front and see this repeat in the pattern design.