Svetlana Faulkner – United Kingdom

Tethered Butterfly

Description

“The butterfly is a flying flower,
The flower a tethered butterfly.”

― Ponce Denis Écouchard Le Brun

Nature is an endless source of inspiration for me. Its colours, shapes and textures seem to be in a constant contradiction yet represent a peaceful harmony of its parts.

For my headpiece trim I have chosen two very fragile representatives of the natural world: a delicate dandelion clock and a couple of dainty airy butterflies – and arranged them in a perfect balance. The complementary colours of the butterflies – yellow and purple – ofter occur in nature where they work well and make strong compositions. This is another example of how opposites attract and create a perfect equilibrium.

This silk dandelion clock with dainty butterflies that seem to have just landed onto it in a whimsical dance is a perfectly balanced headpiece ready to be worn and enjoyed.

Materials

• cotton velvet
• buckram
• wire gauge 16
• wire gauge 24
• wire gauge 28
• wire gauge 33
• silk organza
• silk satin
• rayon crepe de Chine
• stranded cotton
• hat elastic

Techniques

• blocking the bandeau headpiece in 2 parts using buckram
• wiring the buckram base
• covering the buckram base with cotton velvet
• dyeing silk and rayon fabrics for the flower and the butterflies by hand
• wiring and shaping the butterfies with millinery tools
• making a silk dandelion clock
• making a fabric covered stem for the dandelion and shaping it into bow
• assembling the headpiece and finishing it with hat elastic