Excess Layers

I created a base dress in muslin and created panels in different lengths with pastel coloured organza and tulle. I stitched 20 layers of each panel together to get the excess effect.

After I got the silhouette of the dress with 140 layers (7panels of different lengths, 20 layers of each) stitched together, I started rolling up the already existing layers that gave a totally different look to the whole outfit.

Everytime I used to roll up a few more layers, I used to get a different silhouette all together. This was a very interesting and helpful exploration exercise for me as I could play with the silhouette so many times and get a different form in front of me every single time. I got the tulle fabric ombre dyed, one from light grey to dark grey (which included three shades of grey) and another one from sky blue to a deeper tone of blue (which also included 3 shades of blue from light to dark). The ombre dyeing gave an interesting effect to the whole ensemble as when I rolled the tubes, I could see different pastel shades of blue and grey mixed together giving a very interesting form.

As I was experimenting with the whole process of getting excess in different ways and get new silhouettes out of it, I rolled up the layers in different widths. Again I got very striking forms with each roll of a different width, length and position. I rolled up 2 organza layers together, then 2 tulle layers, rolled organza and tulle together, sometimes 2, 3 or 4 layers together in different widths.

As a result of experimenting with this rolling technique, I changed the original plain silhouette to an absolutely dramatic one with a combination of different pastel colours (from my pastel colour story). In the process I developed many distinct silhouettes from one original silhouette combining tulle and organza in different pastel shades. This was something really new for me as, in draping I played with the rolling technique for the first time and learned a lot from it. Not only this technique gave me the excess effect I wanted, but also I got a very prominent final silhouette which obviously came after the different silhouettes I had already explored. I liked the asymmetrical silhouette that I achieved in the end with the tubes hanging down from the left side longer than the right side and the torso full of excess fabric draped in 140 rolls.