When I was in highschool I was fascinated with Art Nouveau and the whole turn of the century Romanticism. Floaty dresses, swirling iconography, elaborate detail and embelishment, hair in ringlets flowing in the breeze, trees which twisted and turned and were abstracted into symbolic dances. Loved it all. The richness, the detail, the story behind everything, the intricacies of each depiction and the tales of fantasy they brought to life. I was thinking as I wrote the post about this tunic top, about what the colours of this meant to me, what they reminded me of and I used the phrase: The utter deepness. Pond deep. With Koi carp floating around deep. Dragonflies above lilypads deep.And that phrase and expression have stuck in my head. Whenever I pick this up and work on it, I think of lilypads, dragonflies hovering overhead, deep tangled english undergrowth and brilliant flowers beside them. Mists in the morning, and a timber boat moored at a makeshift rambling jetty somewhere close. Wind in The Willows deep. A shining figure standing resplendant amongst the scenery. And yes, surely there are Koi fish swimming beneath the lilies. It seems apt that this simple tunic top has become more of an armour of arthurian legend, deep dark prussian blues split with peacock plummage, lined in Liberty Print fabric echoing the same colour tones, something thick and warm and quite arthurian. The original Phildar pattern now long gone as it was altered and reworked to follow a better line in this particular wool, and allow for an easy lining insert, it's reverse stocking stitch a kind of chainmail, it's lining a kind of jewelled display of wealth. A tunic top which wears like a middle ages court dress, on a child with light ringlets, fair skin, and cheeks of rose blush.
For my lady of the lake: "...'Tis now the brush of Fairy's frolic wing...."*
excerpts from the Lady Of The Lake by Sir Walter Scott
absolutely beautiful! reminds me a little of morisot's paintings too. i would love some reverse stocking stitch chainmail right now.
Posted by: derya | February 28, 2008 at 03:55 PM
This is quite possibly the most beautiful tunic I have ever seen - the colour is perfect. I need a little girl . . .
Posted by: Melissa | February 28, 2008 at 04:57 PM
so much imagery in my head right now.
I'm wanting to pull out my books and look at all those wonderful graphics.
Posted by: tiel | February 28, 2008 at 09:20 PM
How gorgeous - I think I love the lining the most... but I love Liberty!
Posted by: jac | February 28, 2008 at 09:21 PM
Such a beautiful post... Absolutely lovely!
Posted by: Roberta J. | February 29, 2008 at 04:27 AM
Oh! This is beautiful! I have to improve my sewing skills.
Posted by: nikki | February 29, 2008 at 05:41 AM
oh oh oh! bea-U-tiful. Alison you've done it again!
And now I have two questions.
1. When will the pattern be available for purchase.
2. Can you write the pattern in MY size too?
;)
LOVE it. LOVE how you have written about it.
Most of all, I can't wait to see a pic of little miss P wearing it!
Posted by: girlh | February 29, 2008 at 06:54 AM
this is beautiful. And it does look like armour. I love the colors.
Posted by: martha | February 29, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Oh. Deeply in love. Perfect. Deeply perfect.
Would like one for myself..... It is my most favourite colour of all time. :)
And, by the way - the words! I was quite swept away last night reading them, and can only bring myself to comment today. Sublime Al. Sublime.....
Posted by: michelle | February 29, 2008 at 10:27 AM
I've been reading for a little while but not sure if I've said hello before.
I just can't help but say that the whole time I was reading this post I kept picturing William Morris pictures and fabrics, even poems. All so beautiful, including the tunic top!
Posted by: Fer | February 29, 2008 at 01:26 PM
I know what you mean about Art Nouveau graphics, when I was little I had the series of [insert name of colour here: olive, purple etc...] Fairy Books which were dark, dark, DARK fairy stories illustrated in dense Beaux Arts style and I think I wanted to live inside those drawings.
Tunic is fantastic: my first thought was it has a real "Caucasian Chalk Circle" vibe -is Brecht too obscure a reference? -sorry :)
I mean that in a good way, of course.
Posted by: Carson | February 29, 2008 at 02:34 PM
How lovely. I love, too, that it's a child's garment - so aptly suited to and reflecting the lovely romanticism of a child's imagination.
Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Obviously I've had my own love affair with Art Nouveau and Pre-Raphaelitism . . .
Posted by: Kelly | March 01, 2008 at 12:21 AM
The tunic is lovely and I love Scott...
Posted by: Teresa | March 01, 2008 at 03:05 AM
I've had a crush on your blog for some time now, and today I finally shared it with the world:
http://mamasvillage.blogspot.com/2008/02/leaking-my-private-love-links.html
Posted by: Susana | March 01, 2008 at 06:34 AM
beautiful beautiful tunic.
and you've really struck a cord with us all with the Lady of Lake and the armour of the arthurian legends.
Posted by: michele | March 01, 2008 at 10:10 AM
We must be around the same age.
I remember this period well.
I wanted to look like the girls in the Mucha(?) drawings.
Somehow I believed myself to have achieved this with happy shoes and long, flowing skirts, long hair and kohl around the eyes. I was careful not to smile too much, lest I lose my Faraway Expression.
Looking back, I just looked like a hippie.
Posted by: Shula | March 01, 2008 at 08:40 PM
wow...it's lovely...
Posted by: joyce | March 01, 2008 at 08:46 PM
The garment and description are just stunning.
Posted by: Mama Urchin | March 02, 2008 at 05:37 AM
Magnifique billet.
Beautiful post. Words. Image.
I am catching up on your last messages. You have been (brilliantly) busy!
xxoo
Posted by: filambulle | March 02, 2008 at 09:12 AM
This is incredible....I love it. Very inspiring. Can't wait for the skirt!
Posted by: Creature of Habit | March 04, 2008 at 12:06 AM
Oh it is gorgeous.
Posted by: sue | March 04, 2008 at 09:23 AM
best dressed little girl. end of story!
Posted by: stinkerbell | March 04, 2008 at 02:16 PM
hi sweet alison. i have so very very much to catch up on. and i am so happy to let the words in this post wash over me, imagining those deep dark swirling pools, the koi, the rich depth.
this is utterly beautiful... the texture, the wonderful color, and the lining (!). i have to ask how you attached the lining to the tunic... my sewing skills are such that i cannot imagine it :) xoxo
Posted by: amisha | April 20, 2008 at 12:03 AM