Dress #014: Robe à la française in black and white: front view. 2014 Mid-century dress One of my favourite things

One of my favourite things about old natural history illustrations are the number of animals that were obviously drawn from descriptions

but also as Golden Chanterelles

Tiny lozenges accent the couching and the sleeves

until I found this delightful (if slightly guilty-looking) specimen in the 1918 book ‘Wild Animals of North America: Intimate Studies of Big and Little Creatures of the Mammal Kingdom’

Japanese tissue stands in for both the lace overlay on the bust

Dress #014: Robe à la française in black and white: front view. 2014 Mid-century dress One of my favourite thingsBased on Victoria & Albert Museum accession T. 332 1985, a French gown from 1775 1780. The dress is six inches tall, stitched by hand on 8x10 inch 100% cotton watercolour paper, which means that it will pop right into any commercial frame in that size, and be ready to hang on your wall. Materials: Chiyogami and cotton floss on cotton paper