An eco printed costume match for an elven queen – A Curious Fancy

Carrying ✶ Eco printed linen costume by Gillian Smellie {Related in a unique print right here} ✶ Hair crown from Eclectic Eccentricity 8 years in the past ✶ Large Welly Co. wellies

✶ Get 15% off your buy from Gillian’s on-line store or in individual at any of her pop up retailers with my code CF15 ✶

Who else is watching the center earth fanfic also referred to as The Rings of Energy? I’m supplementing my viewing with a re-read of The E book of Misplaced Tales (Vol. 1) and it’s fascinating to revisit Tolkien’s earliest penned tales from over a century in the past alongside the most recent retelling fanfic. Elvish lore was very a lot on my thoughts once I obtained this breathtaking eco printed costume by Gillian Smellie, and it instantly transported me to the woodlands of Doriath, the hidden metropolis of Gondolin and the shade of the mallorns of Lorien. For that is really a costume match for an elven queen!

Some collaborations unfold in essentially the most serendipitious method. I met Gillian at her stall on the Brancepeth Citadel craft truthful again in the summertime and immediately fell in love along with her magical leaf prints. The subsequent day once I posted some photographs from the truthful on my Instagram story, I tagged Gillian in one in all them and to my shock and delight I discovered an e-mail from her in my inbox the following morning asking me if I’d wish to model any of her items! After all I jumped on the likelihood.

Gillian Smellie is a textile artist primarily based in County Durham who makes use of domestically foraged leaves to create distinctive and magical prints on preloved clothes. You’ll be able to learn extra about her dyeing course of on her web site right here. Sustainable and eco pleasant trend is on the coronary heart of her work and the rationale she largely prints on preloved and classic clothes. In my conversations along with her, Gillian expressed her eager curiosity in increasing the dimensions vary of the clothes she prints on. As pre beloved clothes in bigger sizes which might be additionally appropriate for eco printing are uncommon, Gillian has been sourcing plus measurement linen attire and tops from a producer in Italy to increase the dimensions vary of her merchandise. The costume I’m carrying is one in all these.

On the craft truthful, I used to be very taken by a pair of dungarees with a putting fern print that was sadly too small for me, so I requested Gillian to print my costume with all of the ferns! As luck would have it although, ferns have been very low in tannin this season and produced slightly faint prints, so Gillian redid the costume with sumac and rose petals and the outcomes exceeded all my expectations. There are a number of clothes in my wardrobe that I’d classify as wearable artwork, and this costume is one in all them. Regardless of being an enormous Tolkien nerd for greater than 2 a long time now, I’ve by no means felt significantly inclined to decorate up as a hobbit or elf…till I placed on this costume and was enveloped in it’s ethereal magnificence. The linen can be buttery delicate and has a stunning weight to it. I’m carrying a measurement giant and it’s very roomy and outsized on me (I’m presently a UK18-20) For sizing reference, I really feel this costume is extra of a UK 22-24.

You’ll be able to store all of Gillian’s accessible merchandise at her on-line store right here. Gillian additionally does plenty of pop ups and festivals in and across the north east of England, and you may see her schedule for upcoming exhibits right here. As she has not too long ago began increasing her vary of plus measurement clothes, it’s price dropping her a message if you wish to purchase one in all her creations however can’t discover your measurement within the webshop. Gillian may print on any appropriate garment from your personal wardrobe – right here’s what she advised me about customized printing: “Sure I do print to order. I can’t assure the result however I can purpose for a selected look/use particular leaves and so on.  I’m not doing any extra bespoke earlier than Christmas however comfortable to take publish Christmas orders.” So in the event you’d like to have a bit of wearable artwork in your wardrobe however can’t discover your measurement within the on-line store, get in contact with Gillian for a customized printed garment identical to my sumac and rose elven costume!