Class project: Silk brocade parasol

[labricoleuse]

I have another one of my students' parasols to share images of today.




parasol restored by Randy Handley: side view


top view of canopy--note kaleidoscopic pattern-matching


fabric detail

Randy chose to restore this antique frame with its unusual trained-vine handle. The original canopy was a two-color silk brocade with a viney sort of pattern, but the fabric was shattered and torn. Randy found a similar sort of fabric to use for his canopy. The complexity of this parasol cover lies in its ornate pattern, which Randy meticulously matched in mirrored panels around its 10-panel canopy. He used a six-strand braid to create the rosette at base of the parasol's spike.

I'm feeling like the parasol textbook is a confirmed success--now i've taught the class from it and of my six students, i had at least one try each of the three methods for creating custom canopy patterns based on both antique and modern frames. So, whew, and hooray!

Comments

[labricoleuse.livejournal.com]

I don't recall off the top of my head, but Randy did mention in his presentation that because of the nature and orientation of the pattern repeat, he didn't use an inordinate amount of fabric to do this canopy--i want to say a yard and a half, maybe?

And yay, i can't wait to see pictures if you do a summer parasol! :D