#whitework

Whitework Embroidered Muslin Day Dress, English, c. 1808

Embroidery WIP!

I’ve always been so fascinated with whitework because I love the idea of being able to make an image with just texture and no color, so for my final project for my Stitch class I’m giving it a try. I may or may not regret leaving the muslin as is — I totally could have dyed it with a tiny bit of purple to cancel out the yellow tones, but it’s a bit late now. And yes, I did check to make sure the pencil will wash out.

I’m having the most fun doing embroidery on top of quilting, there’s a layer of batting and another piece of fabric on the back. There’s also a few sections I stuffed which I totally thought was going to be overkill but actually looks really nice.

I picked a Victoria crowned pigeon as I wanted to do a bird and I specifically wanted more to play with than just the default bird textures. They’re such cool looking birds and I have no idea what kind of stitching I’m going to do to pull off the texture in the crest.

Priyanka Chopra at the 5th Annual Gold Gala, wearing a custom gown by Amit Aggarwal, designed in partnership with stylist Ami Patel.

Constructed from a 20yr-old sari, the gown is decorated with chikankari, a traditional embroidery style from Lucknow, in Uttar Pradesh, Chopra's home state.