smocking

I have begun to involve a process of smoking my fabrics as a way of creating texture. This process completely changes a surface and gives a more 3 dimensional shape to the cloth reminding me of some of my initial research into natural forms. To begin with I dyed to my fabric to give a gradient of colour, this relates back to my theme of spread and change over time.  

Hand smocking is a process that is beginning to be used more within contemporary fashion as can be seen in the image of a piece from Rodartes autumn winter collection. Here the process is being used to create a textured but even all over surface. I will continue to use this process with a fashion context in mind however I would like to make my surface much more uneven in order to emulate a growing surface. 

Rodarte, Autumn Winter 2014, http://thecuttingclass.com/post/76528637920/star-wars-and-smocking-at-rodarte