Images from Icarus —Rebecca’s entry to the 2021 Foundations Revealed Competition, “Once Upon A Time.”
The challenge was to “create a single garment or a whole outfit for a specific character from a piece of literature.” Rebecca chose to bring to life her version of Icarus as described by Anne Sexton in her poem To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph.
(The full text may be found here.)
Some background on the design and build from Rebecca’s entry description:
I love Anne Sexton's version of Icarus… [r]eveling in the brilliant attempt, “who cares that he fell?” Leonardo's flight machines, which also didn't work. My own sometimes spectacular failures, in my work and my private life.
Walking in the last old-growth forest in Manhattan with my family, whittling branches and finding some peace during the pandemic, building a way out of the labyrinth for my son and me with things we find lying around.
…Inspiration also came from a basket of odds and ends I saved from one of my biggest and most beloved failures- colors and textures I wanted to make part of something brave and new.
Icarus's wings were made from branches I found in Inwood Hill Park, fitted together with piano wire pins, epoxy, rawhide lacing and white glue. Feathers were another found item of sorts- samples I'd made years ago and forgotten, fused and painted silk organza. The wing membrane is cotton voile and gauze. The pull cords are dyed dacron and the handles are pine and leather lace.
The stays/harness are double-face linen over muslin, boned with reed, bound and seamed with leather, and couched with various mostly cotton cords and twine. The shoulder straps are quilted leather and tie with leather lace. The pockets at back that hold the removable wing contraption are fos shape covered in leather. There are self-made leather buttons with lacing that sit under the shoulder straps and help support the pull of the wings. The interior of the stays have two belts at waist and underbust to ease dressing/lacing up, and I built small crescent bust pads that sit above the latter.
The shift/gown is open-weave linen over crinkle cotton and cotton voile, distressed with sandpaper and ombre dyed with coffee. The sleeves, which were extensively pieced, are supported by an inner sleeve and ribbon, and the puffs are tied with leather ribbon. All the eyelets on the stays and shift are hand-sewn Painted wooded beads are knotted on to the cotton twine drawstring.
Gloves are leather and lacing over a second pair of cotton bobbinette.
The design and construction process for Icarus is documented with process photographs on my blog here. I also used my instagram account, @craftyroogram, as a project diary, with relevant posts tagged #foundationsrevealedcompetition2021 .