Story Line and Judges "Questions" Round 2 Ellowyne

This is text, exactly as sent to the judges with my design, including the Journal/Story I wrote. I thought this text would play a more integral role and was surprised that there isn't any way for the at home viewers to read all of these together. The first is the poem from the Ellowyne Chills Doll. As I indicated in my last post, I was under the impression that the poem was going to be an essential part of the evaluation, so my details are all "justified" in my questionaire based on the poem and my choice of doll.


"Old clocks, antiques, and gloomy days
with Sybil by my side she stays
For flowers, lace and pretty frills
They leave me cold, like windblown CHILLS"

Summer Chills

Mark Twain reportedly said "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." I don't believe a bit of it, but I have to admit the gloomy days of Summer fog do require a bit of adaptation for one's wardrobe.

I poked my head in to ___________ the other day. She always seems to have such lovely vintage suits and things in her shop. When I mentioned how I was tired of being cold in the summer, she pulled this charming little jacket, all nubby weave and texture, saying she'd been saving it for me. No one else, it seems, would dream of wearing gray in all this fog, even if it is silk. I was pleased to note that it had lovely wide lapels, perfect for displaying even the largest of my collection, although I think I will wear Grandmother's watch pendant....I think the fresh water pearls on it are gray, or maybe lavender.

When I got home there was a message from Rufus saying he hoped I'd remembered our "plans" for tonight and I could tell he meant it with quotes like that. He is always trying to take me to proverbial hot spots....I think he is trying to find someone for me to be interested in....and yes, I mean it in THAT way. Of course, he never tells me where it is we are going until it is too late. (I think he thinks if he tells me before hand I will come up with an excuse not to go...)

I wish he would tell me what the plans are, so I could know what to wear. Layers, it seems, are the solution to both the cold and the uncertainty. Prudence said I should wear the pleated blouse, but I am not so sure. Last time I wore it, Rufus gave me the oddest look and didn't say anything for a long, long time. When I mentioned that to Prudence, she said "Oh yes, definitely that one." I don't know how she can be so sure. So the pleated blouse, little jacket and the suede cloth capris, as that will work for my errands and whatever it could be that Rufus wants to do tonight.

If I take my big Sybil bag, I can stash either the pleated blouse or the jacket when I finally find out what the mysterious "Plans" are. It is a pity Sybil didn't turn out to be the pet I had imagined. It would have been so fun to have a companion to carry about...but no, that would never do. Oh well, at least it is a lovely bag.

Notes on Summer Chills:
I selected Chills, both because it is my favorite of the dressed dolls and because I felt it gave me the most to work with in the poem. I thought I would highlight some of the points from the poem that helped me decide as I worked through the design:

"Old Clocks"
I immediately thought of pendant watch my mother had when I was small. With her collection of antique brooches, I was sure Ellowyne would appreciate the inclusion of such a detail.....but even though the jewelry doesn't "count" I needed to make space for it. The lapels on the jacket are generous for brooch placement, but I also selected a collar on the sheer blouse with brooch placement in mind. The brooch shown is made from a watch head designed by Victoria Garnier of Minimode with pearls.

"Antiques"
I wanted the outfit to have a vintage feel in both aspects, but with a modern sensibility.

"Gloomy Days"
I chose the San Francisco Fog Palette to evoke the gloomy days. My secondary palette choice was a soft yellow, sage greens and a cinnamon brown which would have been ideal for the coloring of the doll I chose, but didn't highlight the poem as well. I was hoping for a "Rich Monochrome" look, with a variety of shades and textures.

"With Sybil by my side she stays"
This line gave me some trouble, since my research in to Ellowyne's life led me to believe that she must have written this poem before Sybil had been with her very long! I liked the idea of a Pet Carrier Bag (and found some remarkable chic ones in my online research.) It had to be chic of course, since it wasn't ever going to actually be USED as a pet carrier.

"For flowers, lace and pretty frills"
Obviously this line suggests that the design for this "mood" should be clean-lined and spare. I went through a number of different ideas, trying to identify a gracefully detailed front for the blouse that might be an "Anti-Frill." I love the crisp pleating and smooth circular lines.

"They leave me cold..."
My mother gave me the idea for the Mark Twain Quote, which made me realize that a "summer" outfit for this client was still going to need some warmth and layering.

And because the shift from day to evening was required, I wanted the blouse to be a bit surprising when the jacket comes off. Looking at all the other designs from her collection, Ms. Wilde appears to prefer to be "covered" even if it is sheer. Likewise, I wanted to have a dramatic change in the sleeve-line to highlight the difference from day to evening.