The Star XVII Corset

A while back I had announced that I had received some grant funding from the Greater Columbus Arts Council to further explore techniques in English Goldwork embroidery. I’m happy to share that I completed the first fruits of my labors on this endeavor: The Star XVII Corset.

Recently my wonderful friend, and writer for Faerie Magazine, Grace Nuth organized a magical evening gathering for small group of friends. The evening’s theme was “Celestial” and the enchanted, hand-painted invitation read:

Garments of the stars….hmmm…intriguing! My brain was whirling with hundreds of possible ideas and I was hard pressed to decide on just one concept, but the clock was ticking! I finally chose my inspiration: The Star XVII! I have always been intrigued by the Rider-Waite tarot cards, a tool for introspection and personal reflection. I think the illustrations are really rich, evocative and thought provoking. In particular, The Star card has a lovely meaning:
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XVII – The Star.
Inexhaustible inspiration. Meditation. Formulating your ideals and goals. Examining your ideals for the future. Nonconformity. Doing the unexpected. Frankness. Renewal.
Affirmation: “My inner being shines like a star, guiding my actions, renewing and cleansing me.”
(Tarot for Yourself by Mary K. Greer)
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The Art Deco elements of the original illustration really lend themselves to a black and gold color combination and there couldn’t be a more perfect material than black silk velvet to represent the night sky. It was an ideal opportunity to use my new metal threads from the GCAC grant to create something really special!
And to celebrate the completion of this piece, I teamed up with internationally acclaimed photographer Chas Ray Krider to produce some vintage fortune teller inspired images.

There are a few more shots on the Gallery Page of my website.

You can read about and see the wonderful photos from the Celestial Party in the upcoming Winter issue of Faerie (soon to be called Enchanted Living!). Subscribe or find local distributors here:

Buy Faerie/Enchanted Living

And contact me to discuss the unique corset that we can create just for you!

larissa@wildehunt.com

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