Doodlecore Embroidered Skirts: What

Planning

The one requirement for our final project is a dynamic component. Hence, I began by brainstorming various project ideas: pull-tab book, kite, shelf, backpack, clothing, pop-up book, etc. Since my upcycle project was decor, I wanted my final project to have a functional element. I planned on spending a considerable amount of time and money on this project, so it should also be something that I could regularly use. Furthermore, this was an opportunity to try and learn a new skill.

There are many skills and tools that I could’ve tried such as woodworking, 3D printing, laser cutting, etc. I decided against these because I wanted to invest in a skill that I would most likely continue to use. While it would’ve been interesting to try and learn them, I don’t have easy access to the necessary tools or the potential space. However, I had an old sewing machine at home.

Embroidery is something that I’d been interested in trying, and this was a great excuse. Since I was interested, why not sew the base of my project and embroider it? It would combine my interests and let me develop a skill that I could continue to use. I’ve also heard that sewing is an expensive hobby, so this would let me try that out too.

Out of many sewing projects, I was most interested in clothing or bags because I could use them in my day-to-day life. I decided to sew clothes—specifically a skirt—because a bag would’ve been more complex and required more consideration towards seam strength. After looking through a few skirt designs and patterns, I settled on a circle skirt. It’s a beginner-friendly project because the main pattern is a donut shape. Hence, most of the sewing would be for the hem and waistband. Additionally, it’s one of the most dynamic pieces of clothing that I can think of.

Inspirations & Vision

Since this was something that I’ll use, it should fit my clothing aesthetic: comfortable, whimsical, subtle, and a little minimalistic. Hence, I wanted a neutral base with a bright concept design. Moreover, skirts are flowy and twirly. Hence, the design should highlight these aspects.

I gathered inspiration by looking at other people’s embroidery and embroidered skirts. There, I noticed that many of the designs contained floral or plant themes. Patterned fabrics also felt too busy and random for my personal aesthetic. Hence, I wanted to go in the opposite direction.

Additionally, a common aesthetic in my work is whimsical and doodly, influenced by my childhood of sketching a lot of things and never inking. I’ve also developed a love for the freedom of sketches and watercolors—the imperfections and slight messiness—and these seem to fit the aesthetic of doodlecore: simplistic and doodly.

After more research, I stumbled upon poodle-skirts. They were a popular trend that emerged after WWII as a lashback against the restricted designs during the war. Juli Lynne Charlot created some of the first poodle skirts by attaching appliques onto a circle skirt. The simplicity of the process led to a trend where people created unique ‘storyline’ style circle skirts. The concept and designs of these were inline with the vision of my aesthetic. Using these concepts as a base, I sketched various top-down designs. Of them, I decided to focus on the abstract water and lantern festival inspired designs.

At some point, I wanted to design a set of elemental-themed skirts. Most of the initial concepts were embroidery scattered randomly around skirts or would only cover a small portion of the skirt. I couldn’t think of a singular design that would flow around the skirt and appeal to me, so I asked my pod for advice. One of the members suggested designing the abstract feeling of elements. And after some consideration, I created an abstract water design inspired by the curves of art nouveau hair curves. The flow of the curves matched the rush of water, and they could swirl around the skirt as one large design.

I expanded on the abstract water concept by sketching various color schemes of this concept. Since I couldn’t settle on a color concept, I asked some classmates about their opinions. With their inputs, I decided on a light cream-colored skirt with light blue shades for the design. Moreover, I planned on incorporating and highlighting the messiness of my sketches because they would fit the doodlecore aesthetic.

In addition to the abstract water concept, I was interested in creating the lantern festival inspired design. After seeing another classmate’s post about the aesthetic of city night lights, I was reminded of lantern festivals and the breath-taking sight of bright lanterns floating into the night. Hence, I wanted to design and sew a second skirt based on that scene.

Since doodlecore would be a main aesthetic, I designed the lanterns as scribbles of lines that create a scene from a distance. Furthermore, I considered dying a subtle gradient onto the base to symbolize the reflection of light onto the night sky. Since this wasn’t the main focus skirt, I was less rushed about solidifying the final design. 

The sketches had random lines and holes, which gave them more character. The overlaps and imperfections in both designs felt alive and free, so I planned on preserving them in the final skirts. Moreover, these aspects make the designs match my artistic aesthetic.

In addition to the skirts, I decided to sew an underskirt. One of my pod members (Mia) suggested an underskirt for a more twirly feel. It would give them some lift and structure, making it feel more full. Thus, I decided to sew a separate tulle underskirt because it shouldn’t be too difficult (famous last words). A separate underskirt also meant that I could use it with other skirts.

Plans & Materials

After completing my designs, I planned a timeline. Before designing, I had anticipated the sewing and embroidery to take longer than expected because I had little experience with both. Since I would be learning along as I worked on my project, I had to incorporate extra days for more time. Hence, I quickly started sorting and preparing materials.

Since the start of the semester, I had bought various general embroidery and sewing supplies in preparation for my final project. While I couldn’t buy the fabrics until the final designs were finalized because fabrics are expensive, I practiced my sewing machine skills by sewing a prototype. After finalizing the designs, I bought a few yards of knit 96% polyester 4% spandex coconut-milk and solid black fabric from Joann. When researching apparel and skirt materials, I hadn’t found many restrictions. Hence, I decided to go with the softest and best material to touch. I started sewing after getting the sewing materials.

As for embroidery materials, I already had Le Paon embroidery floss, needles, hoops, water-soluble backing stabilizer, and a washable fabric marker. The plan was to first sew the skirt bases before drawing the designs onto the skirts. Then, I would fill in the designs with embroidery floss. While working on the sewing aspect of my project, I embroidery a little to develop my skills and prepare.

Resources:

• https://vintageunscripted.com/the-twirly-history-of-the-circle-skirt/
• https://glamourdaze.com/2012/07/the-1950s-circle-skirt-phenomenon.html
• https://theloveofvintage.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/circleskirts/
• https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Doodlecore