Yeine in the Sky
Karolina Zarzycka
Advanced Skill Level
Book: "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms" by N.K.Jamesin
The Story: Yeine Darr is summoned to the palace-city above the clouds where the lives of god's and mortals intertwine. There Yeine is named one of the potential heirs to all the Kingdoms and is thrust into a vicious political power struggle. She discovers that she is to be used as a sacrafice so her cousins can gain the power to the throne. She is a pawn and whatever she tries or does to escape this or uncovers about her past, she sees more and more that she never had a choice. But another soul is hiding in her body, one of the Goddess Enefa, and in her death she strikes a deal with the Goddess becoming the embodiment of Enefas power instead.
The outfit:
My inspiration comes from the castle-city in the sky, all the Kingdoms and her becoming a goddess among the stars. The stars and the colour gives itself. The beads in the ropes are representing every single kingdom but also how she is bound to her destiny (rope on top of sleeve and hips weighing her down). The dress are the clouds the city is based in and where she ends up in the end as a goddess. The tight sleeves underneath are representing her old life while the huge puffy sleeves are the potential she grows into in the end.
Self-made from Barbara's overbust tutorial and altered to an underbust with demi-cups.
Cotton/polyester velvet for corset fashion-layer.
Crushed velvet for the sleeves.
Corset-twill as strength layer.
Flat steel in back and artificial whale bones overall.
Glass beads.
Lining is polyester/cotton blend.
Construction corset:
Strength layers fused with velvet (my all-time favourite technique).
Seams parted and self made boning channels sewn on top to strengthen the seam (had run out of bought channels), with a 7mm bone on each side of seam.
Hip fins draped with cardboard into the shape I wanted. Discovered that fusing velvet with the strength layer was enough for fin to stay on its own. Find sewn separate, turned inside out and handstitched on the corset.
Construction sleeves (challenges):
I wanted the beautiful draping of the velvet combined with a huge puff.
Used quarter scale to figure out what to use to give them fullness. Any fusing took away the drapines and any fabric was either too flimsy or too thick.
I reached out on Barbara's monthly zoom call and with the communities help, found a simple solution. To use plain cotton as a "second" sleeve inside and this way keep the fullness and the drapines of the velvet.
Third layer is the lining, with less fullness and shorter in length to pull the velvet "under" and create that bottom puff.
Embellishment:
All ropes and stars are hand made. Ropes are one piece, thin to thick. Took freaking forever 🤪
Charlie Grilhé (Maison Charlie Grilhé) on March 11, 2021 at 6:45 pm
Ouah. Juste Ouah ! Those embroideries, and this shape ! The way you perfectly mastered the velvet… I'm in love.
Kitty Mortensen on March 11, 2021 at 9:32 pm
I love this SO much, The texture, colour and the beadings it's just so perfect. You're SO talented!
Gabrielle Amey on March 12, 2021 at 2:53 am
The beading on this is STUNNING!
Kathleen Davies on March 12, 2021 at 4:02 pm
Shape is glorious, it fits like a glove, and the beading and materials choices are wonderful! I love that hip shape too!
Amanda on March 13, 2021 at 1:34 am
This is so pretty! Kudos on using velvet and getting it to behave into such a lovely garment.
Carly Van Groeningen on March 13, 2021 at 10:37 am
Beautiful work, every part is just stunning!
Stanislava Pilkova on March 13, 2021 at 10:30 pm
That beadwork is insane! Is it bead crochet? As a beadweaver I know how challenging and time consuming it is.
JAYE SUDAR on March 14, 2021 at 3:39 am
This took my breath away. Fantastic workmanship.
Carol Hughey on March 15, 2021 at 5:23 am
The shaping and beadwork are exquisite
Katie Hernandez on March 17, 2021 at 5:33 pm
The bead working here is exquisite! And the tone of the blue against the shade of the beads and the paleness of the lace is quite graceful. Beautiful!
Maeri Certo on March 18, 2021 at 1:18 pm
Phenomenal work! I love how you play with textures in both your fabrics and your embellishments, and how you thought about many ways to embody your character. Well done! I also love that the stars on the corset remind me of Renaissance/Tudor detailing!
Xenofon on March 18, 2021 at 6:23 pm
What a lovely dress. I am in awe. So beautiful. Congratulations!
Damaris Luhn on March 20, 2021 at 1:05 pm
Oh Karolina, I already told you, but this tiny thingy is so so so so so gorgeous and I love it. It really makes me want to try velvet corstes aswell 😉 And I love the embellishment, beadwork is more and more growing on me. Stunning delicate piece!
Linda Call on March 20, 2021 at 5:51 pm
Beautiful and inspirational.
Kikkii von Fustian on March 27, 2021 at 8:13 pm
This is gorgeous! Such a good eye for detail, I'm loving the hip fins <3
Caroline Woollin on March 28, 2021 at 9:16 am
Just amazing Karolina – absolutely love it!
Gabrielle Post on March 29, 2021 at 2:35 pm
Beautiful work Karolina. I love the fabrics and your outfit is so well constructed!