The highlight of my thesis collection came from my love of painting. I enjoyed print design but looking at repeats made on the computer they often felt cheap and underdeveloped. Using a heat set dye that is machine washable and dry clean safe, I could paint perfectly placed decoration anywhere I wanted.

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Painted directly on a plastic wrapped dress form, the print envelops the entire body. I was able to add one-off elements like the butterfly (seen above) and layer paint on the bodice of this dress (in progress on the right). This process allowed me to paint over seams and take them apart, lining up perfectly when sewn with final finishings. I added trims like silk bias tape and hems after painting to keep them clean.

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