Well, thanks to Lisa, I was at the Diane von Furstenberg site, and saw this. Hoo boy, do I love this fabric. The dress is just 'eh', but the FABRIC -- who doesn't want to swan around in artichokes bigger than one's head?
Somewhere, I'm sure, there is a fabric store with some roll-ends of this, the proprietors shaking their heads and wondering how they're ever going to get rid of it. I mean, it's not even right for quilting, and quilters will buy anything. (No, seriously. Think of the most appalling fabric possible -- maybe dead babies, outlined in gold paint -- and someone, somewhere, will have made it, and someone else will have bought it and done a quilt themed around it, and complained that there wasn't matching thalidomide baby fabric to REALLY set it off.) But perhaps this fabric store will be innovative and google "artichoke fabric", whereupon they will find ME, and they will email me to ask if I'm interested, and I will buy six yards and make an enormous circle-skirted artichoke dress and matching artichoke bolero (with the biggest artichoke very carefully centered over the back so as to make people walking behind me ravenously hungry) and I will be happy for the rest of my days.
Hey, it could happen, right? I'm not looking at how much this dress costs, because I don't want to be doing the mental math about how POSSIBLY I could buy one (or three) and take them apart for the fabric. Sheesh.
So: thanks to Lisa for the crazy-making, not that I needed all that much help, actually, and thanks to DVF for GIANT ARTICHOKES!
Ha, Ha, Ha, ha, ha......and if you find 10 yards, sharing with me would be excellent karma...Bigger than my head veggies always makes me smile.Thanks!
Posted by: Becky O. | 03/30/2006 at 08:00 AM
Gasp! (clutches the pearls)To paraphrase, "Oklahoma" (which is all I ever do) "The Quilters and the Dressmakers Should be Friends! The Quilter Likes Prints That R Too Crabbed and Crowded For Sophisticated Dresses. But That's No Reason Why They Can't Be Freinds!"Erin. I love you. I love you. I do not love the artichoke dress. But you could easily do as well with some acrylic paint and fabric medium, I'm sure of it.
Posted by: Cambric Tea | 03/30/2006 at 08:59 AM
Oh -- I love the Quilters! I have (on occasion) quilted! But you have to admit that sometimes the quilts, they show the influence (as the Manolo would say) of the drugs of the altering of the perception. And all that gold paint HAS TO GO.And I know the quilters are saying the same thing about my dresses, so that's some balance.I wish I could paint artichoke fabric. Alas, my highest artistic expression in that medium is rubber stamps.
Posted by: Erin | 03/30/2006 at 09:09 AM
NO NO NO NO NO! MINE!!!! [Insert image of a shrunken Daffy Duck running around clutching a pearl]You leave that gold-painted fabric alone, Missy! I love gold-painted fabric, which has a long and honourable history (except, apparently, with you). I have yet to disparage your love for gigunda vegetables; leave gold-accented fabrics for those of us who love them. Just you wait until I make my October dress, with flocks of gold-flecked mauve and heather bats! Yes; I admit it. I like making dresses which are cut to perfection out of gold-accented quilt prints. I still wish I'd gotten those Christmas birds ...
Posted by: La BellaDonna | 03/30/2006 at 10:23 AM
Haha indeed! Only problem is, now I actually want a quilt with a variety of dead and deformed babies on it, all outlined in gold. Is that so wrong?This is the closest I'll get to it:http://www.tate.org.uk/onlineevents/archive/images/perrydress.jpg
Posted by: ms_moron | 03/30/2006 at 10:31 AM
This post had me laughing out loud!Heidihttp://absintheknits.typepad.com
Posted by: Anonymous | 03/30/2006 at 10:43 AM
Just for fun, I googled "artichoke fabric." The first site that popped up? Was for a quilter. The second hit is for ebay, and you get some very funky fabrics if you type "artichoke fabric" into ebay's search engine.
Posted by: Anonymous | 03/30/2006 at 11:25 AM
i will never forgive myself for leaving italy without buying the amazing tablecloth fabric for 10euro a meter with giant lemons or oranges or apples about 6" across each. and i've got an amazing dress covered in chocolates outlined in gold. god love my mother's quilting fabric. as with everything... a time and a place for gold and a time and a place for artichokes...
Posted by: Helen | 03/30/2006 at 11:45 AM
Are you making fun of my dead baby quilt? My mom made that for me!
Posted by: Jerry | 03/30/2006 at 12:54 PM
"(No, seriously. Think of the most appalling fabric possible -- maybe dead babies, outlined in gold paint -- and someone, somewhere, will have made it, and someone else will have bought it and done a quilt themed around it, and complained that there wasn't matching thalidomide baby fabric to REALLY set it off.)"God bless, erin, you made my day!
Posted by: Gidget Bananas | 03/30/2006 at 01:09 PM
Love the dress, even the style ... although the ties on the sleeves are a bit much. As is the price -- $275. Just don't think I could justify it.
Posted by: Lee Anne | 03/30/2006 at 02:23 PM
This whole crazy-fabrics thing reminds me of one of my mom's friends, who found a really cute shirt on sale once for $1. Yes! $1! She couldn't believe her luck: it was cute, it fit, and the colors were beautiful. That is, she thought so until she got home and took a good look at the fabric, which she realized was covered with very, very naked women in provocative poses. So she spent the next several hours drawing swimsuits on the naked ladies with fabric markers...
Posted by: jenny | 03/30/2006 at 02:57 PM
I think that I'd make a nice, full skirt out of this stuff, and wear it with a yellow or orange or bright pink top & white Keds. But wouldn't this be fun made into a really elegant evening dress?!
Posted by: jenny | 03/30/2006 at 09:25 PM
artichoke fabric:http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=52053&sid=31U9Hz1UH0YUD7T-01106074922.9e
Posted by: Anonymous | 03/30/2006 at 10:09 PM
Erin you are so fabby but I so do not love the artichoke dress. These post Iam LMAO!!! Helen you better hide that chocolate covered dress Iam comming on over there to nick it!!! This is right up my alley.
Posted by: Floridaprincess | 03/31/2006 at 12:28 AM
I don't know if anyone saw on the DVF website, but there is also a (prettier) skirt made with the same ginormous artichoke print AND its less expensive (though still too expensive for a poor college student such as myself!
Posted by: Anonymous | 03/31/2006 at 01:14 AM
How about mango http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=58981&sid=31U9Hz1UH0YUD7T-44106004202.ab or turnips and eggplants http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?catid=170&sid=31U9Hz1UH0YUD7T-17106575786.87!!!!i like the eggplant dress. please, can i can i?!
Posted by: Helen | 03/31/2006 at 03:03 AM
i have a dress i made a few years ago with a print of severed hands and severed fingers (no blood or gore though though)...i love it. you might see me wear it around manhattan.
Posted by: Anonymous | 04/11/2006 at 07:31 PM