Nancy’s Garden in Dark Purple with Toad Lilies, Hellebore, and Pansies

Number seven in a series of dresses commemorating my mother Nancy and her love of flowers.  This dress was inspired by our back garden on Winter Street, which was up against a very tall fence covered in ivy.  This is the part of the garden where the shade plants thrived.  The predominant color was every shade of green, with jewel like flowers peeking out from among the glossy leaves.  Violets, trillium, hellebore, blood root, and lilies. 

When I was still quite young, I decided to pick a bouquet for my parents.  I am not sure why I chose the flowers I did.  They were rather unassuming, tucked all the way in the back, against the fence.  When I proudly presented them, my parents were horrified.  Somehow, out of all the flowers in the garden, I had picked the trillium grandiflorum.  This endangered species only blooms every seven years and picking them kills the plant.  My mother gamely put them in water, but to add insult to injury, this flower has the nick name “Stinking Benjamin” because they smell like wet dog after they are picked.  I learned a valuable lesson that day.

This gown is inspired by the shade garden on Winter Street.  I chose a dark, reddish purple tulle as the base of the skirt.  Eight layers of tulle encase pansies, toad lilies, chartreuse hellebore blossoms, and tiny purple violets with glossy leaves.  The strapless, dropped waist bodice is made from rich purple silk.  A hand painted silk ribbon in shades of purple, green, and blue, ties loosely at the waist.

This fashion fits Silkstone Barbie, Poppy Parker, Nu Face, and FR2

Now on Etsy!