A dress for Phyllis

This piece is one of three that will hang on an old washing line in the Laundry House which still has a copper boiler.  Phyllis is the name of the daughter of the couple who lived and worked in The Post Office, but the name also means green leaves, foliage….which I thought was quite fitting.

I’ve stitched dried ivy leaves and some keys that belonged to a luggage trunk from the 1940’s….the tags that came with these shows the inventory for winter and summer clothes.  I wonder what happened to the trunk and the contents.  I would like to add more to this piece perhaps embroidering keys and other items on to give it a more textural feel.

Dress detail

In addition to the dress I have made an aged handkerchief to hang next to the dress

Tear

tears - A profusion of this liquid spilling from the eyes and wetting the cheeks, especially as an expression of emotion.

v. tore, torn, tearing, tears.

v.tr.

To pull apart or into pieces by force; rend.

To make (an opening) by ripping

To separate forcefully; wrench

To divide or disrupt