Green fingers meet glam at this year’s South Canterbury Multiple Sclerosis Society’s garden walk.
This year’s event will not only offer a viewing of six local gardens, but also a display of Robyn Valentine’s wearable arts and costume collection.
Mrs Valentine was one of only 40 finalists in the Australian Wearable Arts festival held last month.
Mrs Valentine said her entry ‘‘Sew Bee It’’ was inspired by the television series The Great British Sewing Bee, and was a celebration of a lifetime of sewing projects.
The outfit was created from sewing patterns, either discarded or pre-loved, some of which had been given to her by friends and family.
Mrs Valentine had used the sewing patterns to papiermache a bodice for the dress.
For the skirt, the patterns were made into a fabric by gluing them to ballet net to stiffen them.
Her piece was modelled by her other creation, daughter Sophie Valentine.
Sophie — who is currently at Auckland University — flew to Brisbane to meet her.
Miss Valentine had never modelled before, but had danced for over a decade, which had given her commanding stage presence.
‘‘I was so proud of her,’’ Mrs Valentine said.
She said that at halftime all the designers and their models went to the foyer, so audience members could approach and inspect the design close up.
She had been very apprehensive about ‘‘standing there feeling silly’’.
But she said ‘‘people flocked to it’’.
Mrs Valentine said other wearable arts competitions did not give designers much acknowledgement ‘‘unless you won’’.
‘‘There is no face to it.’’
This event had been completely different, allowing a lot of say in how the model was prepared, and even down to music selection.
Mrs Valentine would also have a collection of hats and dance costumes on display which she had created over the years.
The dance costumes would be modelled by local dance pupils.
She said she was ‘‘chuffed’’ organisers of the garden walk had asked her if she wanted to display her work.
‘‘It is something for people to watch while having a cuppa.’’
While her work would be displayed in a gazebo at the garden walk on October 5, there would be two displays for 20 minutes at 11am and 2pm.