《重修旧好》00004 - Blue Dove Dress 喜燕

My first ever mending dress - I picked up a very poor condition dress to practise my mending skills. Unlike the storybook series, this badly defected dress will be injected with creative handiwork to turn scars into arts

The initial condition of the dress:

• original fabric buttons were badly smashed
• yellow stains littered all over the dress
• colour dye stains

第一件需要进行修缮的衣服，有好几个被压坏的纽扣，还几个泛黄痕迹和被染色的痕迹。和故事书的系列有所不同的地方是， 这件是以修缮为前提进行的作品。在每个需要被修缮的地方注入少许个人的元素-当下发生的故事。

I've created some patterns to blend in with the original organic patterns on the dress 

于是我跟着裙上的有机图形，开始绘出类似的图案来融合

A few dancing leaves on the colour-dyed stains

在染色的地方加上几只会跳舞的小叶

It took me months to complete this dress. Much of the thinking process to save the dress evolved during the mending process. During the same period, I was going through a lot of ups and downs, dealing with lost of family members.

完成这件衣服的时间很长，有很多时候需要坐下来思考怎么跳脱传统的修缮。在和细想长久的拔河过程中我的人生也经历了很多悲欢离合。在同一间家，经过了三个丧礼开始变得冷清。

I sat on this dove swing (which was previously owned by my grandparents) and time travelled back to the good old younger days. "He" or "The dove" has witnessed three generations of our family: my grandparents, my parents and myself. When I looked back at these old photos, every generation who did a "wefie" with him smiled like any happy child.

The dove was first located in a farmhouse house right under a mango tree. We used to climb up the mango tree which was just right above the swing.

When the farmhouse was demolished. He then moved into a bigger house; when the bigger house was sold, he eventually moved to a third house in central Malacca (my grandparents' current home)

我开始坐在秋千上，时光机带我回到它承载的记忆。他，见证了我们家的三代，阿公阿嬷的年代，妈妈的年代，我的年代。当我回看旧照，每一代和他合照的家人都回到了孩童般的纯真。他的第一个家，在阿公阿嬷的农场里，那里还有有一颗老芒果树，可以让我们一边爬树一边荡秋千。农场结束后，它被带到更大的房子；然后大房子卖了，他又被带到了马六甲城市（阿公阿嬷的第三间老房子）也就是现在的房子。

I wish to immortalise this old friend of mine who has been through countless joyful moments with many of my family members. Hence, the iconic dove at the top of this swing has now become a part of this dress.

我想把这位我们小时候称为“摇篮”（秋千）的老朋友记录在衣服里面，谢谢他带给我们无数的快乐。他头上飞翔的两只的燕子成为了裙的一部分。

The damage buttons were replaced with "new" vintage buttons

被压坏的钮扣，有“新”的旧纽扣来代替，采用以前的两面钮扣方法来重修

Leftover fabric buttons are incorporated into a hand-sewn belt

剩下的布纽扣编织成腰带

After 112 hours of day-and-night stitching, my first mending product had finally completed and the process has surprisingly and concurrently healed my gloomy heart.

112个黑夜的小时，完成了第一件修缮的作品。我修复了它的同时也修复了自己

4th exhibition item

00004: Present

Inspired by: My own childhood and experiences

Material: Used clothing, sewing thread, cotton thread

Measurement: Bust 88cm, Waist 88cm, Lenght 107cm

Fabric: 100% Cotton

Total labour time: 112 hours of day-and-night 

ps: Cherish the moment of now, the present is your gift

第四件展品

0004: 当下

灵感来源: 摇篮（秋千），三代的快乐当下，童年

原料: 二手连衣裙

尺寸：胸88cm, 腰88cm, 身长109.5cm

布：100% 棉

劳动时间: 112个日夜的小时

ps: 把美好的当下传承下去