Westland designer’s jerseys entertain wearers

Press, 22 August 1989, Page 21

Westland designer’s jerseys entertain wearers

By

PAULINE MOORE

ALL CHILDREN love playing with puppets, so threedimensional puppets on jerseys which little fingers can poke, explore and. move, are an irresistible idea.

Knowing exactly what children love wearing inspired Wendy Williams, of Punakaiki, to design and make six jerseys for children of various ages. Aptly entitled "Hug Me” — should the child hug the jersey, or the adult hug the child and the jersey? — the collection is on display at Several Arts to August 31. The fun figures on the jerseys — bunnies, a bear and a clown — have a life of their own with a child inside. Their feet and hands can be wiggled when small hands find their way inside the specially made side vents. “Fly Away Little Birdie, Fly Away” is a “silly” bird which flaps its wings. No matter how hard it tries, it stays stuck on the jersey. It is made in warm, fluffy mohair in cerise pink, blue, green and yellow.

“Bunnies and Bows” in soft pink, blue, grey and white has a big bunny on the front and is decorated with sequins, pom poms, bells, bows and a cute little nose. The more you look at the jersey, the more you see. Turn it around and — surprise — you see three more little bunnies on the back.

“Jingle Bear” is a bright, happy fellow on an orange, red and yellow jersey. His felt bow tie adds a dash of class. He can even scratch his nose.

“Jungle Jingles” contrasts with the bolder colours of the other jerseys, perhaps more appealing for a small boy. Wendy dyed the wool in dark natural shades, the background for two squiggly snakes topped with white woolly hair and vivid pink and blue tongues which poke out when their mouths are open. “Circus Fun” is exactly that — a huge, funny figure appliqued on to the jersey in bold, bright blue, red, grey and black. It has delightfully baggy trousers with the detail stitched on skilfully and a happy smiling pink face which immediately makes an observer return the compliment. On the back, the clown is trailing balloons.

“Fireworks,” with its blaze of

red, yellow, green and blue is a teenager’s delight. Kid fabric, bird sequins and surface stitchery add sparkle and fizz to the jersey, which is knitted in a mixture of wool, mohair and acrylic.

The jerseys are the first Wendy Williams has designed for children, but already she is planning a new collection. She has

made many adults’ jerseys, recently winning the fantasy section of this year’s “Woman’s Weekly’s” “Bumper Jumper” competition for her amazing creation: a three-dimensional garment with swirls of blue and black, fringes and fun clown faces. Wendy’s interest in creating fantastic jerseys stemmed from

designing and making interesting clothes for her now 14-year-old daughter, Niki. Since then she has progressed to jerseys, painting, and creating three-dimen-sional wall panels.

For the last five years she has lived in Punakaiki, but plans to move to Lyttelton. Her dream is to set up a bazaar-type boutique

selling interesting clothes and art.

Her jerseys have immediate appeal, entertain their little wearers and keep them warm, too. All kinds of materials from Wendy’s collections add interest. Details are knitted and appliqued on, or sewn on after the jersey has been knitted. She uses surface stitchery, pompoms, bells, stars, sequins, domes, metallic cord, metallic fabric and dacron filled faces for her fetching effects.

Children’s jerseys require extra care because nothing which could harm a child can be used. Very importantly, the jerseys must be able to be washed easily. Each is carefully constructed and neatly made. Wendy likes to make “fun” jerseys which are different. Each is unique and she makes only one.

Clowns are one of Wendy’s favourites. “I like to make people laugh,” she says. “Jerseys should say something about their owners’ personalities. I like to make outrageous statements in my work, too,” she says.

Wendy’s ideas find similar expression in both her jerseys and her paintings. She likes to do “outrageous” things as well as use elements from the environment, sometimes together. Three-dimensional effects fascinate her and she likes to explore texture.

She moved to Punakaiki to give herself space and has found plenty there to capture in her work. It is a “wild” place with dramatic rock formations, a place where it can rain for 60 days on end and where thunderstorms can be so violent that you can see the lightning with your head stuffed under the pillow she says.

“I play with reflections and explore the effect of light.

“I like to capture special effects such as the glint of the sun on a river.”