concept
April and Debra McArthur

designer and seamstress
Rachel Murphy

Completed: December 2005

“Shadowfax,” named by April McArthur for Gandalf’s regal horse—“the lord of all horses”—in The Lord of the Rings,  is an original design Irish dance dress created by Rachel Murphy of Silverlode Needlecraft.   It has been such a rewarding dress to work on, with such a lovely concept, and simple but bold colors.

The base materials are black onyx dupioni silk, and a peach-gold metallic silk.  The appliqué fabrics consist of a variety of metallic fabrics, all in black, silver, and gold.  All of the satin-stitch embroidery—including the Elvish script—is freehand machine work in metallic threads of the same colors.  The skirt lining and bloomers are made of metallic black-gold liquid lame.

The Elvish script/poem around the skirt rim, is based on two quotes from The Lord of the Rings:  “By day his coat glistens like silver; and by night it is like a shade, and he passes unseen.”  And:  “…a flash of silver in the sunset, a wind over the grass, a shadow that fled and passed from sight.”

The rough translation runs as follows:

Telperin calaryë áresse~          He shines like silver in daylight~
Ar mí lóme avása ~                        And in the night, a shadow~
Nillë mí andúne.                               A silver glint in the sunset.
Ve sule mí salque ~                              Like wind in the grass ~
halda vanryë.                                                Veiled he passes.