One of my most popular blog posts of all time is about my "Epic Fail" jacket or, what I referred to as the "Ladybug Lab Coat".
I posted this jacket a little more than a year ago, in early January. It hung in my closet, unworn, for months. Last September, during the FabricMart competition, I pulled it out and started wondering if I could refashion it somehow, to make it work better.
Nothing came to mind.
After the competition was over, I put it on my dress form so it would be constantly in view. I spent a lot of time and energy trying to figure out what I could do to improve it.
Nothing came to mind.
When I was packing for last weekend's workshop, I decided to throw the ladybug coat into the car, along with the other garments I was bringing to show.
Once I arrived in Santa Cruz, the jacket was laying on a table in the classroom. (Or maybe it was hanging on the rolling rack, I can't remember.)
Margy spied the jacket and put it on.
It looked good on her.
Really good.
She ended up wearing it for awhile.
Later that evening, I was sharing the garments that I'd brought. Towards the end, the Ladybug Jacket was mentioned, as I hadn't talked about it. I mentioned that it didn't look great on me, but I sensed disbelief in the room, especially after they had seen how great it looked on Margy.
Margy had taken it off so that I could put it on.
So I did.
There was no mirror, but I did not need a mirror.
In an instant, I was able to absorb the expression on most every face in the room.
I might describe the reaction as "polite shock."
This cracked me up and confirmed my belief that this jacket really does not look good on me.
I sent it home with Margy.
She was happy.
I was happy.
It turns out that last year, I thought I was making myself a jacket, but I was actually making a jacket for a treasured friend.
And now I don't have to cut it up.
I am not really a refashion-er at heart, anyway.
Margy has been busy lately, but in the next week or two she will hopefully have some time to post and, just maybe, she will include some pics of herself wearing the Ladybug Jacket.
You will be amazed at how the same garment can look so good on one body and so bad on another.
Too Many Clothes
I recently participated in an exchange in one of my online sewing groups. A couple people asked if I would mind sharing my thoughts in a broader venue, so here it is:
It bothers me when sewers say that they can't justify making more garments, because they have enough jackets/tops/pants/coats.
So what?
My grandmother was an artist of the painting variety. She never sold a painting in her life. When she passed, her house, and her attic, was full of paintings. I say, good for her. Does my daughter, who writes poetry, write too many poems? Does my other daughter, the dancer, perform too many leaps?
Once we pass, it's a lot harder to sew/craft/paint/sing/dance/create. :)
My clothing is my art. So what if it's all over my house. I do give clothing away to various friends/charities, but I reject the notion that I shouldn't sew/acquire things because I have "too many". (Though, sometimes my mojo insists that I clean up, but that's different.)
And, sometimes, I give things I've made to friends and that is pretty great, too. :)
