Tell Me Your Story

Hi my dears,

sometimes, I like to compare my sewing to songwriting. Mostly, I get inspired by a design, a fabric, or just a detail. I start thinking and turning it over in my head, until the general idea of the garment is clear, and I make/choose the pattern, the fabric and so on, and then I sew the dress and hope it turns out as I expected.

But sometimes, there is a story behind the piece. Let me tell you one of these storys.

Many moons ago, when I had just started making my own clothes, I found an old jeans jacket that no one would wear anymore. I liked it, but thought it was rather boring and it didn't fit me anyway, plus I had no idea how to alter it to my size. So I took it apart, and with two pair of old jeans pants, I tried to build a rather experimental patchwork jacket.

Haha, I had to go really deep into my archive to find these pictures (^.^)

As you can see, it had a hood and the edges were serged with black bias tape. I wore mostly black back then and couldn't imagine putting any other colour than black on it. Looking back, it seems a little misguided in taste (>.<).

Despite I undoubtley gave my best, the pattern was horrible. It fitted like a potato sack, the seams were untidy, the hood was not usable. I still remember wearing it a lot. Until I realised how horrible it looked and shut it away.

Good for me that I kept it. 

I refound it when I cleaned out a box with old stuff of mine and thought, hey, there's some potential! So I opened the main seams (shoulders, sides, sleeves), removed the hood and the bias tape and cut new pieces. Doing that, the jacket was shortened a little, which is not too bad, like this it ends just under my waistline, so perfect to wear with Lolita skirts (and other skirts that are worn on waist height).

I adorned it with three kinds of white cotton lace, lined it and sewed it back together.

Et voilà:

The cut is still not perfect, especially the shoulder parts are a little crumpled, but I did the best I could there. I decided not to mend the patchwork seams that are unclean. I like that evidence of my sewing beginnings (I know it's stupid and sentimental). I'm also fascinated by contrasts, here the contrast between the innocence and cuteness of the lace versus the battered, shabby look of the jeans patchwork.

I left the waist hem just like this, no serging at all, that's why it looks frayed. As if it was cut on waist length.

Of course, the sleeves needed a lace finish (^.^).

I'm very proud to say I didn't break one needle, I used really strong ones and my sewing machine did a really  good job!

I had some leftovers, especially from the hood. Because the back side looked so sad and lonely compared to all the lace on the front, I cut out a heart shape, added more lace and applied it on the back.

 For the lining, I used a flowered cotton fabric. If you go reeeeeally far back oîn my blog, you will find it was a skirt in its former life (another experiment of my early sewing days).

So, that was the story behind this jacket. I hope I didn't bore you!
Like this, spring can come (^.^)