Over the weekend, I went to my first Ren Faire, a small local event at a farm we often go to seasonally for strawberry and apple picking. I planned to go with a friend in Tudor era fashion (1485-1603).
This summer, I finally finished my 18th c. banyan. I love it so much that I often swan around the house in it in the evenings. And now that winter here in everything but name, I’ve finally photographed it, too.
The fabric is cotton from Anuprerna on the outside, and Indian block print cotton on the inside. Outside and inside are relative, since it’s reversible.
The first day I wore this coat, I never saw how I looked in it. I gave my full length mirror to my teenage daughters and so shoulders-up is all I get anymore. I had my 13 year old daughter help me cut my hair into a mullet that morning, then I threw the jacket on over an all-black outfit. Even though I didn’t know how I looked, I FELT good in this thing I had made, with my badass hair, and I glided out the door to an appointment feeling like a boss.
I felt like I’d put the confidence on. People literally stopped and stared at me while I was out. I had that elusive special SOMEthing.
When it comes to “perfecting” patterns, it can be hard for me to leave well enough alone. I have so many ideas. I keep tweaking each iteration to make it EVEN BETTER than the last, at least in theory. I think watching Monty Python as a teenager further cemented the idea that a holy grail does exist.
This is my latest iteration of the Quest Vest. The remaining vestiges of the Fibre Mood Irma can be seen in the standing collar seam. You can see my first version here. I was definitely inspired by the #softapocalypse aesthetic.
