Friday, April 15, 2011

Feelin' Groovy :: Up-Cycled Denim

You may recall seeing these stencils on a previous post....fun and funky flowers...the hopeful anticipation of Spring! It was also the post that went a bit awry...so...I may seem a bit redundant...BUT...this design was to be used on my newest "altered couture". Basically, I find/purchase/acquire from family and friends, gently used clothing and then I have a little fun with them. At the time I made the stencil, its true purpose hadn't been decided. It was finally revealed when I started working with this pair of perfectly good jeans. I have a rule when it comes to re-purposing denim...if they aren't frayed or damaged in any way...then they still have some good life left in them as is. Strategically placed, these flowers really gave this pair of jeans new life. Old Maid New! And as the title implies...I was feelin' pretty groovy modeling them...for myself...well, and all of you!
Or so I thought...until I heard the familiar rumble of my husband's motorcycle pull into the drive. At mid-day? What's up with that? Turns out that rain was in the forecast and he had quite a bit of driving in his work day. This is the man who talked me into the bike with the line I'm rather susceptible to...it will save us money. Yeah, right!
Ahem...back to the altered clothing. If you have a keen eye, you may have noticed the hint of a pink shirt peeking out at the top of the pictures. This is another design I make...I call it the sirsasana shirt. I originally intended it to be worn during yoga practice, because, let's face it, when you're in downward dog, shirts have a way of creeping down (or would that be up?) as well, and...well...not everyone wants to show off their goodies. Hence, the extended shirt made sense to me...as it turns out, it makes sense to others in the yoga community because it is one of my best sellers.
Although intended for yoga, it doubles as a dress in the warmer months and looks great with jeans. Especially funkified jeans!
Next time I work with clothing, I will try to remember to take pictures of the process. It's a smelly prospect, but exciting as well. For instance, you never know for sure what colors the technique will uncover. I love the fact that this navy blue t-shirt (thanks, Rosebud) took a turn for the pink. Who doesn't love pink? Apparently, my hubby does. He gave me the sweetest compliment that I am going to share for posterity. Now as I said earlier, he made an unannounced trip home and caught me posing in the mirror. He said, "If you don't keep that outfit, I swear I am going to buy it for you from the shop." He got me right where it hurts most...the pocketbook. The pressure started mounting, because even Joey (who hadn't heard dad's comment) said, "Why don't you ever wear your own designs...they look good on you." Anyone who creates to sell will tell you...there isn't enough time in a day to make for oneself, let alone homeschool, write music, babysit, clean house, work-out, play, and make dinner! This time, however, I decided to make an exception...this outfit went right to my closet. My apologies to Harmony in Life...I know there is a waiting list, but two men in my life can't be wrong...right?

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