Drop Cloth Coat

Gathering miscellaneous items in the mom studio cleanup, I found some canvas that had been used as drop cloths. Not too splattered, I considered their promise. One was an interesting weave and not too thick, the other a gorgeous, tight woven yet soft, weight. 

In January I signed up for a couple of activities to bring some structure to my life:  a lecture presentation at PENWAG in May, the Peninsula wearable art group, second a fashion show in Santa Clara for the Pacific International Quilt Festival end of July! 

Slowly the creative wheels started to turn. After the years of being in charge of Mom’s care, it was challenging to hop back into my own hemisphere. Having a deadline always helps. 

So back to slowly. The drop cloth-into-clothing-idea was a way to transform my grieving into action.  My niece, Taya, had a wonderful coat that I made a pattern from. Step one. Then, I thought I wanted to embellish the canvas as if it had been splattered. That meant getting really loose and even messy. How fun! How liberating!

Get those juices going!

The first coat made me happy. It was a big departure from my usual painting style. 

It looked marvelous and when I did the presentation at PENWAG it sold! I was a little tender about letting it go, but I knew the woman who purchased it and she knows how to wear it and I am happy she was the one to treasure it.

The second white coat was thicker. I couldn’t even turn the edges in for the facing and collar, so I just topstitched it and let it fray for a really deconstructed look. I’m not sure this coat will sell. It’s more of an object/art piece. But there it is, an inspiration for me going forward. 

Maybe clothing can be sculpture, 3D. And that’s okay.