Musings.14: Barbara

ontana - a Claude Montana Vogue Paris Original pattern for Vogue Patterns (#2016, circa 1995-98) was the first step toward "Melissa's" dream upholstery jacket. I saw the pattern all those years ago and fell in love with it, but it languished in a box for years.

A few years before I finally used the pattern I saw and fell in love with a denim jacket pictured in a magazine, a jacket that reminded me a bit of an Elizabethan doublet, of all things. The Claude Montana pattern would give me the look I wanted but I could not find denim of just the right weight and appearance that my sewing could handle.

Back in the box, the pattern languished. I found an absolutely gorgeous tailored denim jacket in the Sundance catalog, which became a beloved staple in my wardrobe, so my desire for a pretty denim jacket was more than satisfied. Then came the destruction of the couch.

The sleeper sofa we'd owned since forever had to be replaced, but I had fallen in love with the slipcover. Of course. The fabric resembled a jacquard with cream-colored leaves on a neutral taupe background. It was understated, a bit elegant, and machine washable. My husband chopped up the sofa and, to save the fabric, I painstakingly ripped the slipcover apart at the seams.

One morning months later I saw in my mind the Claude Montana jacket made from that slipcover. I 'saw' my Elizabethan jacket! I love it. It is unique and attractive and it travels very well. It is also warm enough to be a great 'transition' piece in late fall and early spring. The best part is that the jacket gets second looks, but unless I tell people the fabric came from a recycled slipcover they have no idea of that, or that I made it!

While I am quite pleased to see this element of fashion from recycled fabric appearing in "Melissa's" life, I am surprised and perplexed. Why has this become an element of her story? How does my jacket have an impact on the stories I tell? How does my denim jacket have an impact on the stories I tell?

[[Photos: Top - My slipcover jacket, from a pattern designed by Claude Montana

Bottom - detail from "The Circus Animals' Desertion," oil on canvas, 24" x 36", Barbara Butler McCoy]]