More Remakes

I hope I haven't shown this stuff before. It's in a folder on my desktop, and everything in there is supposed to be stuff I haven't posted. I went back and ways and checked and couldn't find it, but if I've already shown you this, please just ignore it and go on about your lovely day. Sorry about that. I've given up worrying about my horrid memory. I set reminders for the stuff I HAVE to remember and try to ignore all the rest.

Anyway.

Not everything I alter turns out the way I want it to. Or, rather, it turns out the way I wanted it to, but I had no idea what that would look like. Or something--as I've said before, I cannot visualize things. Unlike some people, I can't think of something and see it in my head. I can't sketch something out, and I can't imagine what it will be like as if I'm seeing it in a photograph. I have talked to a lot of artists who can do that. I am not one of them. But then, I don't call myself an artist, either. I'm someone who makes stuff, and I'm someone who likes to do stuff to my clothes. For me, the outcome is always a surprise. All I can know beforehand is if it seems like it will be cool or not.

Here's something that wasn't. It was a cotton knit top, and I thought it was cool. I thought if I tacked down the facing on the front, using some kind of stitching, I'd love it.

I was mislead by the color. I stitched little x's there, and it looked like I thought it would--in a no-I-didn't-visualize-this kind of way. And I put it on and hated it:

It doesn't fit right through the chest, obviously. And it makes me look dumpy. If something makes *me* look dumpy, I know it has problems, because I am a lot of things, but I am not dumpy. I kept messing with it, trying to figure out what was wrong. It wasn't the size, although it looks like it in these photos. I don't know what it was, but it was one of the things that's been teaching me a valuable lesson: just because I like something a little bit because of, oh, *the color* or the fabric, and just because it's A Good Deal and I can afford to buy it and come home and start messing with it--all of that does NOT mean it's a good idea. It doesn't mean It's For Me, and it doesn't mean I should even THINK about bringing it home.

I'm getting better. I have walked away from a lot of cool stuff in the last couple weeks. I think I re-thrifted this. Or maybe I thought it was just a disaster and put it in the t-shirt bin for yardage. I don't remember. All I know is that it's not in the closets and not hanging around the studio--that's all I care about.

Here's something else I can't decide about. It was an ugly mustard-y green. Just hideous. I dyed it (believe it or not, it's much greener and less mustard-y than it was), and then I beaded along the lapel parts. (Good grief:  it's more of the Deer in the Headlight look from me.) And, obviously, I wouldn't wear it with a baggy pink t-shirt.

Now, I can't decide if I like it. I haven't worn it, but when I put it on, I can't resist it: it feels fabulous, and it looks good. I like the way it moves. So I'm still thinking about this one.

Here's something else I'm not sure about. I love the jacket--asymmetrical hem, heavy linen, Bryn Walker (I think I dyed it, but I can't remember--some of her stuff comes in fabulous colors that don't need any help from me at all). I beaded the front so the facing wouldn't flop around--I've told y'all how I hate that--and then I decided to go further and add some green glass leaf beads. Now I can't decide if I like that or if it takes the jacket to a whole nother place. I don't like things to look too polished and "precious," and I may have crossed my own line with this one. If so, I'll remove the leaves.

OK. That's all for now, but there may be more later--got to check the folder to see if I've shown you everything that's been photographed. And then, since school's out this week and The Photographer is at home, maybe I can get some more stuff shot and uploaded.

So what are you working on now that it's getting cold? I'll try to get some shots of the projects I've got lined up~~XO