Sometimes a gal has just gotta sew

Another week has passed. Another week somewhat similar to the last one with daily zaps of radiation treatments for my husband, daily strolls around the city, some drives to surrounding towns and a week where a gal has just gotta sew.

Another week of carting my sewing necessities from our home in our far rural outpost, to the city cottage where we are staying during the week. Oops.....you can see I seem to cart one or two suitcases filled with my pretties. Yes indeedy, it takes a few holdalls to carry all what may be required in readiness for a little embellishing. I have to lug oodles of pretties with me because I just never know what I will need. Invariably the little pretty that I really, really need to make the finishing touch has been left at home.

At the moment my husband is having his daily snooze whilst I sit here effusing about my latest tarted up jacket.

As I hinted at in my last post, I found this little jacket at an op shop whilst strolling around Launceston. I am always on the lookout for jackets with 'good bones' that I can add the 'Kim Sharman' touch. Normally I don't do a lot of brown but this jacket tripped me over as I walked past a rack filled with rather unremarkable garments.

Did I say I am not a fan of the colour brown? Paradoxically, the last two jackets I have embellished to an inch of their lives have  been various shades of the hue brown!! Why oh why is there never a lovely blue, grey or even purple jacket to be found in these op shops?? Perhaps one of these days I will happen upon one.

Anyway back to the tarting up of my new find. I have always loved the look of a double breasted jacket or coat and I must say I rather like pin stripes as well. I love the wide, overlapping front flaps with the parallel columns of buttons.

First things first. I decided to banish the rather plain fastening doodads that were stitched on the jacket.

Normally jackets have buttons, times four or six or whatever......BUT.....I have decided I want five different buttons. As you know I am a gal that loves to play and be a little different. There are some seriously funky buttons in this lot.

Then of course, I dived into my slew of pretties in the name of all things embellishment and came up with these.

I thought it would be rather cool to stitch some upholstery fringing down the front of the jacket.

To make a statement on the sleeves, I stitched these lovely trims to the cuffs.

As for the collar I thought I would keep it simple and just border it with this pretty velvet, swirls upon swirls, ribbon. Ooops...did I say simple?? Wow.......unbelievable! I did audition other trims but thought them a little over the top.....even for me.

This jacket doesn't have a breast pocket so I thought I would gussy up my jacket by stitching a corsage-like pretty, using vintage lace flowers, crochet flowers, ribbon, a pretty fan brooch and other triflings.

There you have it, another tarted up jacket, which when stepping out and about town, one certainly won't become lost in a crowd. Another jacket which was perfectly fine and acceptable unadorned, but for me who is not a fan of wearing what all those other gals are turned out in, needed a little sprucing up....a little gussying up. Another pretty, making merry with needle and thread and oodles of bits and bobs. Another pretty with a wee bit of experimentation. Another pretty which has been transformed with each soothing stitch, calming my spirit, relaxing me, causing a li'l of my anxiety to flee for a while.

With each stitch my jacket  has slowly come together into another upcycled garment. displaying my own personal and unique taste and creativity. That is the best thing about this kind of sewing.....there is not another jacket quite like this one. Not to mention the fact this kind of stitching is rather akin to therapy sessions without having to unclasp the purse! I once read somewhere, that sewing mends the soul.

Yes indeedy.........sometimes, oh all right most of the time......this gal has just gotta sew!

I wonder what this gal will stitch next week.........perhaps I will find a grey or even a blue jacket to tart up or deconstruct??

Whatever this week brings this one thing I know for certain........

.....I am eternally thankful for the peace of God which passeth all understanding!!

Until the next time .............