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Asymmetrical Vest – Years in the Making

Rae has dreamed about finishing this strip of modern surface design and making it into a band on an asymmetrical vest for years.  The project began before the final design was even envisioned and then it became an intention mired in the complexities of life.  But as we are thinking about new work conceived and other work years in the making and finished on our to-do list, this is a project to be celebrated.

A step in the process – asymmetrical vest – years in the making

The Timeline Begins

In January of 2022 I enrolled in a free class through the TextileArtist.org to play with paints and stitching. I had hoped it would be another in my many attempts to develop a more abstract eye with regards to my artful wearable creations.  The class had 5 sessions, one each day, projecting that there would be a finished project at the end of the week.  I had tried to free some time in my schedule so I could approach it all playfully.

Create the Abstractly Painted Fabric

In the class we were directed to create two pieces of painted fabric using found objects and choose 2 colors of textile paint in various shades on a light colored background.  The bases were cut from a very old and dingy pillowcase and the colors of pink and green were selected.  One piece of cloth was to be painted lightly and the other piece more heavily with darker paint and bolder marks.  It was suggested to make rather random marks and not think too deeply about the design as they would be cut apart and then reassembled.

The work table where the panesl were painted.

I painted with abandon, let it dry and the next day heat set the two fabrics with an iron.

Deconstruct and Reconstruct Fabric Sections

The next day, with the instructor’s encouragement, the deconstruction and reconstruction commenced.  The fabric was cut into sections and then reassembled into a strip.  Embroidery stitches using similar colors were collected to create links between the fabric sections so it looked like a continuous piece of cloth.  I got a reasonably good start and then realized, this was a project that would probably be worked on for a while.  In actuality, it was 2½ years before it would be finished and applied to a garment, which was not the instructor’s idea, but became my goal about 6 months into the project.

Finding bridges between the densly ad lightly paintned sections

Embroider the Sections Together

The strip of fabric sat in my TV room with a collection of needles and threads, and over time it slowly grew longer and more interesting.  Progress would slow each time I reached a point where the path to the next stitch was unclear.  After a break, when returning to the project, there would be new direction and the piece grew and changed over time.

Threads and sections

At one point, I added a quote which I have always liked to the piece using acrylic painting pencils.  My first attempt was to freehand stitch the quote but that failed miserably.  Fortunately the stitches were no more abstract than other areas of the future band so I left it in the composition anyway.

Painted inspirational quote

Cut and Construct the Vest

Because I had made several asymmetrical Tabula Rasa Jacket variations, I knew how long the embroidery needed to be to add it to a vest as a collar.  

The vest fabric had been kicking around the studio for years, finding its first home in the Asymmetrical Top with Circle Design.  It had just enough texture to stand up to this multidimensional piece of needlework. The asymmetrical style is a variation of the Tabula Rasa Jacket and you can read more about it in the blog Asymmetrical Band Front.

Part of the handcrafted band,

Last spring, after our book manuscript had been finished, I cut and assembled the vest and created a two piece collar using the embellished fabric and some interfaced cotton batik.  The paint and thread had given the fabric strip a substantial structure and the interfaced backing fabric was designed to keep it all tidy.

Add the Band to the Vest

The band was attached from back to front, with the right side of the backing stitched to the wrong side of the vest.

A peak inside the attached band.

The last design decision was to determine how to finish off the raw edges of the embroidery.  The composition did not seem to want to be finished in a neat and tidy manner, it was so modern and freeform.

In August, at the French river house as we awaited the birth of our granddaughter, I took out the vest and  made the decision to trim the raw edge of the band in a freeform fashion.  Then it was hand stitched to the vest.  Additional thread was added to quilt the band pieces together lightly and even out the design where it seemed thin.  Occasionally an extra piece of painted fabric was added to complete a design.

I had brought a couple of button options with me from the states and chose the bright pink one. Finally I added some running stitch top stitching along the hem and the armholes to integrate the hot pink color around the edges of the vest.

Finished band and closure

I have worn this asymmetrical vest that was years in the making a couple of times this fall and winter and it is a keeper. It’s a bit out of my comfort zone, but in a good way.  What do you think?  It is always so fun to actually finish a long term and very experimental project.  A good challenge and a realized intention!

Want to experiment?

Join us in France August 5-13 and we will encourage you to play with some new surface designs that just might find their place on one of your future creations.  There are still places available in this small but visionary class to expand your stitching horizons. We would love to welcome you to La Cascade.

Happy Fabric Experimentation! RAE

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