Butterfly Jean Jackets - Off On a Tangent
I ended off on a tangent with this project much like a flittering butterfly’s flight. A bundle of calico fabric cut for a quilt commonly referred to as “Parasol Girl” inspired these butterfly jean jackets. I’ve never held a fondness for this quilt. My paternal grandmother brought parasol girl quilt squares with her on a trip to my house, and she meticulously hand-stitched each curved hem, tearing them out and restitching them until they lay perfectly flat. I remember thinking to myself, “That’s a tremendous effort for such an ugly quilt!” But, when I discovered these calico fabrics in my stash, I felt obligated to make something out of them. (Is that what my grandmother had been doing?) I’d put them in the waste bin and Goodwill pile several times over the years but always fetched them out in the end. I felt that my grandmother had taken the time to cut these patterns out, and I should use them, but I couldn’t bring myself to make a parasol girl quilt. What else could I make from these odd shapes? How could I honor the work and the vision already in them while creating something wholly my own?
Parasol Girl Quilt - Bonnet, Collar & Skirt Trim Patterns
Then, one day I stared at them with lament. I was conflicted by my disturbing need to put things to good use and my obsessive desire to declutter my studio. That’s when the vision came to me. As I stacked them once again to place them in the trash, I saw a butterfly silhouette in the bonnet, then the collar, and with a quarter-turn to the right, the skirt. I pulled out my sewing machine and got to work appliquéing them to the backs of UNIQLO jean jackets.
Parasol Girl Quilt Pattern
I tried to remain purest in the beginning and only made a few minor changes to the original fabric shapes. That only worked for the first three jackets which were larger sizes.
The next several jackets were smaller, and I realized I would have to trim the wings to get them to fit. At that point, I took the liberty to drastically change the shape.
I kept stitching them to the backs of jean jackets, and I embroidered for what seemed like forever!!! Then, many months, weeks, days, and hours later, I started to stitch the final two jackets. I only had the bonnets and collars left, and as I sorted through them, I pricked my finger on a rusty straight pin. It was attached to a price tag labeled Savers. What? As blood welled on my fingertip, I noticed the text on the paper used to make the patterns. I can’t believe I hadn't seen it till then. It said, “5th and Utah, Boulder City.” They weren’t my grandmothers! I’d bought them at a local thrift store!
All that work to pay homage to my grandmother’s vision, and they weren’t hers. Would I have made all these butterfly jean jackets if I had realized that in the beginning? I don’t think so. Was there a lesson to be learned? Yes. Life can be like the flight of a butterfly. We can get battered by the wind, or we can relax, enjoy the ride, and see where it take us.
Check out the gallery below to view more detailed photos of each jacket.
