Ambition

Imagine this in red leather...(image from HP site)

Hot Patterns 1118

Now that I've sewn my first muslin, I'm dreaming of a red leather jacket. There's an enormous gap between the current level of my sewing skills and experience and my ambition. How did I come to fixate on a red leather jacket as a future project? Let's trace the steps...

Yesterday, I (for the second time) stumbled across the Selfish Seamstress's blog and was admiring her leggings/pants here. Then I wondered about stretch leather. Poked around on the internet. Circled back to Gorgeous Fabrics where I came across this lambskin. Suggested pattern was Hot Patterns 1118, Metropolitan Agostini Moto Jacket. As I'm not a fan of "natural" colors and the quantity of skins in stock would have made a size that is too small for me, I didn't remotely entertain buying these skins. BUT the pattern really struck a chord. I kept thinking of it. Later in the evening, I deliberately went back to the Selfish Seamstress, intending to catch up on past posts. Was reminded of Fabric Mart Fabrics and went there to look for leather. At first I found some black lambskin and I thought of buying it to make the jacket. Then it occurred to me that I don't really need to replace my black leather jacket (but it could use a re-dye). When I looked at the black leather skins, I saw that they came in red too. A deep, bluish red. My favorite kind. There were only three in stock. I popped them in the cart (along with two other cuts of fabric), fought with myself about how ridiculous it is to buy leather for a project that I'm not yet capable of sewing, then I viewed current leather jackets for sale online, closed the computer and immediately went to bed.

Today, on my way in to work, the universe was tempting me with that same red along with jackets in that style. I logged back into Fabric Mart Fabrics, rebuilt my shopping cart, looked for discount coupons, found one and checked out. That's it.

I now have a wardrobe of unsewn and unknit projects. Pants, shirts, sweaters, socks, coats, and even potential underwear. The only supplies I lack are to make bras (which I hope to tackle using makebra.com).

I've wondered over the years where my ambition went - it's there and wants to make a comeback in the form of creating my own wardrobe, on my terms. Even if only to experience the pleasure of wearing garments that fit, the way I want them to, in fabrics of my choosing - it's a healthy way to welcome home my wayward ambition. I can learn to sew leather!! (But will first go through MANY muslins...as I am a cautious type!)