speculative boro

after untold hours of speculative contemplation and meditative needle chanting, my re-newed pair of denims are complete! the wings and skull were hand embroidered onto salvaged lightweight denim. i chose to stitch the wings down, leaving a raw edge so they will fray and soften during future washings, while needle-turning the skull itself to create a cleaner line. i had originally designed the skull with a dropped lower jaw and tongue, but decided to leave them out because the look become more whimsical than i had wanted. the darker circle and rectangle (still sporting some of the seam ombre and wrapping around to the front of the cuff) are from further up on the salvaged denims that the inserted cuffs were harvested from. the lighter denim square on the left cuff sports a seam from it's previous form. the inserts at the bottom of the cuffs were salvaged from another pair of denims that i had blown out the knees on. i chose to use the back seams which had already begun to fray (from my passion for wearing denims a few inches too long in the inseam so they will bunch around the ankles) rather than from the intact front cuffs so that there wouldn't be a harsh transition from the frayed over cuff to a pristine under cuff.

if you've been following my blog for any time (or know me at all), then you already recognize the skull as a personal symbol that i tend to use a lot. i know it touches some of you with its crypt-worn rasp and chilled breath...but for me it has always been a reminder that life is ephemeral and one must make the most of every moment lest those moments be lost forever!

all in all, i am extremely pleased with the way they turned out.  now to turn my creative gaze upon re-newing a few shirts with some speculative boro.

namaste'

atarashii boro

after seeing some of jude hill's fun boro and strip woven jeans (and shirts and more), i thought i'd poke around the web and see what anyone was doing that had a more masculine look (being male, after all, and frequently lamenting that men really have very little exciting clothing).  the first image to pop up was this fun one from last year's polo line.  of course, the jeans are fantastic, and just what i was looking for...but i couldn't tear my eyes off that amazing flag in the background! maybe it's because independence day is right around the corner (for those of us who live in the u.s.). maybe it's because i've always liked tattered american kitch. i dunno...but i'm thinking i may have to have a wade through my stash this week and see what i can tease out of it that might make a wonderful flag similar to that one (at least in concept).  

but, for the moment, back to boro and/or strip woven jeans...

i found a ton of ideas and fun things to do...even a few tutorials on ripping, fraying, fading, and other destructables that bore a lot of promise for many fun days and nights this summer... at least, toying with the techniques and seeing what i come up with and all of its accompanying variations, derivatives and explorations!

from the denim blog:

"ripped jeans have been worn as a fashion statement since the 1970’s. many chose to deform their jeans in an effort to separate themselves from mainstream culture. ironically, the mainstream eventually embraced ripped jeans.today ripped jeans and patched jeans have become part of the fabric of american culture. both styles are now welcome in places that range from the dorm room to the board room, the art studio to the art opening, and the vegetable garden to the garden gala."

dolce & gabanna has made an art of ragged and patched jeans...not to mention a fortune what with them ranging upwards of $85 a pair and more!

i remember mom throwing jeans out long before they reached this stage of deconstruction, no matter how much we protested!

but i have to say...my most favorite pair by far has been an 8 year (and counting) project from lucy b's flickr stream:

now that's a pair of recycled & reused jeans to aspire to!

one more thought...a crossover piece...an atarashii boro denim flag:

this extraordinary patched american flag was handcrafted from recycled vintage denim by american textile artisan judy augur in 2009, and is a true piece of modern day folk art, measuring 125” x 75”, and backed with sturdy canvas.  it is currently at auction to benefit ralph lauren's pink pony fund. perhaps something a bit smaller would be within this artist's grasp at creating?

in any case, i'm off to answer the louder than usual whisperings of a couple cloths...

namaste'

more than words

"all our words are but crumbs 

that fall down from the feast of the mind."

- kahlil gibran

most of us have life mottos that we like to live by. a collection of inspirations to live by. or maybe just a motto to get us through our day to day lives. great thinkers before us have shared enduring inspirational quotes that will resonate through time. visionary quotes that give us all a tiny glint of life. gandhi, buddha, einstein, emerson, confucious, jeffereson... the list could go on forever of those who have given us words to live by.

words can take us many places. can evoke in us an awakening to be a better person. enthuse a new direction in life. spark a change.  they help us get through times that seem unbearable. teach us to love. be happy with what we have. or just appreciate ourselves and the earth from which we came.  sharing words that we believe in...or a quote that drives us and inspires us...with another person is something very special. indeed, even more so when our shared words touches someone in a way that manifests new thoughts...or a new way of life.  but, for many of us, there must also be more than words.

this is why i create. manifest art. explore visual interpretation. musical interpretation. i use words to help explain my process. to engage the reader. but i use thread, fabric, bead, dye and whatever else comes to hand to evoke emotion. response. comprehension.

sometimes, i falter. reset. try again. sometimes, manifestation is elusive and the medium lies silent. sometimes, it flows without an end in sight... the challenge is to find equanimity. harmony. balance. frank herbert once said that there is no secret to balance. you just have to feel the waves.

may we all feel the waves more often than not...

namaste'