”Old garments and accesssories metamorphize into new creations…”
A thrift store find, this baby blue crew neck sweater, was transformed into a Chanel-style jacket. “Coco” was published in the January/February 2008 issue of Belle Armoire magazine.
article in Belle Armoire on "Coco"
The sweater was steeked up the front and the lace panels were added to make a wider bodice. This cotton lace yardage was crocheted by my grandmother many, many moons ago. She trimmed most all of her home items with hand crocheted lace. Stained from age, the lace, once removed from the worn draperies, was thrown into a dye bath. The dye took in this mottled blue /green colorway. Until this project, the perfect application, it had been in my own stored goodies.
Sweater sleeves were cut to a three-quarter length. With the remaining lace, cuffs and a standup collar were added. There remained a couple of little pieces of lace, which were just right to fashion mock pockets.
And now, for the finishing. Silk dupioni lining and a bit of bling. The sparkles came from an old, acrylic sweater…a thrift store find. The sweater would never be worn again, but the beads still had life in them. Each bead was hand sewn onto the jacket, in a free form design, both front and back.
“Coco” also hung in the show, Karen Lukacs: Transformations, at the Art Institute of Tucson, first quarter, 2009.
