Butterfly on the Wall

In order to fly, a butterfly has to break its cocoon. In similar ways, I have broken out of the expectations I once held for myself as an artist to truly flourish in my craft, sewing. As a young adult, breaking out of my “cocoon” of expectations had proven to be difficult, but like a butterfly I feel like I have gone through a mental and emotional metamorphosis through my work. The metamorphosis of a butterfly is how I know best to describe my work, passion, and responsibility to the craft, treating every piece like a flower that should be handled with care and hope of flourishment as it blooms. With fabric as my medium, I’ve always known that clothing can make a difference in my life. Wearable stories that help reflect identities that can speak without words and create such a significant impact on the way we view fashion as whole.

Since I began making clothing two years ago, I have been able to break out of the boundaries I set for myself in what I thought I could achieve, and help others do the same. Countless hours, stuck bobbins, and broken sewing needles have proven that there is work to do in the fashion industry, and sustainable practices are the way to do it. I have made it my goal to be zero waste and use whatever materials I can find. Often times I come across old fabrics, thrifted clothing, and my new favorite, reusable shopping bags.

Finding new ways to engineer a material such as shopping bags, has sparked a new light in me that I felt encouraged to share with readers. With ethical practices and sustainability at the forefront of global issues, I can use the power of my scissors and thread to educate people on the importance of saving and reusing their materials. Creation is transformation. Having limited materials is always a great challenge for me as a designer and artist. It has challenged me to think forward and innovate.

Patternmaking and sewing jackets have been a part of this metaphorical experience, as my skills get better and more technical with every piece. A wearable piece of art. You could call it fashion, you could call it a sculpture, you can call it a statement piece. With this project I would like to continue to innovate the shapes of untraditional fabrics such as the Target bags shown in my photographs. I would like to reshape the way we think about consumption in our daily lives using this jacket. Drawing inspiration from a butterfly, I couldn’t help but bring this vision to life as I carefully construct the pieces to create a blueprint for more sculpture like clothing and a future line of jackets representing insects that fly.

Sewing has helped me fly through times where I needed an outlet that gave me a feeling a freedom. As a kid, I loved fashion but never would have thought in my young adulthood I would be working with such a powerful medium to powerfully motivate my community to question what they know about the production of our clothing, the message we send when we wear certain articles of clothing, and the significance of supporting small business and independent artists.

As I fly further into the bloom of my skills, I encourage everyone that has a passion for creating to trust the process of metamorphosis. While it may be challenging, there is something special in each craft that starts in the mind and is made with fingertips.

Butterfly on the Wall, a message to myself to always trust my growth, even when doubtful. Beautiful things can come from Target bags and thread.