Sewing leather wrecks your hands. But what are you supposed to do when you find yet another second hand leather coat that fits you perfectly, except of course for the perpetual problem of the sleeves being too short?
You try to put on cuffs using just rivets, and some left-over black leather from a pair of mangled pants.
And no pins either. Once a hole is in leather, it’s there forever.
Many of my clothing revisions have been made as one would make a collage – no pattern or measurements, just a lot of eye-balling and hands-on-material. This worked more or less with the rivet challenge, though the pieces aren’t perfectly lined up and one added triangle of leather buckles out a bit too much.
But no need for physiotherapy afterward.
More and more, I’m beginning to think there is a strong similarity between making something “work” aesthetically, and making something work materially – and I mean making matter – stuff – work. I think visual artists would probably do very well at motor vehicle mechanics.
Around the neck, I added the rose wreath that I made for my first Revisionary leather dress that I’ve only won once because I feel upholstered in it — more like a bucket seat than a human being.
I like that line, and it’s mine, so I’m using it again.
