Returning a Favour
I do feel guilty about all this waste I have directly created in my journey to develop my skills and learn the craft I love. The Calico fabric has been incredibly helpful to me in assisting me in my learning that I want to return the favour, by giving it a new life as a wearable garment
So much time, effort, and resources have gone into making the calico that it feels like a waste for it to live for such a brief time. In this process I have started to develop, I hope to return the calico back to a roll of fabric so it may reach its true potential.
It was an enriching experience going through creating this process, I felt very connected to the textile, and it gave me a lot of appreciation for the work that goes into creating a roll of fabric.
As I was processing the textiles, I could see the ghosts of my previous work, a shape that resembled a sleeve, a silhouette of a trouser leg, and the needle marks from my sewing machine. Memories would flood back as I imagined the pieces as a part of the Toiles they made up. A smile came to my face knowing I was continuing the life of this fabric. It was going to reach its full potential and be worn proudly as a finished garment.
This outfit was a labour of aroha, the many hours of mahi needed to create the fabric have strengthened my emotional connection to the final garments.
The way the strips of fabric have been sewn and woven together shows a human element, it shows the passage of time, and that makes the garment more emotionally valuable.