It has poured today. Buckets full of rain.
Lately one day is balmy while the next day is high winds and snow. And as much as I would love to be planting pansies and let my toes be free in flip flops, today is not that day.
I am all snuggled up in this handmade coat as I head for my studio.
This is how I wear it; inside out.
All the detail and colors keep me warm on the inside and peek out at the cuffs and collar. I wear most of my clothes inside out due to painting and my love of big messes.
This coat used to be an old bedspread. A close friend of mine, Deb Allen (so much talent here), saw it at a flea market. I had asked her to please make me a grown up coat.
She had been making these amazing little girl coats I loved. My daughter had one she wore for years. I wanted my own. So Deb spotted this bedspread and thought of me and saw the possibility of what it could become.
And made me this amazing coat.
And I made her a piece of my art in exchange and stretched a bit too. My primary color palette became pastel. Soft pink, blue and mint green flowers overflowed from vases all made from recycled materials.
A bit more about this coat. I love these seams that are so thick and vintage and sewn on the inside that is now the outside. There is also a big hood that is perfect for rainy days.
People stop me often to comment on this coat. Actually, all the time.
Sometimes I give them Deb's number. "Maybe she would make another."
But right now this is the only one she has ever made.
Wearing it makes bad weather okay. Kind of enjoyable. Magical even.
Here is a peek at where Deb sews and makes.
Her creative space is a nook in her basement. It is cozy, full of vintage and so inviting. I love all her thread.
Everything is so organized and inviting. I just want to stay and play here. I love my cottage studio, but I appreciate how Deb can walk downstairs when everyone is sleeping and be in her own space. There is something really nice about that.
I just wanted to show you this special coat before it gets put away for the season. One of these days is going to be the last day I wear it for a while.
Maybe today is that day. Fingers crossed.
Ps. What I love best about this coat is that it is an exchange of talent and ideas. It is salvaged and upcycled, just like my art. Have you traded with an artist friend? Is your exchange one of your prized possessions? Oh, please share. xo