Inspiration

So much for taking a break.  Between ignoring biology and the FE, my fingers itched for something to do.  A few months ago, I started reading Tea Rose Home's blog (which you can find here), and I've really been impressed by the author, which I'll be discussing after my project blurb.  After seeing a cardigan upcycle, I was inspired to try it on one of my own shirts.

This isn't the original shirt (very similar), but yet again, I've forgotten to take before/after pictures.  On that note, I always feel odd about not having B/A pics.  One, there's always the chance that someone will want to repeat *my* fashions and need a tutorial.  To this, I have to think, "But Victoria, you don't use patterns, and you frequently use other people's tutorials."  In fact, public service announcement:  for the love of peaches, don't follow in my footsteps if, by the off chance, you like my creations.  I eyeball nearly everything, and tend to end up with lots of mismatch. 

Two, and this is the bigger one, there's suddenly no proof that I actually created these things I'm showing off.  But then there are counterarguments - 1.  My work is pretty shoddy, so it's pretty obvious that *someone* hand-made it, and 2. Really, there's no proof that I am who I say I am.  I could be a portly 30-year-old blogging from my mother's basement.  Soooooo... in other words, I frequently concern myself for no reason at all.

Continuing on.

That having been said, I did get a quick shot of me taking away a small bit of the the sleeves.  This shirt, as so many other before, was an old turtleneck of Dillon's.  It didn't fit him very well, and it looked purely awkward on me.  Also, I dislike significant tapering in clothing.  Fun Victoria Fact - "Jeggings" are not okay, and the same can usually be said of skinny jeans.
 

My plan was to make a bolero of sorts.  I've always wanted a jacket like this (the one that the red-head is wearing) because frankly I find them smashing.  This was... definitely not the right material for it, though.  After a lot of compromise, and of course, inspiration from Tea Rose, I came up with this:

The black material came from an old tee shirt that I got from school.  Actually, this is something that want to share for my own amusement.  Take a look at almost any basic tee, and you'll notice that there is no seam from your armpit to your waist.  I have no clue how they do this.  It was explained to me once, but I'm pretty sure it involved witchcraft***.  Regardless, the nice little result of this is that if you cut up the shirt in sort of a spiral formation, you can get a single long strand of fabric, which is what I used for the ruffles.

Using some leftover material, I made a quick rosette to cover bottom corner, where the two ends of the long ruffle met.

As for those heinous sleeves, folded them up and made this faux strap:

Project:  Success.

Okay, so back to Tea Rose.  Kind of.  It's a little bit of a spring board, I guess (I'm really bad at organizing my thoughts today).  Ms. Sachiko, author of TRH and owner of her own company, is probably one of the most genuine bloggers I've ever read.  Her tone is unbelievably... cordial.  I can't think of a better word to describe her, and it's absolutely amazing, given that we live in a time of cutting words, especially on the Internet.  Admit it.  The Internet is full of stinging jabs and "derp".  That's just the unfortunate truth.  Yet she maintains a massive fan-base (I think.  Maybe 5000 followers isn't that big.  I really don't know how these things work).   

I think what staggered me most though, was when she recently posted of her medical history.  My understanding is that illness and crisis is a paralytic.  She, instead, pretty much went, "Screw that noise" and is creating art now. 

Those of you who know me personally understand that, while I have a bit of a "Victoria-Rage" mode, I'm usually a level-headed person.  Part of that, I think, stems from the fact that I have quite a lot of emotional outlets - my writing, martial arts, crafts, and an on-off therapist (i.e., a school counselor who lets me vent some stress, no more, no less.)

The big thing, though, is that I've lived a pretty standard life.  I've never faced a serious crisis, been abused, attacked, etc., for which I am ever thankful.  At the same time, though, I wonder if that means I'm never meant to be unique.  No, not in the "unique snowflake" b---s--- we learn in grade school.  I mean properly stand out.  Back in elementary school, one of my friends made the joke that she would never want to be an artist because she would have to be dead before she could be famous.  We laughed at the thought and very wholeheartedly agreed.  Nowadays, I know that's pretty... not true.  But I do have to wonder if something really traumatic has to happen before you elevate yourself to legendary status.

I know this thought is pretty trite, but when was the last time you saw a biography about a person who led a perfectly normal life and decided to do something extravagant?  Being awesome usually means taking a massive risk, and if you're already happy enough, why take the leap?  And these people who do go big instead of going home... is it because they have nothing to go home to, so they say, "You know what?  It can only get better from here."?

So... now I'm just doing exactly what I said I WOULDN'T do when I started this blog... angst.  I guess I'm feeling badly about myself because I recently walked into a book store and looked at the teen fiction section and realized, "Dear lord.  Even if I can ever publish my own book, it's just going to be a dusty tome on a shelf of unwanted, smutless romance novels.  Why am I even bothering?"

... But... seriously, if a woman without a leg can be as happy as she is, doing what she loves, why am I being such a damnable Debbie Downer?!  Ugh, I hate when I get in these moods!

:: Punches self in face ::  1 week to the FE, and 1.5 weeks to NaNoWriMo!  Holy fricker-fracker! 

Yeah, I don't know where to go from there.  I'm curious to see how other people feel about inspirations and dreams and the such, so feel free to leave your comments in the dooblie-doo. 

Until the next.

*** The process is actually called tubular knitting... Pretty nifty - look it up if you are interested.