Stitching memories

Years ago, new to a city and knowing very few I would spend hours at Borders browsing books and magazines and I rarely buy Vogue thinking it too fancy for me but I read the story of Project Alabama and the designer Natalie Chanin and her philosophy about clothes and fashion and the story of her return to her home in Florence, Alabama. I clipped that Vogue article, kept it for years and years in my inspiration file. A few weeks ago, I saw the Alabama Stitch Book on the same Borders bookstore and even from afar, I could tell that the photos from the cover were of clothes made by in the mind and the hand of these Alabama women whom I've come to admire. In 2006 Project Alabama ceased operations in Alabama to move their production overseas, but Natalie kept her resolve and her dedication to the region and stayed behind and set anew and established Alabama Chanin.

Here is a corset top that I made from the pattern and the same reverse applique that made Natalie Chanin and the women of Alabama a worldwide success. Everything is hand-stitched and while that sounds truly intimidating, the experience was completely the opposite. I would come home and work on a panel an hour or so at night while listening to NPR or watching TV or talking to my friends and before I knew it I was done. This is a gift for my sister for her birthday. We are all older now and thinking of new ways to celebrate each other can be challenging, even tiresome. It's nice to come up with new ways to make memories for each other as we get older.