Art Project Sneak Reveal - Tammy Jacket and Zoom Call Pewter Flashback

It's likely I will keep my Thursdays off  work until at least the New Year - for now, I'm savouring every single one. I'm also determined to use our deck as much as I can. 

I re-purpled my hair this morning with allover permanent dye - it will fade out to a more light lavender in a week or so, but I needed the lift of a little colour. No make-up, and I'm bundled up in cotton, wool and more wool so that I could finish Tammy's jacket (which I've called the Tammy Jacket, obviously). 

It is not warm on the deck. That's just barely above 5 degrees. 

Castle view! 

Here's my work area. 

My TV blanket for extra warmth, and a couple of pillows to prop the jacket up on so that I can work close-up (I take my glasses off when I'm doing this). 

My hot mug of tea became iced tea after about an hour. I wore fingerless wool gloves, and I plugged in my music for some nice soothing background. I could still hear the rain pattering down on the glass above me. 

I also filled up George, the hot water bottle, and snuggled it on my lap while I worked. Every time I shifted, I apologized - I kept thinking it was Vizzini!

Nope, he stayed on the gold chair.

"It's stupid cold, and you're dumb for sitting out there."

Thanks for the support, bud. I actually enjoyed working in the cold and was comfortably warm, although after three hours (yes) my nose, toes and fingers were feeling nippy. 

I'll be sharing the full before/after, process and detail pictures of the jacket tomorrow after I give it to Tammy. 

But I had a Zoom call scheduled with Mom this afternoon, and what better item to style up and wear than the Tammy Jacket? 

I had wanted Mom to see it, as once I give it away...it's no longer mine to show! 

• Jacket - Le Chateau, customized by me for Tammy
• Sweater - Rodier, vintage 50s, vintage fair; last worn here in January with pink fringe
• Leather skirt - BCBG Max Azria, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in October 2017 (4 years!!) for the theatre with Mom
• Boots - Conquer Malika, Fluevog; last worn here with McQueen trousers in March

Here's the underneath outfit - this beautiful vintage sweater was the perfect match for the pink roses on the jacket. 

I am shocked that I haven't worn this gorgeous pewter metallic leather skirt in over four years! It deserves some recognition - there will be a Flashback at the end of the post! 

So, the jacket! Tammy is a statement dresser extraordinaire, but I knew she wouldn't want something overly busy. I left a lot of "white space" on the front of this jacket, partly because those flopped over lapels are faux suede on the outer facing surface and there's no way I'm going to draw on that. 

The sides and under arms of the jacket are matching stretch fabric - again, not going to draw on that. 

But I did take full advantage of the back! I'll post close-ups tomorrow, but you can click to embiggen any image. 

"Hey, wait for me!"

The back says "Friends in Fair-Weather and Foul", an homage to our time working together at Fairweather women's clothing store in 1999-2000, and our 2+ decades of being friends ever since. 

I asked Tammy how she usually wears this and she said jeans and a t-shirt. I think this will still work well - a little pink or purple lippy and she'll be good to go.

It whispers, "Badass..." just a little more than it used to when it was plain. 

And of course, it has Secret Roses! I hid them under the lapels so Tammy can flip them over and show them off, which she'll totally do.

I alternated pink/lavender roses on the opposite sides of the jacket, and sort-of mirrored the designs on the front and sleeves. 

I tried the jacket on many times as I worked on it, to make sure that the designs could be lined up. 

Wrist roses! 

If you do this...

You can see it all! I'm going to wrap it up pretty tonight, and I'm so excited to give it to Tammy. She doesn't read my blog, so I'm not worried about spoiling this for her - I've sent her one picture as a teaser (of the word "Foul", ha ha). 

L says this is his favourite piece so far and I have to agree. The colour of the pleather definitely made it easier to work on. 

I'm learning as I go, but also developing my own pattern toolbox. I do prefer working on real leather, though. Maybe this skirt...one day...? What would look cool on it? 

The stuff: 

I only wore these boots for the pictures - I changed to my black fluffy slippers for the Zoom call with Mom. 

Simple bling: 

I picked earrings that would go with the jacket. 

• Silver earrings - Israel, consignment
• Silver/onyx ring - Toccara, vintage fair
• Silver/amethyst ring - vintage mall

Vizzini visited often while Mom and I chatted. 

"I felt it was important that I bother you."

Mom and I had a lovely chat - she showed me her latest work-in-progress, a picture based off one I took (this one) during our visit to Finnerty Gardens in the summer (here). 

It's not finished, but I'm loving how it's coming along.

Mom's art group just finished a week-long exhibit in Sidney, where she sold three paintings! 

That's fantastic! So proud of you, Mom! 

Flashback: BCBG Max Azria Pewter Leather Maxi Skirt

I have had this BCBG Max Azria pewter leather skirt for nine years - I bought it at Verve Consignment off the sale rack for $70.00 probably in November or December 2012. These were the blogging days before I posted what I bought after I shopped, so I have no pictures of it until I first wore it on New Year's Eve 2012-2013, here. It has a slight train at the back - so KLASSY - and you can see it in some of the pics here and above, in today's outfit.

I was fully into steampunk in late December 2012/early January 2013, and had just dyed my hair blonde for the first time. 

I miss that blouse - it was a great piece. I still have the top hat and floral necklace on it, and the leather bustier, which I'm pretty sure won't do up now. 

I love this pic of L and I. 

He's wearing one of two Zoot Suits he owns, his red Fluevog Iggys and the fedora he was wearing the night we met. 

As you might suspect with a pewter leather skirt, it's only worn for fancy occasions. We went to a burlesque show in April 2013.

I still have the belt and zipper rose, but I've given up on the blonde hair. I fell off a bus on the way home in this, breaking my nose, splitting my upper lip and scraping the surface off the front of the skirt. I repaired it with some Testors silver model paint. 

I wore this to Elaine's birthday, a cocktail party at Clive's Lounge in September 2013. 

I just wore that necklace recently, and I still have that purse. The top we'll see again. 

This is my summertime punked-up look for seeing punk legend Art Bergman in September 2014. 

And I just wore that necklace yesterday! I sent that stretchy denim bustier to my friend Shelley who I met through blogging (the Forest City Fashionista). 

I just let go of this delicate vintage beaded top to the giveaway pile. My hair's purple here - I still have that fascinator. 

I wore this to see "Spamalot" with Mom in September 2016 - I'd just started getting my upper arm tattoos. 

And this is the last time I wore this skirt in October 2017, with the same top as September 2013. Only I wore the top backwards this time. Also, it's a wool sweater covered in glass beading - it weighs a ton. I should wear it again - I still have it. 

This was for another Mom outing - to see the play "Onegin" at the Belfry. I've worn this skirt with her three times now, ha! 

Mathy stuff: Including today's outfit, I've now worn this skirt 7 times which is $10.00 per wear. Excellent.

I knew when I bought this that I'd never need to buy another long silver skirt again. It's an easy and useful bottom piece and super comfortable and warm to wear - and I learned from the bus incident that a) I can't take big strides in it and b) that it's good protection if I fall. Keeper!