living vicariously: breakup by wendy
I love Wendy Mullins' retro-preppy designs for her Built By Wendy
line, but the pieces aren't exactly easy on the wallet. So when she
released Simplicity sewing patterns a couple years ago, I couldn't wait to try one out. After serious deliberation, I brought this coat pattern home with me.
But then I opened it up. Hmm. It had a lining. And quite a lot of pieces to cut out. Also, I wasn't quite sure how to make a buttonhole. (While I like to fancy myself a bit of a craft maven, I hadn't sewn from a real pattern since I was about 10 years old--and I was beginning to remember why.) The pattern sat untouched for months. Until I broke up with my boyfriend.
As it turns out, there's nothing like a breakup to refuel your creative ambitions. Suddenly all my free time was completely my own, and I was craving a new project. Taking a stab at the coat seemed just ambitious (okay, frustrating) enough to drown out the overanalyzing in my head.
I ripped out a few of the seams multiple times before getting them right, but after much duress, I'm pleased to say I ended up with something resembling an actual garment. The equestrian-print lining is my favorite part.
