Fabric collage

I began an experiment with fabric and hand-sewn collage as a project I started with my oldest son we called Elf Ear Clothing (because he was born with one pointy elf ear). He got busy with his own life, so I continued the project on my own. I thrift used clothing and then clip the images, rearrange them, and piece them back together. I sew the new designs onto another piece of upcycled clothing to create a collage. When I am sewing I imagine I am connecting with the long-ago women in my family who sewed and darned and mended. Clothing and fabric are natural resources and human labor brings them to our drawers and closets. By upcycling and collaging with used clothing, I hope I am contributing to a greater cosmic energy and helping in some small way to save our planet.

Beyond upcycling, I am conscious that each individual piece tells a story. The act of saving men’s clothing, in particular, from the landfill and then adorning them using a historically feminine craft like embroidery, mirrors the way we might might mend our society by making gender justice a priority and by insisting on anti-capitalist feminism as an essential tool for achieving transformative equality. 

To purchase any of the pieces seen here, check my shop for availability.