LADYFITS

DOCUMENTING MY MOMENT

Since Saturday's event, my compositions have been in their garment bags. I'm finally bringing those items out again with new eyes.

Here's a different look at a few pieces from LADYFITS in April - documenting my moment in time. The thoughts from then have completely changed for Today.

ADRENALINE FROM THE TEXTILE SOULS OF MCQUEEN + LACROIX

I'm back to my blog, ready to work on new LADYFITS. I've had a whirlwind of experiences in April. Most of which were hearing from people in the community, interacting through events. I enjoy being amongst my community to discuss how textiles can give form to our understanding of what is around us - it is a communicator and identifier. I have so many thoughts floating around my mind. I'm prepping with reading the McQueen book - it is paired with the Exhibition at the Met in New York. I look towards the great textile souls of McQueen and Lacroix. It not only gives me inspiration in the physicality of their work. It also gives me adrenaline to push LADYFITS. One of my most treasured compliments from April: Someone told me I was the ambassador + couturier of thrift, which I will try to hold my head up high to those standards.

What's ahead for LADYFITS? LOTS! More info to come on my partnership with Goodwill of the Heartland + the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library.

BEHIND THE SCENES

TIRE LAND

REFRIGERATOR CITY

IN STUDIO: PROCESS WORK

LADYFIT SCRAPS

Special thanks to Cliff Jette for the photo shoot AND the Solid Waste Agency for the piles

I will share in another post some behind the scenes images. I have one LADYFIT that didn't make the photo spread. It's a fantastic garment made from thick floral upholstery, threads left behind from sewing projects, and my favorite thrift find: black + white stripe skirt.

The idea behind these LADYFITS were about materials/scraps left behind after my sewing projects. I quite enjoy the waste left behind after a LADYFIT. Instead of throwing away the threads + odd shapes of fabric left behind, I decided to utilize them as adornment.

This article/photo spread is for

RECYCLE IN STYLE: THRIFT BY DESIGN

On April 30th, the catwalk goes green.

The Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency, in association with Goodwill of the

Heartland, presents the 3rd Annual Recycle In Style Fashion Show. This yearʼs theme: Thrift

by Design. All of the models will be showcasing materials that came from a thrift store,

resourced into something wearable.

Local thrift artist Sonya Darrow will showcase LADYFITS, alongside garments from Goodwill

and local designers Ramona Muse, Carissa Starleaf and Brooke Dearborn. Each designer

will bring a different storyline to thrifting by educating the audience on ways to view a

material as sustainable fashion. The featured clothing requires no additional consumption of

resources and promotes the use of recycled textiles to create new designs.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, April 30th, with the show beginning at 7:00 p.m. The free

event will be held at Goodwill of the Heartlandʼs Cedar Rapids Center, 1441 Blairs Ferry

Road NE, Cedar Rapids.

Space is limited: RSVP through

recycleinstyle@gmail.com

The Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency launched and has sponsored the

Recycle in Style fashion show the past three years. The Agencyʼs recycling and landfill

services are available to all Linn County residents and businesses.

WHAT: Recycle in Style: Thrift By Design

WHERE: 1441 Blairs Ferry Road NE, Cedar Rapids

WHEN: Saturday, April 30, 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

LADYFITS @ ECO ARTS FEST

PRE-LADYFITS LOOK

ECO ARTS FEST in NEW BOHEMIA is TOMORROW: Saturday, April 16th. This is my 2nd year working on this sustainable fashion series. It has been over 5 years of working in this community to promote sustainable ways to dress. There has been tremendous growth in the way this community views thrift - 2nd hand clothes & materials. The people amaze me each year, bringing me the inspiration to continue this effort.

As their understanding grows, my communication of sustainable dress grows. I have always felt that the way I dress is rooted in this community. I take their responses, involvement in my dress into the next layer of LADYFITS. It has been a great journey thus far.

Come to this Saturday's event:

Open Studio with designers from 1-4PM, bring your projects and enjoy some free space to talk + sew

Fashion show begins @7PM

All Eco Arts Fest: Sustainable Fashion events are being held at Gatherings in New Bohemia, Cedar Rapids, IA