Blood, Sweat & Coffee

At age 10 Destiny (currently in Year 10) undertook sewing classes at Spotlight.  It was there that she learnt how to read a pattern and how to use a sewing machine. However, during those classes she felt intimidated by the skill of those around her, so she discontinued the classes. 

“Mum used to sew, and she encouraged me to continue sewing small projects like making soft toys,” recalls Destiny.  “I started collecting fabrics, I loved the patterns and the textures, and I also started to collect clothing patterns, I could imagine in my mind’s eye, outfits made from these”. However, Destiny was held back from realising her vision for the fabrics she collected and loved. “I lacked motivation, as I feared the outfits may not work out as I imagined them to be”.

Finally, over the recent summer holidays, Destiny had a breakthrough. Inspired by the work of Lotita Fashion, a style of Japanese clothing that is highly influenced by styles from the Victorian and Rococo periods, Destiny visited spotlight in search of a pattern and fabric. She found a pattern for a Victorian style blouse with ruffled sleeves and some crisp white cotton fabric.

Excited, and filled with anticipation, she engaged the support of her whole family to read and understand the pattern and was able to draw on her knowledge and experience gained from those earlier sewing classes. “I hit a point in the process that was so difficult, making the plackets”.  “My brother is an architect, so he and I sat down, and after much trial and error we nutted out how to do it”. She continues, “This was the hardest part of the process, but once I mastered how to make plackets, I was able to apply that same knowledge when making the collar”.

It took 3 weeks for Destiny to make the blouse, and when she returned to school this year, during lunchtimes in the art room she learnt how to sew buttonholes using the sewing machine. It was during this time that disaster struck one evening. Destiny was sewing on the final buttons; the end was insight. In recent days she had started drinking coffee and as she stood up to take a break from her sewing, the entire cup of coffee split over her pure white nearly finished blouse. “It was a surreal moment; I couldn’t believe it” she recalls. She ran to the washing machine as quickly as she could and thankfully the coffee stain came out and any evidence of the incident was no longer visible.

When asked what she has learnt from making her blouse Density responded, “I have learnt so much”. “I have learnt the reason I resisted creating for so long was because fear was holding me back; fear that it might not work out the way I imagined.” She acknowledges, “I am my greatest critic, so through this process I have learnt not to be too judgemental of my own efforts. I have also learnt resilience, I had to unpick stitches so many times, I would prick my finger, draw blood, resew, unpick again and then the coffee incident!”

Destiny’s experience making this blouse has given her confidence to continue sewing, and she plans to make a pink skirt to accompany the blouse she has made. 

“Through all this I have realised where my heart lies, it is in fashion”, Destiny concludes with a beaming smile. “I want to be a fashion designer. I love the process of making a flat piece of fabric into something functional you can wear. There is nothing like sewing the pattern and watching it come together.”

We congratulate Destiny on the creation of her beautiful blouse, and we applaud her for the determination, persistence, and resilience she has demonstrated throughout the process. We look forward to watching her future projects come to fruition.