i've taken the plunge

at last PHC Memory piece is really started:

after choosing the lab-coat base i decided the white hanky should be the second element of the weave - it was much too white and blank, so taking inspiration from a fellow SEWer (thank you peggy) i opted to write about my father on it - i chose grey writing as i thought black would be to stark, and wrote in a spiral as a contrast to the linearity of the weave, also it references the cycle of life, years, time passing etc

writing the text was difficult but has been another stage in processing my feelings - i started with a summary of the main stages of my father's life, but that didn't fill the space - so then i added my own perspective - at first it was hard not to be really negative but i think i got that under control - the text won't be really legible because of the weave structure, but i'll know it's there and what it says

then i tackled it with a blade and cut it into strips, cut into the lab-coat and got weaving - i had to do a bit of working out first to make sure the button hole still appeared - so now it looks like this:

except that it's been anchored with 'invisible' basting, so the pins have gone as well as the frame

and the current plan is something like this digitally generated sketch:

i have a couple of dad's silk bow ties, he wore these a lot for work, i think they were a way for him to show a little individuality while remaining within the bounds of accepted dress codes - i think he wanted to belong to something, without losing his individuality, he had been a the "foreigner" since school days and had a strong distrust of cliques and authority ...... so many conflicting feelings for him
...anyway the bow ties will be used for mini weaves - it will be quite a challenge making a cloth piece with so little cloth

i have plenty of electrical components, fine wire and small pieces of hardware - this was an important part of his life and he hoarded transistors, transformers, condensers, washers, screws and all manner of itty bitty pieces - i'm sure i can use lots of these as embellishments to reflect that part of his life

but i will probably change my mind along the way