Marcy Told Me To

WARNING: The first part of this is a little bit political and possibly controversial so if you don't want to read that sort of thing just skip down to the good stuff.

There was a discussion a while back at Oonaballoona about African fabrics and whether it is okay for white people to wear them. Short version: Marcy said "Go for it," so I did.

I have been attracted to these fabrics for a long time - the bright colors, the bold, unusual prints - but I have been hesitating. In some situations being a white person (especially one from redneck country) can be a little uncomfortable. Yes, I know, I know... my life is good; I have nothing really to complain about. But still. I don't want to offend anyone or make anyone else uncomfortable and sometimes it's not completely clear what is right. I think the Internet makes us all a little more sensitive in both good and bad ways, or maybe "aware" would be a better word for it. Thanks to the Internet I have been made aware that there is a such thing as cultural appropriation. Sometimes it's clear what that means; other times it's a little more fuzzy.

As Marcy pointed out, the fabric in question, Ankara or Dutch wax prints among other names, has a very mixed cultural background. That got me to thinking, there are other, more commonly used fabrics, with designs that have been "appropriated" from other traditional cultures, batik and paisley for example. (BTW I came across this amusing page (at least it amuses me) telling us that we're all going to Hell for wearing paisley.) These designs and others have been popular for so long no one even thinks about their origins and whether or not we "should" wear them. We are nervous about African fabrics because they are new to many of us and we first became aware of them during the Internet era.

If you think about it, almost everything we think of as American originally came from somewhere else and that's somewhat true of Britain as well. I believe that incorporating elements of other cultures into our clothing and home decor can show respect and admiration. I know not everyone will agree and that's something else I wanted to address. One of the mistakes many of us make in regard to Others is thinking of members of any given ethnicity, religion or any other group you want to put people into, as being all the same, having all the same opinions, etc. Learning to think of all people as individuals first would help us in a lot of ways.

* * *

Okay, here's the good stuff:

The pattern is Butterick 5748, one of two that I'm currently obsessed with and can't stop making over and over again. (I was going to take pictures outside this time but it's been raining for two days and I didn't want to wait.)

Ugh. It is nearly impossible to hold one's face in a normal looking smile when taking timer pictures.

To be honest, only the bodice is B5748 and that has been modified. The skirt as it came with the pattern is a full circle but I used a self-drafted half circle with pockets instead. The bodice has a high, wide neckline, which I do not like so I always change the neckline and since I cut it freehand it comes out a little different every time.

Here's one more. I like this picture even though it's a little dark. You can see the actual length of the dress better in this one.

UPDATE: Oooo! I almost forgot the most important thing. I love it. Of course I love the pattern, obviously, but I really love the fabric. It has a nice lightweight but sturdy feel and the colors are great.