The point of camouflage is that it’s never what you think it is.
I had plenty of time to ponder that fact while up-cycling this army hat that I found at the thrift shop. It's a good hat, sturdy, in impeccable shape. I decided to give the hat an extra layer of camouflage, something more realistic than the standard-issue digitized pattern that has replaced the rounded shapes of old army fatigues.
I worked the hat with six shades of green, which is fine but what makes the hat interesting, what makes it pop, are the tiny dots of orange that I stitched at the center of the flower shapes. The color is subtle, but it makes all the difference between seeing and looking.
I live in Texas. We are going through confusing times right now. Covid cases are rising but it's hard to obtain reliable information about what to do, and not do, what is said and what is really going on. There are lots of conversations going on about race and justice too. All these conversations are very difficult to hear, and rightfully so. And there are so many conspiracy theories floating around, disinformation, anger, rage, fear, disbelief. It's hard to sleep. Hard to think straight. Hard to think that embroidery matters.
But in all that confusion are moments of unexpected joy: phone conversations with friends, a socially-distanced visit over the fence, a plant being being exchanged for sourdough bread.
Like the orange dots on the hat, those tiny events help me see through the confusion. In fact, they become the most important events of my days.
The camouflage hat has been claimed. It is going to an intrepid friend who is at home in nature. This woman knows how to fish, hunt, farm and take care of herself. I am delighted that she will be wearing the hat, delighted that it makes her happy.
As for me, it's back to the thread and needle. June is almost over. Next week will be the last of the hat experiment. Check the shop for this week's batch. See if anything pleases you.
See you next week. A bientôt!
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