My Rasta Poncho

Did the title get your attention? Are you thinking that I have turned into a crazy white girl with clumpy matted dreadlocks who hasn't showered in weeks? Because I might think that. I almost embarked on that slippery slope.

Weeks ago when I was downtown I found this cool rasta/ hibiscus fabric that was on the discount table. It took me a few trips downtown before I bought it because I didn't think I could be that crazy.

But I did.

I wasn't entirely sure what to make with the fabric but I knew I could only pull off wearing it on Grenadian Independence Day.

With the day quickly approaching and knowing that I have a love hate relationship with my sewing machine, I had to get down to work.

With the help from my crazy friend Patty, she decided I should make this pattern.

http://thesoutherninstitute.com/2010/06/the-anna-maria-horner-museum-tunic-tutorial.html/

Here is the thing with Patty. She makes me crazy enough to believe that I could pull that off in RASTA colors. So of course I decided it was a fabulous idea. She said I should do the stripes vertical because the long lines would have a nice slimming effect.

Here is what I learned.

All ponchos are slimming.

Because as you stare at a human swimming in yards and folds of fabric, you realize that there very well could be an extra tiny human in there somewhere. 

Now THAT ladies and gentlemen, is what we call, "too much." Imagine me showing up to the national stadium in full rasta-poncho glory...

It's like I don't have any limbs!

Because I was lacking in crazy but full of confidence I decided to scrap the poncho and try a maxi skirt. Any self-respecting woman with short legs like me knows it can be troublesome to pull off a maxi type skirt but it could only go up from here right?

Well, that is where I was somewhat wrong. I learned that my tiny, primitive sewing machine doesn't want to shirr. So I had to go over on my hands and knees and bribe Patty to shirr the top of the skirt for me on her handsomely powerful sewing machine.

I don't think the long length looked half bad, and I was even somewhat convinced that rasta might be my color. But after hemming the bottom I thought it might be a bit of an awkward length.

So I did what I do best... scraped that idea to sew something else. I opted for a shorter length.

And that is what I settled on!

I wore it to the stadium for the Independence Day celebration. When Ross and I stopped at a restaurant for some Ting a lady looked at me and exclaimed,

"You are wearing Grenada colors! Did you know? It's Independence Day!"

She was really excited. I told her I did know and we had just come from the stadium. She thought that was pretty cool too. :)