Getting the Idea
Alright, so I wanted to share a bit about this ‘pride fashion’ thing I worked on. Pride month was rolling around, and honestly, I was itching to create something myself. Not just grab another rainbow flag t-shirt, you know? I wanted something that felt a bit more personal, something I actually put some effort into. I looked through my closet and, man, everything just felt a bit too… ordinary for what I had in mind.
The Spark and The Victim
Then I spotted it: my old denim jacket. Thing’s been with me for years, seen better days, but comfy as heck. Perfect candidate! My first thought was, “Okay, maybe just some cool pins or a patch.” But that felt too easy, almost like cheating. Nah, I decided I needed to do something more involved. The idea hit me: a big, bold design on the back. Something that really screamed PRIDE, but with my own twist.
So, the “grand plan” started to form. I wasn’t going for subtle, let’s just say that. I pictured something vibrant, something that would make people look twice. Easier dreamt than done, as it turned out.
Hunting and Gathering
First things first, I had to get my supplies. This meant actually leaving the house, ha! I rummaged through my craft box and, surprise surprise, the fabric paints I thought I had were all dried up. So, off to the art store I went. Here’s what I ended up grabbing:
- A set of decent fabric paints – bright rainbow colors, obviously.
- A few different sized brushes. Nothing too fancy, just something that would get the job done.
- Some masking tape. I had visions of crisp, clean lines. Oh, the optimism!
- And on a whim, I grabbed some glittery iron-on stuff. Because, why not?
Got back home, spread an old sheet on the floor – learned that lesson the hard way years ago – and laid out the jacket. Felt that little buzz of excitement, you know, when you’re about to start a new project.
The Messy Part (No, Really)
Okay, this is where the real “fun” began. Trying to sketch out my design on dark denim with chalk? Forget it. Barely showed up. I ended up using a very light-colored pencil, just pressing gently, hoping it wouldn’t be a permanent feature. Then came the taping. My god, taping curves with straight tape is an art form I have not mastered. My rainbow was looking a bit… abstract at that point.
Painting was next. The first coat of paint looked so thin and sad. Denim just drinks that stuff up. I think I did three, maybe four coats for each color to get them looking solid and bright. And the waiting between coats! Ugh. Patience is not my strong suit when I’m in the middle of making something. There was definitely a point where I looked at the splotchy, half-painted mess and thought, “Well, I’ve officially ruined a perfectly good old jacket.” One color, I think it was the yellow, decided to bleed a little under the tape. Had a mini panic attack but managed to dab it away before it set.
Somewhere in the middle of all this, I decided the glitter iron-ons needed to happen. So, after the paint was finally, finally dry, I carefully tried to position them. Ironing them on was actually pretty satisfying, watching them stick and sparkle up the whole thing.
The Big Reveal (and a Sigh of Relief)
Peeling off all that masking tape was a moment of truth. And you know what? It wasn’t half bad! It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. Some lines were a bit wobbly, and if you squinted, you could see where I’d touched things up. But it was mine. It had character. It felt genuinely good to look at something and think, “Yeah, I made that.”
I threw it on over a plain black t-shirt, and it just worked. It was loud, it was proud, and it was totally unique. I even dug out a few old enamel pins and stuck them on the collar for a bit of extra flair. Honestly, going through the whole messy process, the little frustrations and the “oops” moments, made wearing it feel even better. Totally worth it for a piece of pride fashion that actually felt like me.
