|day 5| Refashion Month Guest: Nellie from Nelesc Designs

My next guest is Nellie, from Nelesc Designs. What do I love most from her blog? The surprise element. Her refashions are always so creative and so well thought that I always get surprised and think How did she come up with that? Although unexpected they turn out wonderful and unique pieces. Check out her first HAT pattern, have you seen any like that?

When I was asked to join July Refashion Month, I was so super happy. I was already a follower of this wonderful blog and to be able to showcase my work to another audience is really a treat! Refashioning clothes is very much part of who I am artistically and personally as I also have had to refashion my life after having two kids on the autism spectrum.  

For this post, I decided to refashion a dashiki I had for a very long time.

A dashiki is a colorful garment widely worn in West Africa that covers the top half of the body.  A common form is a loose-fitting pullover garment, with an ornate V-shaped collar, and tailored and embroidered neck and sleeve lines. The dashiki found a market in America during the Black cultural and political struggles in the 1960s.

I love the dashiki because of the power it emits. I bought my dashiki back in 1998 in a flea market in North Carolina while visiting my sister. I was newly married,  had no children and was continuing to explore my cultural and political identity. I did feel quite empowered in it and wore it often until it got too small for me and tore.

After that, it sat in my draw for a very long time as I didn’t want to give it away but didn’t know what to do with it, until now. 

I realized I could cut most of the design and applique it on to a v-neck t shirt. This way, it still has the same design elements of a dashiki and I can still wear it!

I love the way it came out. Nowadays, my power is less linked to my cultural and political identity but more closely related to motherhood. In my refashioned dashiki, I feel like a strong, woman warrior mom!