Fabric painting, or as I sometimes refer to it, “Thank you mastectomy”

Last autumn’s mastectomy demanded a tremendous amount of space in many areas of my world. A space for healing, space for strength training to regain my range of motion, space to accept the person in the mirror and ultimately, the space to decide how I wanted to look to the world.

Very soon, after my November 2024 mastectomy, I started re-evaluating my wardrobe, to figure out what felt comfortable. It was a tearing down of who I was while trying to rebuild who I had become. Even though I was done with my compression bra, I still had a great deal of healing in front of me and thus, comfort formed the foundation of my new personal style. I started tossing garments into the “charity bag of no return’. But there were certain things that felt more significant to me. Even though I no longer felt confident wearing them, I couldn’t let go. I allowed myself grace, designated a drawer for those beloved rags and continued the healing journey.

I had a favorite pale yellow gardening shirt that was saved from the first round of casting away. Firstly, because I love everything that old shirt represents, spring, gardening and daffodils, but even more, this shirt is covered in pastel blue flowers. And, as fate would have it, the flowery design flows over the front left side, which is now my flat side. I was so happy and I wondered, if only I could find other tops like this?

I’m positive that everyone is an artist. I like to paint things that I will use regularly, like terracotta pots for example. When I came across the idea of fabric painting it was the immediate answer to the question looming over that now full drawer of beloved clothes.

I was excited and I was ready to get started – All this from fabric painting, who knew.