Some of you know that one of my all-time favorite shows is Project Runway. I love the creativity, the drama, the way Heidi Klum says, “You’re out,” Tim Gunn peering over his glasses as he coaches, and of course the feisty Nina Garcia, my favorite of them all.
This morning I got the most thoughtful surprise from my son. He came running out of the apartment to walk to school holding a dress shirt he had made for me. With his mom’s help, he took one of his old shirts that no longer fits and transformed it by sewing a pocket from his shirt onto mine and, just for extra flair, adding a strip of the fabric across the back.
His mom even gave him a “Project Runway–style” prompt: create a garment that represents you as a gift for someone you love, and make it stylish. And he rose to the challenge. He did most of the sewing himself. His favorite part was using the pedal, which he says feels like driving, guiding the fabric with his hands while pressing the gas. He even picked out the thread, a bold reddish orange that pops perfectly against the blue shirt.
I absolutely love it. He wasn’t even that embarrassed when his mom snapped a photo of us in the school drop-off line, me in jogging pants, holding the shirt proudly.
In fashion, one day you’re in and the next you’re out. But a thoughtful, sentimental gift like this lasts forever.
By Patrick Tape Fleming
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