The Laura Top
Sept. 16. 2022
Do you believe in signs?
Yesterday I finished the first draft of the Laura Top pattern and sent it off to my tech editor. I was feeling good about the pattern except for the name… To be honest, when I named the Laura top I didn’t really think it through. When I was new at designing I used to haphazardly give my designs names and didn’t really know the lasting impact they would have. I originally named the top “Laura” because that was the name of the stylist who gave me the idea for it and though I have a few wonderful people named Laura in my life, I thought maybe it needed a name that was more relevant to the design.
I hit “send” on the pattern and then left for yoga class and thought I needed a sign to show me the right name for this pattern.
Yesterday was my first yoga class in a LONG time. To be honest, lately I have been way out of balance with my work and self care. I have been designing so much and having so much fun but my self care has fallen by the way side and it started to show up in EVERY part of my life. My mind has been a mess of anxiety even though this has been one of the happiest seasons of my life, my eating habits have been terrible, my sleep has been all over the place and my body started feeling the effects of sitting at my computer and crocheting constantly. It wasn’t until I started feeling an unexplainable sharp pain in my leg that I decided it was time to get back into yoga and focus on myself.
I LOVE hot yoga but if you’ve ever been to hot yoga you know that staying in the hot room is often the hardest part of the class. I got on my mat and quickly realized that just staying in the room and laying on the floor was going to be difficult.
I’ve heard the untrained mind described as a drunken monkey swinging from tree to tree babbling on and on about whatever nonsense it can think of. Let me tell you, my mind has been VERY drunk and very talkative. As soon as I got on the mat, the flood of anxiety that has been plaguing me entered my head and I couldn’t get my breathing together. I made a few feeble attempts at the opening poses but this was not looking good.
Had it not been for the teacher, I don’t think I could have even stayed in the room. She had an energy that was strong and commanding yet loving. She encouraged me to push myself past my fear and I was able to do poses that I wouldn’t attempt even at the height of my practice. She reminded the class that being able to control your mind and keep your breath under control is a very useful skill that will help you in every part of your life. She said feeling a lot of pain in the pose was no good and neither was feeling no pain because that means you aren’t doing the work. Experiencing the blessed pain of growth while listening and being kind to the body is right where you should always be on and off the mat. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I was reminded of these truths. It was exactly what I needed.
After class, I wanted to meet and thank her for being the guardian angel of my mind body and soul. We introduced ourselves and she told me her name… Laura.
Do you believe in signs? I do.
I LOVE the Laura top.
I wear it all the time because it’s covered yet breathable, styled yet practical. I wear it on the go to work, hanging out with friends and of course, yoga!
This top is especially important to me because it is the first time I explored Ruching as a technique for garment making. This is such a cool way to create a special drape and I have incorporated it often into my design style. I am looking forward to introducing my personal way of ruching to makers and seeing how they incorporate this technique into their own projects.
Check out the amazing testing team!
Lindsey Taine used WeCrochet Heatherly Sport in Cabana and it is just stunning!
Of course, I had to have fiber fashion icon Chelsea on the team! She used Hobbii Twister Yarn for her top and the color play is too much fun!
The other main inspiration for the name of this top is, of course, my talented and gorgeous friend Laura Murphy. She used Cosy Posy “Pumpkin Patch” and the colorway could not be more perfect!
My sweet friend Yesenia made her top with Knit Pal Cotton to the Core and paired it with her own handmade jewelry! Seriously, go treat yourself and check out her etsy store!
I was so thrilled to have the queen herself Denise Clark test The Laura Top. Denise combined a couple of yarns to get a two-toned look for her top and It is so perfect for Spring!
I Hope everyone who makes and wears Laura feels like they can take on the world in their beautiful and functional handmade top. Out of all my personal handmade garments I wear this design the most and I am excited to share it with other makers.
Xoxo,
Dominique