I’m a parent of two kids and like a lot of other parents, I’ve read my fair share of parenting books. We parents want to raise healthy, confident children. And to do that, many of us have been heaping praise on our developing kids to ensure that they will feel good about themselves. So it’s no surprise that reading the chapter in the book Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman called The Inverse Power of Praise hit me like a ton of bricks. Basically it says this: if you are always telling your children how smart they are, it can have a unexpected negative effect on them. Children who internalize that they are smart (or talented or whatever adjective you are using to praise them) find that the next time they are presented with a challenge they are less likely to try. Why is this? Well, it’s because now the stakes of failure have become too high. If they don’t succeed, it must mean that they aren’t smart at all. It might mean that they will lose their parents approval and the stream of steady praise that they have become addicted to will dry up.
Let that really sink in. These so-called “smart” kids think they have to get it right on their first try! How crazy is that?! I think it goes without saying that I immediately began to re-think how I was praising my kids. But I also began to wonder how much we adults may have absorbed this kind of thinking. I wouldn’t say that I was brought up in an era that praise was as prolific as it is now. But I do have to admit that for whatever reason, I have unreasonable expectations of myself. As a kid, I was naturally good at school and athletics but as I got older and my world expanded, things got much harder. I couldn’t rely on natural abilities. If I couldn’t do something well pretty early in the process, I would actually feel embarrassment and humiliation, and would be reluctant to try it in the future.
But here’s the good news for the kids being raised in this praise-heavy world and for grown-ups that are hard on the themselves. The study goes on to say that kids that are praised for effort, not innate abilities, are much better at taking on new challenges. If you are praising the specific work or focus they are bringing to the task then what is communicated to them is that they have some control over the result. They learn that if they keep trying that they can succeed. They learn that the brain is a muscle and with consistent workouts, it gets better and better. And they learn that failure is not a declaration that they are dumb. Mistakes are simply what happens on the way to mastering something new.
Over the years, I have been complimented on my sense of style. So when I took up sewing a few years ago, I figured that I would be making garments that were my style and creating things that I would love to wear right out of the starting gate. I could not have been more wrong! At the end of sewing project after sewing project, I would be left with something that didn’t feel like me at all. The temptation was to think, “I suck at making clothes”, but the thing was (and is) that I LOVE to sew. Because I enjoyed the process so much, I kept going in spite of the fear that I would never make anything that was any good.
Luckily for me, the passion for sewing was able to override those crazy internalized expectations that I’d be good at it right away. And with each project, I’ve gotten better. And I’ve gotten better because I’ve put in a lot of time and energy. I’ve set challenges and failed miserably. It’s because of that effort that I feel particularly proud of this jacket. Not because I’m some natural born Alexander McQueen (which, duh, I’m not), but because this jacket represents persistence. According to Bronson and Merryman, “People with this trait, persistence, rebound well and can sustain their motivation through long periods of delayed gratification.” If this jacket doesn’t represent delayed gratification, then I don’t know what does! It took years to get here.
So here’s the takeaway. If you are beating yourself up for being no good at something, try re-parenting your inner child. Give yourself a big pat on the back for showing up and making an effort. Be persistent, and know that gratification is coming, even if it is delayed.
Pattern, Ziggi Jacket, Style Arc
Top Layer Fabric, Embroidered Lace, Dolce and Gabbana, Mendel Goldberg Fabrics
Bottom Layer Fabric, Reversible Wool Satin Faille, B&J Fabrics
Lining, Silk Crepe de Chine in Blush, Mood Fabrics
Riri Zippers, Pacific Trimming
Photographs and Video by Santiago Vanegas
Let’s get in to the details of the jacket. The pattern is the Ziggi Jacket by Style Arc. I’ve been wanting to try this pattern for a long time and have seen some really amazing makes that others have done. My favorite is Leisa’s. I was in Susan Khalje’s workshop with her when she started her Ziggi and I was so impressed with her version that I wanted to throw away what I was working on and make my own Ziggi right then. Instead it took me a couple of years to get around to making my own. Sometimes the right fabric and interpretation just take awhile to find you.
The next thing that I did right was start this jacket with Susan Khalje. We fiddled with it until I had the perfect fit which meant re-drawing the armscye a bit. Most patterns don’t accomodate my broad shoulders. I had done my research on motorcycle jackets and spent time looking at jackets by Belstaff and Matchless and knew that I wanted to incorporate a few details I had come across. Instead of using the crossed diagonal quilting on the upper arm and shoulder, I made my quilting horizontal lines. There are two layers of quilt batting crammed in there to give it that puffed up quilting effect. I also decided to quilt the bottom pattern section of the center back and to leave it as a flap instead of sewing it closed. I love the triangular effect of the quilted pieces and think it makes for a flattering silhouette.
Laying out the lace was a blast! This was where it really got fun creatively. I knew I wanted the largest embroidery motif on the back. Once I placed that, I had to survey what I had left and come up with a plan. I decided to go for a heavily embroidered collar and then have the flowers be more randomly and sparsely placed as you move down the jacket. And as for having enough lace to cover the jacket, I just squeaked by!
The jacket has 5 zippers! The long zipper to close the jacket, two pocket zippers, and two lower sleeve zippers were all sewn in by hand with pick stitches. I used grosgrain ribbon to face the pocket which is what you see when the pocket is unzipped. And of course, it is packed with couture stitches galore. All the seam allowances are catch-stitched. The lining was machine sewn then sewn into the jacket by hand. I used fell stitches along the neckline, facings, and zippers then created jump pleats at the hem and sleeve hem.
I’m over the moon with how it turned out! So Santiago and I decided maybe we had better go to the “moon” to photograph the jacket. Arabia Mountain is pretty close.
Liiana Duran says
Tracey, your words , the images and your jacket are the symbols of what life is all about. And we are one!
love you
Liliana
Tracey says
Thanks Liliana. Love you too.
Randy says
this post could not have been more perfectly timed this Monday morning. I woke up this morning wondering if I needed to try to be a better Dad. I also had a nagging feeling that I wasn’t up to the challenges awaiting me at work. Fortunately I took the time to read your post (perhaps a little work avoidance) and BAM, I’ve decided I’m just going to put in the effort and see where it takes me.
(BTW, your jacket is FIRE, which in case you didn’t know is what the cools kids are saying……………..said the old Dad in the shoe)
Tracey says
You made my day!!
Lisa says
Wow, what an amazing jacket. I love the combination of a tough style with a delicate feminine fabric. 🙂
I totally agree with you, learning to sew is definitely a long journey and it can be frustrating to spent time and effort making things that you don’t like in the end! I think it’s partly because in addition to the actual construction, making garments is also about being able to visualise what you want the finished product to look like, and how it will look on you, learning how to fit, how to make pattern alterations, how to choose the correct fabric etc etc. There’s a lot of layers of different skills and knowledge that go into it, and each one has it’s own complexities. It’s not realistic to expect that we’ll be good at all those things straight away!
Tracey says
You are so right. The pre-visualization was so much harder than I thought it would be. It’s easy to be dazzled by a gorgeous print. It was only later that I realized that I tend to buy clothes with solid colors. It’s kind of a leap to just purchase a solid color as fabric because it doesn’t look that interesting. You have to remind yourself that it will take shape and become something better.
Marybeth Tawfik says
I still think you do lace better than anyone …
The fun for me is in the doing, not the having. So if something doesn’t work out, usually (USUALLY) I’ve enjoyed the process enough to let go of the results. Perhaps I’m lucky that way.
Tracey says
You have discovered the secret! As long as you enjoy the process, the time is never wasted! Thanks so much for the compliment, too!
Steve Warner says
I was just listening to Marc Maron/WTF podcast interview with Ta Nehisi-Coastes touching on a similar thing… that when he was early in his writing life, he didn’t have the skill to achieve the voice he heard in his head. But he learned you had to do it, to make the effort, to complete it, to finish it in order to learn and progress and get better. So hell yes, Tracey – way to do the work and make an amazing jacket (paired with amazing photography/video work and a badass model). Rock on with your inspiring self!
Tracey says
I am going to listen to that podcast! I’m always inspired by Ta-Nehisi Coates. And I think I need a trip to Charleston very soon!! 🙂