By Patricia Belyea
TONASKET WA I met Bianca when she was a junior at Tonasket High School. She was one of three students who had just formed a sewing club that met twice a week after classes. The generous teacher who oversaw the club was Mrs. Peterson, a CTE instructor.
The small group welcomed me into their midst and allowed me to introduce them to quilting and stitching. While they all worked on flip-and-stitch quilts, Bianca took on an extra project — stitching a pair of boro jeans.
I gave Bianca a pair of Olderbrother jeans. This eco-conscious designer clothing company out of Portland made the jeans with organic cotton from Japan and dyed the denim with botanical indigo. I also provided Bianca with a set of cotton threads from Enneste in Tokyo and scraps of Japanese folk textiles.
Bianca returned the jeans to me with boro-style patches and big stitching embellishing the front of the legs. Just like Bianca, the project was completed with understated style and thoughtfulness.
Here’s an excerpt from Bianca’s college entry essay, where she writes about working during the summers:
When I was 15, my mother and I would get ready at 3 am for another long day under the burning sun. Around 1 pm, it was time to go home and shower off the dirt. I finally understood what my siblings would say, to work at the cherry orchards: my eyes would water, sag down, and turn red from the lack of sleep. I hated it as my back would hurt and my arms would get sore.
I would have to come home to take care of my toddler sibling and feel drained as she went on to play. I knew the hard work that my mom did daily because I did it with her for a few years.
Every now and then, my mom would come from behind me and poke me to remind me that if this wasn’t the lifestyle I wanted, then I need to “echarle ganas” — put effort into my education because it will help me get a better job. I feel sorry that my mother never had the same opportunities as me, and it helps me to remember to appreciate the education I have now. Even though in the beginning of school, I felt there was no future it would bring to me.
Bianca has graduated from high school and will be continuing her education this Fall at Wenatchee Valley College in nearby Omak. She plans to earn an Associate's degree in Arts & Science, then transfer to Washington State University to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
Bianca’s Boro Jeans are for sale to anyone interested in hand stitching, eco-conscious clothes, and supporting a young lady working hard to create a good future for herself. All of the purchase price of the jeans will go directly to Bianca.
BRAND: Olderbrother | STYLE: boyfriend jeans | SIZE: S (6-8)
WAIST: 31" | INSEAM: 24.5"
PROVENANCE: Purchased in 2018 by Patricia Belyea at Glasswing in Seattle for $225.
If you would like to read the rest of Bianca’s essay, here it is:
School has always been a way for me to escape from problems at home. My mother is an undocumented worker and that made it harder to find a well-paid job. We had to move to many different houses in order to find affordable rent.
In 2009, my father was deported and my parents got divorced. It was getting hard enough as a single mom to raise three kids without child support and then she had four.
There would be days when the house felt empty, my brother out because he hated home, my older sister in the room studying for more or even working to support herself, my younger sister not able to comprehend, and my mom working multiple jobs making it hard for me to see her but we knew it was so that we could have a stable life.
When my mom was gone, I had to learn to mature faster: I had to cook meals and clean the house as I babysat my younger sibling. Through all these struggles, all I wanted to do was to be in school for it was once an escape but school was neglected for duties at home. Now later in high school it has given me the opportunity to think about and plan for my future.
Education gives me hope to succeed and to experience new positive things. I have a set plan for myself and I have the support and the resources. But I still have worries about my ability to obtain this future too. My past neglect has made me worry about my chances for acceptance.
My brother who was barely on track to graduate was seen as a bad influence on me. I want to show it isn’t true and set my own example on how I can make it as I go further on with my goals.
NOTE FROM PATRICIA: If you met Bianca in person, it would make your day!
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ABOUT US: Okan Arts, a petite family business, is co-owned by mother-daughter duo Patricia Belyea and Victoria Stone. Patricia and Victoria sell Japanese textiles online, host creative quilting experiences, and lead quilting & textile tours to Japan.
FOLLOW OKAN ARTS ON INSTAGRAM @okanarts
