She Turned Her Grief Into Wings novel Chapter 39

Shera revised her initial drafts over and over, but ultimately realized her very first concept was the strongest. She decided to submit the original version.

It was a tailored heritage suit in striking black and gold, featuring a mandarin collar and a subtle asymmetrical closure.

The base was a deep obsidian black, intricately accented with gold detailing. The core design heavily featured organic leaf veins, elevated with exquisite gold-thread embroidery—understated, yet undeniably luxurious.

Initially, she had planned to use the classic golden dragon motif, but the more she looked at it, the more cliché it felt. It wasn't until she was gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the wind rustling through the garden that the idea of using the delicate structure of leaf veins struck her.

With her preliminary sketches submitted, her next challenge was selecting the core fabrics.

She grabbed Zena and headed to a premium textile mill. The trip had been delayed due to her recent cold, so this was the perfect opportunity to see if they had any innovative new materials.

An hour later, they arrived at the facility. Having called ahead, the vice director was already waiting to give Shera a personalized tour.

The massive factory floor roared with the sound of machinery. Towering industrial looms operated at a steady rhythm, shuttles darting back and forth carrying fine silk threads, the air heavy with the faint scent of raw silk and warm machine oil.

"I've never been in a textile mill this huge before. I saw a wooden loom when I was a kid, but it feels like the exact same concept on a massive scale." Zena stared at the operation, her eyes wide with excitement.

Shera remained quiet, her gaze fixed on a cluster of machines currently weaving smooth satin.

The vice director immediately understood her focus and guided them toward a specialized sampling loom. "Ms. Jewell, regarding the premium matte silk satin you inquired about over the phone—we recalibrated the machines specifically for your request. We have several test batches ready for your review."

A technician pulled a few bolts of fabric from a nearby wooden rack and rolled them out across a long table. Peeling back the dust covers revealed several stunning lengths of black silk.

Shera took the color charts and spec sheets Zena handed her and meticulously compared them against the fabric. "This batch is 260 grams. The finish is too glossy; it won't work. This one is 280 grams. The drape is excellent, but the pure silk content is a little too low."

"Absolutely," the vice director replied without hesitation. "We can use a shadow-weave technique, incorporating tone-on-tone silk threads to outline the veins without compromising the drape or texture of the primary fabric."

As Zena jotted down the details, she couldn't resist running her hand over the bolt. "This material is incredible. You could never find anything with this kind of weight in regular markets."

The vice director smiled proudly. "This was excess yardage originally engineered for an Italian high-fashion house. It's undergone extremely advanced processing."

Shera scanned the surrounding area before turning back to the director. "I'm also going to need a bolt of gold-threaded sheer fabric for the piping. It also needs to be matte. As for the texture..." She paused to think. "It needs to match the exact tactile feel of traditional gold-thread embroidery."

The vice director looked down, calculating for a moment, then nodded. "Please, follow me."

The two women followed him out of the loud production area, up to the second floor of the front office building. He pushed open a set of heavy double doors, and the space completely opened up.