Tamarack II

My local fabric store had a spring cleaning sale, so I bought a not-on-sale vintage kantha quilt to make a jacket. It has some permanent stains here and there but I'm okay with that.

I "fussy-cut" around this random patch.

 It consists of several layers of different fabrics sewn together with long running stitches. It was all I could do not to photograph all every single seam.

They'll remain unfinished because I love the layers and because I'm not trying to win any prizes at the state fair. I might or might not install hooks and eyes. Bias tape is Moda fabrics' Grunge in the Dauphine colorway.

This will be a warm weather commuting/errand-running jacket. It's colorful enough to take the edge off of New Mexico's beige and dusty spring but not so colorful that it makes me nervous.

FO: Tamarack Jacket

This was the Beef Wellington of garment projects. I left nothing to chance: Muslin, test quilting, two practice welt pockets, basting basting basting. And I consulted every tutorial I could get my hands on: sewing in interfacing, shortening a separating zipper, installing a separating zipper.

I'm mostly happy with the result, especially since I had to "true" some of the edges after quilting. I've long wanted to make a Chanel-esque jacket and after the quilting on this project I can't decide whether it's feasible or totally insane.

But back to the Tamarack. I lengthened it by 5 inches or so, and installed a separating zipper instead of hooks or snaps. Main fabric is Moda Grunge in Onyx, lining is Alexander Henry, bias trim is Wright's, pockets are Kona black, and batting is Warm and Natural.

Lining is "Sisters of the Golden Temple"

Chevron quilting on the back

The quilting design is a deliberate imitation of Isabel Marant's Coby coat:

Karen has touched on the murkiness surrounding home-sewn copies. I'm rationalizing my actions with this quote from Yohji Yamamoto:

“Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find yourself.”

I did not find myself, but I did affirm my love of textured neutrals.


Now on to make nine 2018!

goals

photo: focus..damn it!

Eating
-Just get back to normal. [Remember that a day with out Christmas cookies and bourbon-spiked eggnog does not equal starvation rations.]

Shopping 
-Don't, at least until April. I have a relatively small amount of debt and there's no reason it shouldn't be paid off by the end of the first quarter.
-Exceptions:  Fabric for the Jalie Eleonore pattern that's been sitting on my sewing table, and supplies (zipper and bias tape) to finish my in-progress Tamarack jacket. Which brings me to....

Creating 
-Find that ever-elusive balance between product and process. I primarily wear neutrals, so maybe don't knit any more brightly-colored lace shawls.

These only see the light of day when I open my closet.

Instead focus on useful things, like this Tamarack:

Quilting the back. 

Listening
-Pay attention and listen deeply. Notice when my mind wanders to my Ravelry queue or mountain of laundry or diet coke.


Onward and upward!