Design – by CHANGING your mind!

I was designing a new, simple jacket this last week and wanted to share a bit of that process.  No surprise – it is another jacket on a comfy sweatshirt base.  Whenever I clean out my closet, garments and accessories get ‘evaluated’ for re-purposing in creative ways.  That was exactly what happened with this square (33”) fringed scarf which I’ve had – FOREVER – but rarely worn.

I knew I would need a yarn for combining with it for couching… I rarely seem to make anything without couched embellishment… so I took a ‘dive’ into my yarns and came up with these three.  Ultimately, I decided on the center soft beige one because it coordinated with the caramel tan silk dupioni that I also decided to use in my ‘Fabric Chenille Trim’.

This just proves that to do creative sewing, one MUST have a stash!  🙂

I had played with the scarf on the sweatshirt to begin with,and was excited about a ‘capelet’ affect as below….  Then I played with whether I should gather it all around as seen on the left – or just around the back of the neck.  See the effect I was achieving in the back as well.  Honestly -Ii wasn’t crazy about EITHER one – and obviously, I’d already cut the scarf diagonally.

After a trip to the kitchen for my favorite Tea – (or chocolate trying hiding in the freezer), I scrapped that idea altogether….

Here is my result…cutting strips of the fabric to bind the front, (AFTER stabilizing the edges with Straight Fusible Stay Tape!) and using the lower ribbing as the collar as I’ve done in my Worthy and Transformed Talking™ Patterns.

Sew……the lesson?  I sew to BE IN CONTROL – since there’s little else in life I seem to be able to do that with!

I’m a female – so I have God’s permission to change my mind – frequently!  I like my result it makes me smile, inside and out.  All in all – a very FUN day in the COOL basement – especially since our air conditioner is currently broken!

I’m working on writing complete directions for this jacket, but I’m ‘saving’ this jacket for possible publication in a magazine.  The editors at C&T Publishing have told me to get busy doing this to support book sales of my upcoming book,Sweatshirt Transformations with them – now just 49 days from release.  Honestly – I feel like I’m 56 weeks pregnant!

Be one of the FIRST to get your hands on my NEW book!  It’s almost 100 pages, and contains 8 project jackets!  AND – I’ll autograph your copy! Just put what you want me to write in your book in the COMMENTS section of your order form.