Busy Making

I have been really busy sewing these past few weeks.  I wanted to apply for the local studio tour here in Bainbridge Island, but I had to make a few more pieces to show.  I took my pieces to be juried and I am awaiting the results.  I am honing in on a design that I like and can modify pretty easily to make it look very different.  It is based on princess lines, which I think look good on just about everyone.

The first piece I sewed together was using a cotton/linen blend that I had that for some strange reason I bought in yellow.  I held the yellow fabric up to myself and my daughter said, "Yuk Mom!  That looks awful."  So much for that fabric.  So a couple of years later I had my friend Rachel throw it into an indigo dye pot.  I wasn't so sure about the color at first, but then it grew on me.  It is an interesting mottled green with tints of yellow and blue.

I sewed a mid-thigh length vest and then appliquéd silk circles on it and added some hand stitching.  I love the resuI lined it with some beautiful quilting cotton with dragonflies printed on it that really complemented the hand-dyed linen.  I think it would look great with leggings for a light summer coverup.  I love the result, and I hope you like it, too.  

The second piece I cut out and sewed together was a fitted vest made from old suits.  This little fitted vest has a flared out hem and is hip length.  The grey wool is very soft.  It is a very fitted and looks great with a white cotton shirt and jeans.  A feminine take on the men's vest that I call a Revest.

I sewed on some beautiful ribbon from Laura Foster Nicholson.

I also lined this vest with some great cotton fabric that complements the grey flannel.  I really love my clothes lined.  They just feel better.

Trenchcoat: Finished except for lining!

I finally finished the main part of my trench coat yesterday.  It has been a bit of a long slog, and a couple of times I almost gave up.  But, I persevered and I am pleased with the result.  I have a few little details to finish, but I will show those in a minute.  Just so you can see, here is what I started with, the original trench coat, a large shapeless coat with raglan sleeves.

Here is the front of the almost finished coat.  It is a 3/4 length coat now, with a more fitted bodice, but with enough ease for me to wear a sweater underneath.

I did not have enough fabric from the old coat for the complete redo, so I used some fabric from a pair of my father's old wool pants.  I took all the good wool pants and jackets from my parents' house when we cleaned out after they passed away.  I have it all stashed back.  I put piping in the princess seams front and back as a border between the different fabrics, and I also put fancy braid behind the collars and pockets. 

I had three buttons which were handmade that I used.  I have had these in my stash for years and I am glad I found the place for them.  

I embroidered the lapels on the jacket using Mokuba embroidery ribbon.  Unfortunately, I ran out of ribbon, so I am trying to find more so I can finish the coat.  I have the back collar to finish and the cuffs.  There is very little fabric left from the original coat.  I am really pleased with the result.

Today I hope to finish the jacket lining.