Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.
~Dr. Seuss
Quilting
Five years ago my younger son asked me to make him a quilted coat. I just looked at him. What? Well, it didn't need to be a coat; he'd like a poncho. What?? Assuming he was kidding, I politely ignored his request. Turns out he was serious. I'm terrified of this project but what the heck. Dr. Seuss' words encourage me to jump in and try. Now that we're in the same town I have a chance to make one that might even fit. What's the worst that could happen? If it doesn't work, I can convert it into that poncho.
I looked at quilt coats online. Most are for women... not quite what's required. I started a secret Pinterest board to corral all the ideas. How long or short? What type of sleeve? Collar or not? Buttons or open? Pockets inside or out? It turns out I've missed a slew of coat quilt-alongs but some people posted their work. More ideas.
Every time I served as program chair for a guild, I asked Rachel Clark to speak, a talented artist who makes and wears exciting {and amusing and poignant} clothes. Everyone always enjoyed wearing her designs on the runway of our shows. She has a great website and some time-tested patterns. I even have two of them still resting in my files.
I read anything else I could find about the process. Martha Moore's Buried Diamond blog was a {new to me} discovery. Such a beautiful coat! While I've French seamed several times, I'd forgotten Hong Kong seams. That might be a handy trick. It won't work for a reversible jacket but his won't be.
There are also videos on YouTube. The Tamarack Jacket sew along by Grainline Studio is fourteen episodes of information for their jacket but much could apply to many quilted jackets. Muna and Broad have videos for their Grainger jacket with excellent tutorials.
I looked at coat patterns. Raglan sleeves would give him more room. Eventually this old pattern showed up.
Yes, the fashion sketches look dated. Somehow it reminds me of the Brat Pack movies like St. Elmo’s Fire and Pretty in Pink. But the line drawing on the back has a straight body. The epaulets, pocket flaps, and belt loops will be ignored.
I made a muslin from an old bedsheet based on DS' {darling son} chest measurements {and what the pattern says fit.} It was way too big. Way, way too big. So I made a second one two sizes smaller. This week he'll come over to try it on.
Reading
Catriona McPherson's other series are deeply psychological murders {too much for me} but this is a romp starring counselor Lexy Campbell who marries an LA dentist when he visits Scotland, moves to California, and soon divorces him. On her way out of the country she becomes embroiled in a murder. The situations are funny and sad by turns but the dialogue sparkles.