Happy Dance - Crazy Quilted Silk Kimono Jacket

jacket -- LOLOL! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)

> Well, I'm just about finished with the quilted silk kimono fabric
> jacket for DD. After reading the threads about crazy quilting, I
> realized that both of the jackets are actually crazy quilted pieces!
> Anyway, the jacket is to be DD's Christmas gift AND a surprise so I
> won't be able to post photos until after the holiday. She and the SMDGD
> often go to my Webshots albums and look through the photos and I don't
> want her to see the jacket!
> I ended up using even more fabrics on this one than I did on my
> jacket. I also remembered to put a pocket into the right side seam so I
> didn't have to appliqué one to the outside and cover up any of the
> beautiful fabric design. My jacket has 18 fabrics plus the t on t
> lining. DD's has 19 fabrics with a plain white lining. I screwed up
> cutting out TWO or the pieces -- right side front and left side back
> pieces. I had to cut the top part off of them both and then piece in
> another fabric so that I could re-cut the top section for the sleeve
> opening. That's why her jacket has one piece more than mine -- I only
> screwed up one piece on my jacket -- LOLOL!
> Of course, this meant that I had to dig up two additional fabrics
> from my kimono stash (which was already put safely away), iron on the
> inner facing, quilt the new piece with the dupioni backing and then sew
> the pieces together and finish the seam. All of the seams are finished
> with decorative stitching down both sides (except for the underarm
> sleeve seam) and all of the seams have over dyed silk ribbon couched
> down the seam line (except the side seams) to cover it up. I spent most
> of yesterday getting the lining sewn in, adding the collar and then
> finishing the hem. Today I will put on the cuffs and then I will be
> finished and finished is GOOD :-).
> All but five of the fabrics have butterflies. I have a fancy
> schmancy embroidery sewing machine (Janome 9000) and it has a butterfly
> stitch (it's about 1/2" wide) so the fabrics without b'flies got
> embellished in some manner with this stitch. One of the large pieces of
> the jacket (the right side back, I think) has a lovely fan design so I
> sewed the b'flies on the scalloped top part of each fan section. The
> four sleeve fabrics don't have b'flies so I used that b'fly stitch
> combined with one of my little flower stitches to embellish both sides
> of the seams joining the fabrics down the center. That should make DD
> happy as she is a b'fly fiend.
> Now I will have to pack it and take it to Lizard Land with me
> tomorrow. I'll pack it up with other small Christmas gifts and leave it
> stashed at DD's. I'd like to leave it hanging but she'll know what it
> is. I'll just have to pack it carefully with lots of tissue so that it
> doesn't get too squished over the next 5 months.
> VBS -- I can not believe I have made another of these jackets! They
> are extremely labour intensive and a total P.I.T.A. to make. But they
> are sooooo pretty and I get to play with all those beautiful silk
> fabrics and add all the pretty ribbons and stitches, etc. DH asked me
> if I would ever make another one of these beauties and I said sure, for
> a PRICE! If someone wanted to pay me $2,000.00 I'd gladly make another
> jacket -- LOLOL! CiaoMeow >^;;^<
>
> PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)
> Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about
> their whiskers!
> Visit my Photo albums at http://community.webshots.com/user/tiamary

some photos and I posted them on *my* site for us all to drool over? <G>

> Wow! Those jackets sound gorgeous, Mary! Hmmm ... what if you sent me
>

to manage a meet & greet! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)

> Sandy wrote:
> > Wow! Those jackets sound gorgeous, Mary! Hmmm ... what if you sent me
> >
>
> HMMM -- that would work. Let me get the cuffs on and I'll get some
> photos today and send them to you. Where should I send them? Perhaps
> you could e-mail me and let me know, OK? It's CatWom7711 at aol dot
> com.

>Oh -- and DH and I are considering doing the Vegas thing again
> right after Christmas this year so if you are in town we might be able
> to manage a meet & greet! CiaoMeow >^;;^<