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