Inspiration

I am a short person.  According to Palmer and Plestch, I am not petite, just short.  From my waist up I am normal, but my lower torso and my legs are very short.  Then to top it off, I am large busted.  Very large busted.  Consequently, I find that I am better off  wearing solid colors or small prints and trying to dress from head to toe in one color.  But ever so often a beautiful large print speaks to me and I want to wear it  You know what is  coming next don't you?  I found a beautiful Asian floral print that was just gorgeous and I wanted to wear it and share it with other people.  So, I decided it would become a jacket.  Joy Joy helped me fit the pattern and then I cut out the jacket in my beautiful fabric.  I basted it together to check the fit again and discovered.....LARGE PRINTS ARE NOT FOR ME!

So, I decided maybe if I made the side panels in a dark coordinating fabric it would break up the big floral print and look good.  I had a perfect fabric in my stash; another Asian print, but this time it was tone on tone and read like a solid.  It was another favorite fabric.  So, I cut the side panels in the new fabric and then basted them in place.  I repeat,  LARGE PRINTS ARE NOT FOR ME!  Joy Joy didn't even get to see it.  I pulled it off and it went straight into the scrap pile.

That was two years ago, and it has been in my scrap pile ever since.  Then, I discovered Ann Williamson's blog and website.  Eye candy is definitely the word for it.  If you haven't visited her blog or website, you really must take a look at it.  This is the web address:  http://annwilliamson.com/handmade-designer-womens-apparel/   She does lots of strip piecing of fabric.  Her jackets are just amazing.  As I was working on my pants pattern tonight I was thinking about her jackets and how beautiful they are.  It dawned on me that the fabrics I'd used in my jacket would be beautiful broken up as Ann does.  So, tonight, I pulled the jacket out of the pile and started cutting strips.  I will have to find another navy color because I only had a half yard of the tone on tone.  That isn't nearly enough.  But I may have more in my stash, or I'll find some elsewhere to match it.

Isn't inspiration great when it just strikes out of the blue like that?  I think I just need more solid and less floral and it will be great.

Happy Sewing,
Phylly