For The Birds – Pocket and Finishes

The boro stitched Tabula Rasa Jacket is finished and it was fun to have in the booth in Puyallup and as a visual for several classes.  I finished the hand work on the airplane to Seattle last Monday and in the set up line at the Expo Fairgrounds on Wednesday morning.  As I predicted in the post Vote for the Boro Final Finishes, I did not get a chance to finish it until the bags were packed, handouts written and Carrie and I were in flight.

Here is the final report.  Thanks to everyone who weighed in about what finish to put on the end of each jacket sleeve.  I confess that I did not listen to you.  The vote was heavily in favor of the sleeve with no patches.  Next, were a few votes for the stacked patches and only a couple of votes for the spread patches.

What inspired the sleeve finishes?

Let me share my thought process with you.  The simple finish was my first thought.  Enough is enough, I thought.  But after looking at it on the dress form, I decided the sleeve made too simple of a statement and the lack of patches made the cuff look too strong.  The stacked patches were my second effort and I really liked its neat orderly appearance.  But again, it did not play well with the rest of the jacket.  No where else on the jacket was there an orderly tower of graduating size patches surrounded by emptiness.  It felt like an isolated statement that was distracting.  The spread patches were a result of scattering the stacked patches for a more random look.  To my eye, it is the most organic look in relation to the rest of the jacket.

What inspired the overall aesthetic of the jacket?

For the last few years I have been visiting contemporary art galleries and pinning a number of abstract and modern art ideas to my Pinterest boards.  It was an effort to increase my comfort level with a more modern aesthetic.  I tend to have a very symmetrical and landscape focused design mode.  I worked hard to incorporate this growing comfort with abstraction into this jacket.  While it still has some landscape principals, it is much more random than my previous art coats.

Here is an additional thought.  If I decide the spread patches are too much once I begin wearing the jacket, I can simply remove them.  The boro stitching is as easy to remove as it is to apply.

What was the final finish?

An interior pocket that doubles as a label was my final flourish.  As I was stitching around the jacket band, I decided the coat needed an interior pocket.  It is always tricky to put pockets in quilted jackets but I decided I could boro stitch a pocket and then boro stitch it into the lining so I would have a place for a cough drop, room key, $20 bill, etc.

The pocket is cut from one of the Marcie Derse fabrics, used in the patches,and a piece of the lining batik.  I fused interfacing across the top of the lining fabric to support the top of the pocket.  I also used our fluid textile paints to paint one of my labels and a name label for the jacket.  I decided that the coat was in fact For the Birds, since the bird fabric was the inspiration for the entire coat.

All the pocket elements were boro stitched together and the stitching provided needed support for the pocket and the name label.   The supported pocket was then stitched in place on the inside left front.  That way, I can reach in with my right hand and take out whatever I need that is safely tucked inside.

Plan to visit us at a retreat or expo soon so you can take a look at this fun jacket.  I hope it will inspire you to undertake a fun and satisfying project like this in the future as you #sewsuccessfully with #fitforartpatterns.

Happy Sewing, RAE