Hello my fellow crafty readers - here we are almost at the end of the year, and I'm super thrilled to reveal the third (at least on this blog!) tester finished project for the book.
This tester, Kim, has been testing for me for a few years now. She not only is an excellent test stitcher (she catches all kinds of little inconsistencies, which is fantastic), but she also has great fashion instincts, which really helps when picking project fiber and photographs once the project is completed. You can see at least one other test project she's done for me here, although she's completed others.
Kim has, once again, outdone herself. I very much wanted her to make the Bomber-inspired Hoodie Vest not only because of its inspiration, but also because I thought she'd look good in it and the hood might challenge her skills, since the rest of the project is fairly easy and straight forward. As you can see, I was not disappointed.
Initially, I love her color choices here - dusty blue and deep plum work well together. My first big surprise was her choice for fur trim - she used Bernat Boa. Kim had a hard time sourcing the Berroco Marmot I used in my sample, despite my best efforts to utilize fibers that I thought would be readily available in the U.S. and Canada. Quite frankly, I am pleasantly surprised at how wonderfully lush her fur trim and hood turned out (and the pop snow flurries on photography day didn't hurt either).
The second surprise was her closure placements - her leather toggle closures, evenly spaced down the first 2/3 of the front, look good. It was an unexpected twist, but one that crafters who want to work up this design can look to for additional inspiration.
Kim also didn't tack the fur portion of her hood as far back on the top as I did on my sample, thus making her hood look bigger than on the original. They are the same number of stitches, but as you can see, simple tweaks and different fiber can have a huge impact on how designs eventually look.
I am completely thrilled with Kim's test efforts (as usual, her input was spot on), and her finished article of clothing is simply fantastic. I hope she gets loads of great wear out of it, as well as many compliments, because the vest looks good on her.
Until next time ...
Well it's the end of another week, and time for another design preview.
This Friday I'm turning my attention to Bessie Coleman. In case you weren't aware, she is the first African-American female to receive a pilot's license, earning her Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) license in France in June of 1921. She learned French specifically so she could travel overseas and take flying lessons since she could find no person in the states who would accept her as a student. She then stayed a few additional months in Paris, taking more lessons to sharpen her skills, and sailed back to New York and much acclaim.
Coleman fought tirelessly for her race and gender, so I wanted to design something that had a lush element, and this piece definitely does:
The Bomber-inspired Hoodie Vest is a luxuriously tactile piece and deceptively easy to create. Worked bottom-up in Berroco Blackstone Tweed and the oh-so-soft Berroco Marmot, the hood, done half in fur, frames the neck in uber-warmth. While it can be worn up, it is rather more for keeping your neck, shoulders and back framed in luxurious good looks. I opted for actual small fur clasps with a leather element positioned at the top of the hoodie front for a completely functional if somewhat understated notions element. I did not want to detract from the hood, which is the star of the piece.
This vest is not only easy to work up, but easy to wear. It can quickly become that go-to piece to throw on when walking out the door for anything from a day hike to a day of shopping. I am convinced that Bessie, who worked as a manicurist in order to save money for her trip to France, would have loved this design.
Pre-ordering the soft-cover book from my Big Cartel online store for $24.99 + shipping before the end of the year will get you (1) a free electronic .pdf version; and (2) a book signed by yours truly. Ordering both together after January 1st will cost more. The book will also be available for purchase in the new year from various other distribution channels, which I'll announce as they become available. I do hope you'll consider purchasing the book directly from the author, as more of your money will go directly to support more designing.
And that's always a good thing in my book.
I hope you are getting through this holiday season in style. Until next time ...
