The SWAP Jacket

In the original Stitches Magazine article that started the whole SWAP fest, the print element was to be a top and blouse set, and in my first two SWAPS (I found the photos of those: SWAP 2004 and SWAP 2005)I followed the recommendations and did make matching skirts/tops. But I didn't wear them together...it felt too busy. However, for the SWAP contest that Timmel sponsors, participants are only required to have one print object in the set...and anything that has more than one color in it can count as the 'print'...so it can be a stripe, a plaid, a tweed, etc. This time, I'm opting to use a tweed jacket for my 'print' piece and the whole SWAP combo has fallen into place.
This is the 'Fall Sky Texture' originaly offered by Nancy Erikson in her Fashion Sewing Group newsletter for Sept. O5. It jumped at me then, but I had just embarked on what is turning out to be a long quest to slash the stash and I didn't get any. I kept going back to that swatch over and over again, though, and when I found out this fall that we are going to wear blue and grey for choir in February I decided that if that fabric was still singing to me a year later, I needed to get it. So I got two yards...enough for a short jacket. My test jacket in the black plaid is going together nicely; I don't think I'll have to tweak it too much before I cut into this.

The truth is, this fabric is great. The colors are subtle and it has played nicely with every blue and grey fabric I've pulled out of the stash. I've got more options than I need for fabric that coordinates with it...which is really cool. I'm gonna love it, I do believe.

But I've got to finish the other one first! The skirt is done; I'll take photos when I finish the jacket.