Hit by inspriation...

Well, maybe I've been hit by inspiration about four times, and the fourth time was the one that pushed me over into actually working on the project.

The fourth smack was the One Fabric - Silk contest that's currently running at Pattern Review. I haven't entered a contest for ages...and, to be honest, the prizes of gift certificates from a quilting-oriented vendor aren't highly motivating to me. But the entries have to be made this month; THAT is highly motivating!

I have some silks that I purchased...I dunno...twelve years ago?...to make one of Sandra Betzina's silk-underlined-with-flannel jackets.

And then I couldn't find a pattern that I thought would work. So the fabrics sat in the stash for years...waiting...

Then, last month, Phyllis C posted a review of the Hot Patterns Geisha Girl Jacket and I got smacked with inspiration again. What a gorgeous, reversible jacket she had! I had that pattern in the stash, and I recollected my languishing silks and started to think about how to make the Geisha with them. But, as one was a lightweight crepe and the other a pretty sturdy shantung, I wasn't sure what to do.

The third inspiration came as I pondered how to do what I wanted to do. I wanted it reversible, with the shantung on the facings on the crepe side... and, from the far reaches of my brain, I remembered a cover article from an ancient Threads by a lady named Bird Ross, who used rather unique construction/finishing methods for her jackets (that article was voted either number 2 or number 3 in the top 100 articles list a couple of years back). And I realized that the black-and-white print silk I got at Atlanta this year would work with the ancient silks in the jacket. I could use the two silk crepes as the fabrics for the two sides, and the shantung for the edge finishing and the sash. And I'll probably have enough shantung left for a sharp straight skirt.

SO...when the 'One Fabric - Silk' contest finally caught my eye, I realized I have a potential entry.

So yesterday evening I traced off a size 10 Geisha Girl Jacket and today I'll make a quick muslin, just to check the fit.

This will be cool.


PS> Thanks to everyone who posted/is posting your 12 TNT picks! I've enjoyed seeing the lists so far...