Inspiration for a joyful and creative life

My sister came to visit this winter, wearing a great fleece jacket that my Mom made.  That combined with seeing some fun, multi colored jackets, inspired us to create our own.

Even if you don’t sew, this could be an idea that you use to embellish a ready made jacket.

I love that it is versatile and can go with so many things because of all the colors.

I decided to create the base using eggplant purple polar fleece.  It works well as a neutral that goes with more colors than you might think.  At least in my wardrobe, it does!

I used the Saf-T Pockets using Rochelle’s Reversible pattern as the base and left off the collar so I could just turn back the edges to make a lapel.

I liked the simple shape and fit of this jacket.  I think the curved shape at the back is more flattering than a straight edge.  I didn’t need it to be reversible and the single layer keeps it from being too bulky.

I cut squares of some of the different colored polar fleece I bought to play with colors and placement.  It only took a small corner of each color.

Denver Fabrics in Littleton, CO had a great selection of fleece with lots of wonderful colors.  I wasn’t quite sure what my design was going to be until I played with it a bit  .  I bought more fleece than I needed, a half yard of each color.  I’ll probably make a couple of vests with the left over fabric.

Creating has a lot to do with fiddling and trying things out until you have something you like.

You don’t have to know how it’s all going to end up before you start.  That’s a good metaphor for life, isn’t it?

I wanted the jacket to look good with black or brown so I included both.  I played with the little black squares to add a little more contrast and have a design element to tie the patches together.

I like having a little touch on the back too, so I carried the design idea to the back with a patch at the center back.  And just for good measure, I added one more on one sleeve.

I had some black buttons that were just the right scale.

I also added a strip of the green along the top of the pockets to emphasize the diagonal line and for a touch more color.

It doesn’t fray so you don’t even have to finish the edges but you can do different things as a design choice.  My Mom made a cute fleece jacket where she just used pinking shears to give some design to the edges.  You could use embroidery thread and a blanket stitch or other decorative stitch.

I originally planned to use brown wooly nylon and thread to over lock the edges.  I decided I liked the black better.  I used regular thread with a short stitch length which gave it a satin stitch and a nice design line.

I have never worked with polar fleece before and it was wonderful and easy to work with.  This was Polar Tec fleece so it is a good quality that doesn’t pill.  It was simple sewing; no need for facing or finishing the seams.

Do you have a jacket, sweater, or top you could add some color or a repeated design to give it a special touch?

Sunset-in-La-Jolla, California

My husband and I went on a wonderful 3 day weekend in La Jolla, California.

It was a fun and relaxing trip.  One of the best parts is it was my husband’s idea and he made all the arrangements!

It is such a treat to see everything green and blooming when we still have a month or two before we’ll see any leaves on the trees in Colorado.

We saw some beautiful scenery; sea lions, black porpoises, gorgeous flowers and gardens, palm trees and sunsets.

Thought I’d share a few pictures with you.

Greg-in-front-of-whale-fountain-at-aquarium-La-Jolla

My husband, Greg in front of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps whale fountain.  This is a wonderful aquarium.

aquarium at la jolla

Sally-Japanese-Gardens-Balboa-park-San-Diego

Sally at the Japanese Gardens in beautiful Balboa Park, San Diego

Look I match my green setting!

My ever-changing chandelier is ready for spring, embellished with personal small size crystal salt and pepper shakers.  I found them at Patina’s Antique store.

There are two sets of each style of salt and pepper shakers, for a total of eight.   I made a loop with wire through the holes in the top

I wired them so that I can use them alone if I want an all crystal look, or I can add any color bead dangle to change the look.  I may even try another version where I fill the shakers with small colored seed beads.  Lots of possibilities!

For this rendition, I wanted to add a pop of color.  As a jewelry artist, I love my beads.   I wired green resin beads with crystals for a little extra sparkle, using a simple wire loop.  Again for versatility, I could use the green dangles alone or with the salt and pepper shakers.

For the focal point and a little extra pizzazz, I used 3 irregular shaped resin rings and wired them with the crystals in between.

Check out the other variations of the chandelier – Valentine’s Chandelier and Winter Wonderland Chandelier.

And stay tuned for more variations in the coming months!