"Picture This" vest provides a blank canvas for creative patchwork

"Picture This" vest features fabrics from
Mystique collection.

After making several quilts that either go on the couch or bed, hang on the wall, or decorate some area of the house, do you ever feel like a little garment sewing?

I like "wearing" my quilts, too. Here's an example…

The "Picture This" vest pattern [one of my all-time favorites!] by folk artist, Rachel Clark, offers a blank canvas for patchwork, innovative piecing, or just showing off a beautiful or interesting piece or collection of fabrics.

A recent creation of mine uses the Picture This vest pattern and a new fabric collection from Blank Quilting called Mystique. This collection has a few gray and white coordinates (see the vest front) and a couple prints that introduce black and a warm cocoa brown to the mix (see vest back).

I particularly like the juxtaposition of the geometric print on the lapels with the leaf and paisley print of the bodice. The patch pocket (my own addition) is trimmed with a small black print (6807 from Blank Quilting's Lola collection) that is also featured on the vest back.

Patch pocket on front of vest.

Although there are only two layers—a muslin inner layer and the pieced top layer—the vest is "quilted." I free-motion stitched vertical lines through the two layers of the vest front and top-stitched along the curved seamlines on the back and on the pocket. The extended shoulders of this pattern provide a figure-flattering inverted triangle shape and the lower hemline is slightly cupped and hugs the hipline. We all like to look as if our waist is smaller than our hips and bustline! Can you say, "hourglass figure?"

"Picture This" vest, front and back views.

The lining fabric (also from the Lola collection) echoes the gray/brown/black color scheme of Mystique.

Lining fabric.

I wore my new vest last weekend while teaching classes at Huntsville Sew and Vac in Huntsville, AL and to the Choo Choo Quilters guild meeting this week. The "Picture This" vest pattern will be available for purchase at Huntsville Sew and Vac (Huntsville, AL) and locally at Ready Set Sew in Chattanooga, TN.

"Picture This" vest made by Veronica.

And, here is my friend and fellow guild member, Cristy, with a surface embellished top made from a patchwork of kimono pieces. Another idea for "wearing your patchwork!"

Cristy in her patchwork blouse made with
various kimono fabric swatches. 

Tennessee Presents Textiles runway show—a celebration of textile arts

A beautiful fall November day welcomed artists and fiber art enthusiasts to the southeast's Tennessee Presents Textiles artwear show and sale last weekend. A crowd of nearly 200 enjoyed a day of unique artwear and fiber art accessories presented runway style.

The featured guest speaker, contemporary folk artist, Rachel Clark, opened the event with a presentation of over 20 of her wearable art pieces. I've taken Rachel's workshops and attended her lectures, and her personality, humor, and tell-it-like-it-is style quickly ignites the room with energy and puts an audience at ease. You can be sure you're in for a treat when Rachel is on the agenda!

I also had the pleasure of picking Rachel up from the airport shuttle service in Chattanooga and driving her to the location of the show in Vonore, TN (accent on the VON). It was a delightful hour and a half of one-on-one with one of my favorite textile artists. Among the topics of conversation were her lost luggage (which she was surprisingly calm about), pattern making, print production and some new workshops and classes she was developing. Her mind and creativity never stops.

Rachel and I at the runway show.

Rachel's presentation and trunk show started off with three vests made with her "Picture This" vest pattern. This is a versatile pattern which I use over and over for my own pieces. It is a perfect canvas for piecework or can provide a great silhouette for other techniques.

Also included were pieces from her "Out of the Crayon Box" collection.

 

Student work from the Fashion and Design Department of Rangsit University in Thailand was also featured.

 The techniques were innovative and created unexpected textures.

Rachel and I got a back stage look at these garments after the show. These students are so talented and their work is inspiring!

Here is Geri Forkner (left), the Creative Director and driving force behind Tennessee Presents Textiles, at her artist's booth. Geri is a master at nuno felting and is now developing techniques combining hand-dyed silks, weaving, nuno felting and needle felting. (The dark brown scarf, center front, came home with me!)

Artists booths at Tennessee Presents Textiles. 

The second half of the runway show consisted of the garments from the "The Power of the Pocket" Challenge (Thank you, TPT, for crediting me for the Challenge idea) and work by twenty regional fiber artists. Artists had their work on display and for sale, including hand-dyed silk jackets, vests and scarves; felt bags, pouches, scarves and wraps; knit, woven and quilted garments; jewelry and other accessories.

It was a fabulous event and a wonderful celebration of textile artists and wearable art!