Scrappy

It was getting hard to cram more scraps into my scrap bin again, but I didn't want to add to the pile of "patchwork blanket tops that will probably never be finished"--multiple piles, actually, but Chippy kitty rather enjoys laying one one of the piles, so that's OK.

Still, though.

Not more blanket tops.

Not now.

But...hmm...what about that sewy thingy I'm actually interested in making now, a bomber jacket?  I definitely have a pattern I've used before with no problems, New Look 6120 from...um...from that time around Y2k when Simplicity wasn't including the copyright on the envelope.

So I decided I'd try it again, only this time I'd also try crumb quilting to build up the panels from which the jacket pieces would be cut.  I'd never done proper crumb quilting before--I'd always taken the time to square up the little bits, which probably added significantly to the amount of time things took.

I grabbed a gallon bag and started digging into the scrap bin, with the goal of gathering light purple, light pink, black and white, and gray.  The bag filled quickly, and just as quickly did the idea form that, no, these scraps would not be used for a bomber jacket, they'd be used for a motorcycle jacket.  (Which I do have a pattern for.  A pattern that's still never been used.)

So I grabbed another gallon bag and started putting allll the bright colors in...and noticed I had a lot of yellows and oranges and blues and I know someone for whom those are perfect colors so the plan became "Make a crumb quilt patchwork bright color bomber jacket for her!"  And once I decided it would be for her, I started adding all sorts of prints that I really liked and knew I would have continued to otherwise hoard.  The power of friendship: it can actually use the precious stash.

I didn't take pictures of the scrap assembly, because when do I ever remember to take progress pictures?  But it took big chunks of one Saturday and the following Sunday, which was a lot less time than I expected, and also it didn't use up the entirety of the gallon'o'scraps, either.


So here's what I ended up with

 Whoo!

 Whoo hoo!  It went together just as easily as the previous time I used this pattern, with the only extra steps being to tack the cut ends of the patchwork seams so they wouldn't unravel before they could get sewn in the construction steps.

 The zipper is one of the "randomly ordered from WAWAK because wow that's a great price for a separating zipper" zippers, which...having a stash of jacket zippers certainly does help with the spur-of-the-moment jacket projects. (And using one may or may not provide an excuse to order more--this is definitely not a sponsored endorsement.)

 I didn't have enough of this cotton madras to make all of the lining, but I really wanted it to be the lining you see, so I eked out the front and back from the madras (the plaid is decidedly uneven, and nap yardage layout most certainly was not followed) and used a yellow polka dot for the sleeves.  One of which still needed just a tiny bit of piecing to be wide enough. 

The madras was also called in to line the pockets, which I did by not only applying a piece below, but also sewed a piece to the front cloth, then flipped to the inside before top stitching everything together--there was no way I was going to leave any of the patchwork seam allowances anywhere near being exposed. (And, oh, look, a stray thread that I missed.  There were a lot of those in this project.  And, alas, cat hair--it's midsummer shedding season.)

Can't see the thread in this photo, though!

 I'd had the vague idea that I would use some kelly green rib knit for the ribbing on this, but I decided to poke through my "knit cloth for doll use" drawer and decided this black and tan stripe worked better, because, yes, it lacks in color, but it makes up for that by being yet another pattern...

 The anchor print and the cat are some of those "saving these for something special" bits.

 Yes, there is a Christmas print, because those reindeer are fabulous.

The yellow polka dot + peach floral square is probably my favorite print combination here.

I tried it on, of course, because intended recipient and I are just about the same size, and...it's very warm for an all-cotton jacket.  This is not the right time of year for very warm 'light' jackets, but I mailed it off on Monday anyway, with only a warning that I was mailing something, and it arrived on Wednesday, heralded by dancing gifs.    I'm so glad she likes it!