In limbo between designs in draft, works in progress and completed prototypes, I’m taking a breather for a couple of days while I work out what to do next. My therapist encouraged me to take the pressure off this flurry of activity and focus on planning my daily routine. Wise advice.
In the meantime, here’s another prototype. The germ of this idea dates back to AM’s awesome saddlebag wrap, which made me want to wear faux fur again. I stalked the fabric back then and finally went back for it at the end of the summer by which time there was almost nothing left on the roll. I bought what I could comfortably afford and took it home.
My original sewing plan for the winter was for two garments: a fur vest I could layer over jackets and a plain black coat in something else. Then at some point I realised that the blouse that became a bomber jacket could also be a reversible coat which would convert into a wrap, filling both of these criteria and then some. You get the idea.
Mixing up the fur on one side with a piece of alpaca (miraculously found on Amsterdam’s Monday fabric market) and a black nylon shell on the other gives a garment with many applications. I like the glam meets boho meets urban vibe of the thing and it seems to go with almost everything. It’s comfortable over a tee in milder weather and I expect to wear it later in the season over a leather jacket. The waterproof fabric means I can flip it and wear it in the rain without drenching the pelt.
Here’s the thing though. It’s a design with potential and I want to make more like it. But unlike the bomber jacket there’s a problem with the economics - materials alone are expensive and fur is challenging to sew. This leaves me wondering how I can make this coat happen.
As ever, your thoughts and comments are most gratefully received.
