Inspired by the cover of a 1996 Threads Magazine, this stadium jacket, while simple in appearance, represents many hours of detailed work beginning with the creation of the basic fabric. The coat “fabric” is made using an Italian Renaissance technique from the 16th & 17th centuries that was revived a number of years ago. By quilting several layers of fabric together in straight lines, cutting through all but the bottom layer with scissors, and then machine-washing and drying the fabric sandwich, you create your own fabric with texture, depth, color and, in this case, warmth. Part of the trick is to cut the fabric along the bias grain, so that it doesn’t ravel, yet when laundered, it ‘fluffs up’.

For this coat, the basic ‘fabric’ sandwich is made from 3 layers of muslin and one layer of Warm & Natural batting, marked and cut in a series of opposing diamond/square designs. The diamond/squares are outlined with bias strips made from homespun fabric. The seams of the coat have been hidden within the bias strips that cover them.

Although, the inspiration was 10 yrs ago (1996), I focused my attention on completing the coat beginning about 2 months ago (mid-July 2016). I did ‘quilt’ the sandwich basic fabric occasionally during these 10 yrs and beginning in April of this year, I completed the creation of 60+ yards of bias strips. All total, I estimate well over a thousand hours of time to not only layout, stitch and scissor cut the ‘fabric’ sandwich design, but to also calculate and create the 60+ yds required for the bias strips of homespun fabric.

The jacket was finished in time to enter in the New Mexico State Fair, where it won a Blue Ribbon!

Launch Gallery