The Scrappy Technicolor Party Coat

The scrap bin in my sewing room was getting out of hand.  I save the small bits and pieces leftover from my sewing creations in a plastic tote...and then one day the lid wouldn't close anymore.  Too many scraps!  So, with the confidence that came from the Bob Quam shirt, I decided to tackle some scrappy patchwork for myself.  And the Technicolor Party Coat was born!

Taking in the view on the Pintler Scenic Loop.  4/30/2023

Whereas the Bob Quam shirt took almost a year to complete, the Technicolor Party Coat came together in under two months.  Once started, I quickly got absorbed in the process.  It was terribly fun to select and cut the pieces-- and then figure out how to fit them together.  This time I used the Stitch-and-Flip technique in which the scrap pieces are mounted onto a base layer.  As a result, the coat is completely lined and quilted on the inside.  I think this was a really swell idea.

The front and back pieces prior to being stitched together at the sides and shoulders.  4/3/2023

The speed of the project can also be attributed to the fact that I gave myself a deadline.  Matt and I were going to embark on "Dead Week" at the end of April-- attending five Grateful Dead tribute shows from two amazing bands in five different towns over the span of eight days.  It wasn't my intention when I began the patchwork coat--I was hoping to have it done by Hillberry in October-- but I soon decided that Dead Week was a worthy debut for such a colorful, crazy coat.  Finishing the jacket in time for the first show became my goal.  

Modeling the jacket in a near-finished state.  I hadn't added the pockets or button yet.  I wasn't sure I was going to and wanted to give it a trial run first.  4/20/2023

The Technicolor Party Coat consists of several sewing patterns that I'm familiar with all cobbled together.  The bulk of it is based on the McCalls M6044 pattern I've been using to make Matt's shirts.  I added about two feet in length so that it would hit me below the knee.  I added 1.5 inches in width to the collar to make it a little groovier.  There is only one button.  

I found this button in my stash.  Not sure where it came from, but it seemed perfect for the job.  5/4/2023

I used a modified version of the cuff from the McCalls 8024 batwing pattern.   I wasn't sure it would work because the batwing pattern is designed for stretch knits and all this cotton patchwork seems like, basically, the opposite of that.  BUT!  It did!  I quite like the three-quarters-length sleeves.   My mom gave me helpful advice for that part since she was visiting for Easter.

A closer look at the cuff of the sleeve.  5/4/2023

Adding the pockets was the most challenging part...basically because it should have been one of my first steps, turns out, and I didn't consider it until the whole thing was nearly finished.  Ooopsy-daisy.  Good to know for next time!  After great deliberation, I went with in-seam pockets.  Easy enough!  To complicate matters though, I wanted at least one of the pockets to zip*.  I'd never made an in-seam pocket with a zipper before.  The end result works--my phone has a secure place as I bounce around the dancefloor--but it isn't set perfectly.  It bothers me that the zipper doesn't entirely lay flat, but Matt says it is one of those things that no one else would likely notice.  Especially given how busy the coat is, he's probably right.  I might take 'em out and try again though.  Practice makes perfect.

Taking in the view on the Pintler Scenic Loop.  4/30/2023

The bright colors and patterns of the fabrics make me happy.  All the more when I consider how they represent my sewing history.  There are fabrics from my very first projects in there.  Specifically the bird fabric from the Mondo Bag my mom basically strong-armed me into making at one of my earliest sewing retreats. Bless her for knowing me better than I know myself sometimes.  I love that bag and use it regularly to this day.  Remnants from the one quilt I made with my mom are included.  My most recent projects are represented, too--namely the bright, colorful fabrics from all the "cool shirts" I've been making for Matt.  There are snippets from the multitude of dresses and wallets I've constructed over the years, too.  A piece from the tie-dye curtain we used at the rental, back before we bought our house.  And so on.

Dead Sky at The Top Hat. 4/23/2023

The black base/lining fabric is from a bolt I inherited when David Cleaves died.  He was always enthusiastic about my sewing skills AND live music.  I suspect he would have dug this coat.  

Stone Riot--and the trial run of the Party Coat--at Thirsty Street Brewing.  As a former flute player...I love a rockin' flute!  4/20/2023

I finished the Technicolor Party Coat with time to spare for Dead Week and then rocked it on the dancefloor at all five shows.  I anticipated that it would be quite fun to dance in and I wasn't disappointed.  I hadn't anticipated how recognizable the coat would make me.  It was a bit like Matt and his hat.  Since he wears it to every show...people remember him from town to town!  I've never had that before.   The positive feedback from people was very satisfying icing on the cake.  I love the jacket...and other people seemed to love it as well!  Hooray!  One dancer in Helena told me that the coat "embodied the essence of this [Grateful Dead] music," and it was possibly the best compliment I've ever gotten on my sewing.  

A pitstop on the Pintler Scenic Loop.  4/30/2023

(Though to be fair:  Matt has been incredibly enthusiastic about his "cool shirts" and gets a lot of compliments on them from his colleagues which he passes along to me.  Someone immediately wanted to hire me to help with her wedding dress....which he politely declined on my behalf.  That was pretty high praise, too.)

Terrapin Flyer at Lewis and Clark Brewing.  4/28/2023

*At the Hillberry Music Festival last year I was dancing so lively to the Kitchen Dwellers that my phone fell out of my pocket.  Into the grass.  In the woods.  In the dark.  By total chance, I spotted it when the stage lights swept across the crowd at one point.  I hadn't even noticed it was missing.  That close call is why I knew the Technicolor Party Coat needed at least one zippered pocket.

Note:  Evidently, seeing the stage production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat at the Fort Peck Theater made a strong impression on me as a child.  Hence the naming convention of the Technicolor Party Coat.  :)

Modeling the jacket in a near-finished state.  I hadn't added the pockets or button yet.  4/20/2023