Mermaid Jacket- WIP

Here is what I have been working on this week-the Mermaid Jacket.    I checked with my instructor, Linda Schmidt from Quilt University, to get the okay about posting our class work.  This jacket requires a lot of construction!

I started with the yokes for both fronts and the back.  This is where the undersea scene will be developed.  Here is what the back looks like with some seaweed before it was all couched down with a variety of threads.

Here are the fronts.  I couched yarns, floss, and other fibers along the edges of the seaweed and ocean floor.  My ocean floor is kind of colorful, yes?

Of course, there must be some mermaids for the Mermaid Jacket.  I decided to paint mine with Tsukineko inks for the skin and Lumiere paints for the torso.  They are drying and might make the next WIP edition.

There is a lot of strip piecing involved to add to the rest of the bodices.  Here are parts of three different strip sets to coordinate with the yokes.  That bottom set is not as curvy as it looks in the picture!

It has been a long time since I have done this much patchwork.  I am almost caught up with Week 3 of 4.  Tomorrow, Week 4's lesson will be posted, but we are leaving for the mountains in the morning. 

 It will be opening weekend of trout season.  You can't just throw in a line and catch a trout any more.  You have to have not only a fishing license, but a trout stamp.  The streams are stocked before opening day.  Traditionally, you can count on bad weather for opening day.  This was especially true back in the day when we used to camp in tents down by the creek.  I remember once going up there when Bryson and my nephew Jason were only two years old.  It rained Friday night, snowed and turned to ice on Saturday.  Everything in the tent got wet, as well as all our cooking gear and food outside.  We went by the K-Mart to get some dry sweatpants and sweatshirts, socks and underwear for the kids.  Then we went back to Greensboro to my sister's for the rest of the weekend.

Bryson is bringing our grand-kids for the weekend, so I hope it is not a repeat of that experience!  It has been raining all week.  They say it might snow on Friday.  At least now we have a snug and cozy cabin to retreat to.  And a washer and dryer.  And a shower.  And a kitchen.

Life is good!