After  four or five hours of work, I finally have the side panels pieced and cut.  And they look pretty good!  Here they are:
The piecing is regular and the pattern clearly suggests a braid.
Now I need to sew up the body of the jacket, recut and re-sew two lining pieces, and make a bunch of bound buttonholes in the front panel. Â Then I need to attach the lining to the vest, sew in the cape, and that’s it! Â I’m trying to get it done this week, but it might go into early next week, because of the buttonholes.
Meanwhile, my design class continues. Â Inspired by the exercises, I’ve analyzed a bunch of my most-liked fashion photos, looking to see what characteristics appeal. Â Here are some of the words I found repeating in my analysis:
- long
- flowing
- dynamic when moving (flash of contrast)
- wings
- soft
- light and airy
- dramatic
- feathers or suggested feathers
- more loose than structured, but with some structure (i.e. not entirely loose)
- asymmetric
- diagonal lines (add movement)
And I am now thinking I would like to make two pieces – a cloak entitled “Dying Phoenix”, crumply-textured material, predominantly black (maybe some gray) with red and orange accents – and “Phoenix Rising” – the one I’ve been working on. Â The cloak I have a strong vision for, the other is still totally in the air. Â I need to generate more designs, and also start sampling fabric!