Summer Heat

 This beautiful fabric arrived in the mail last week, a surprise gift from a friend.   When I first opened it I was awed by the beauty of the strong colors.  It practically shimmers with hot summer heat. I noticed the texture and assumed it was linen, but I was distracted and I didn't really feel the fabric, didn't run it through my hands and assess its drape.  It is not linen; rather it is silk.  And I still think it is beautiful.

But what should it become?  My first thought was that I should make a dress.  But I had a much harder time pinning down what kind of dress.  A shirtdress?  A sundress?  I came up short on ideas.  I thought of things but had trouble visualizing them as something chic and modern.  I thought that as much as I love the pattern, cutting the dress and not ending up with something that looked old or dated or fusty was harder.  Retro chic is not my thing.  What to do? What to do?

I thought I would turn to a master of bright, even ethnic print.  I started looking through the archives of Dries Van Noten's last several spring/summer collections.  As usual I came up with lots of inspiring ideas, although not necessarily for this particular fabric.  I continued to think that a dress might be nice, but that I should play with shape or drape. Perhaps some interesting placement of the pattern would work well.  Tucks, pleats, and interesting folds figure heavily in the 2010 collection and there is much potential there although it would require some playing with pattern and muslin.

 I also thought the pattern might work well as a light jacket or a skirt, or perhaps both, although not to wear together,  worn together I might look more like I was wearing some draperies resurrected from the 1970s.

In the Vogue Pattern catalog, this new jacket caught my eye.  It has the right amount of interest and drape, and is geometric enough to play well with the pattern.  This is a strong possibility.

 Although I was originally thinking of a narrower skirt, one perhaps with a bit of drape or interesting play with line, I also recognize that there is potential in this skirt from the April Burda Style magazine. Actually, I tend to waver on this, worrying about whether it is just right, or if I am once again falling back into old habits and assumptions:  if you don't know what to do make a skirt.

I haven't made a decision yet.  There are several things that are higher on my list of priorities at the moment.  But the fabric is here, and I have intentionally left it out, draped over Matilda, waiting to see what ideas arise. It has indeed captured my fancy and my dreams.