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Last week, I spent a few days piecing the odds and ends from the remainders of a trench coat I had just cut out. The fabric was from an old kimono, gorgeous, but with prominent stains so it was no longer wearable.

The trench fell into place easily, the pattern flowed together with ease.

But the obstinate leftovers were not cooperating. I was completely lost trying to lay out them out. Each pretty little piece had a mind of its own and resisted my every intension. ‘Just try and get along!’ I pleaded.

Finally, after many hours of trying every combination I could think of, they relaxed and found their places. The bright shapes and black areas finally balanced and set themselves nicely into place.

Above, the front, politely sitting there looking as if there had not even been a single moment of obstinate drama.

I’ll be bringing it, finished and ready for wearing to the Smithsonian’s Craft2Wear show, October 3, 4 and 5.

A new jacket, born from all the leftover pieces and scraps that I could not possibly throw away.

I scrounged through my remainder piles and gathered all the odds and ends that looked good with each other. I sewed those bits and pieces together into blocks, all the while, not sure of where I was heading. Just feeling my way along. When I had enough blocks, I laid them out.

Then came the magic part. As the forms and shapes began to talk to each other, I could see where I was heading. And when I knew where I was going, I could see the areas that needed more and the places that needed less.

Above, the front in process.

I almost always start with the front. It takes a while since I’m still figuring it out. By the time I get to the back, the direction is clear and it goes pretty fast.

Below, the back.

After all the decisions are made, I sew the blocks together.

Below, the piecing is complete. The front is cut out and ready to be sewn into a jacket.

In the midst of working on this one I kept thinking that it looked like airplanes and their complicated pathways, that’s why, ‘Flight Paths.’

What a treat! A week or so ago I received an email from Marion, a woman who more than 15 years ago had purchased one of my jackets at a craft show in Los Angeles. She sent along pictures. It was my jacket I had called ‘Neutrino.’ It was covered with hand appliqued spirals.

She and her husband were going to be in town and asked if it was ok to stop by for a visit. Yes!

I remembered her! Some encounters are memorable. I had not forgotten this one. The jacket had been inspired by a photo of subatomic particles. She appreciated the design because her husband was a physicist and she could wear the jacket at his conferences. It could not be more perfect!

The photo was from a 1985 National Geographic magazine. To this day, it is on my wall. A bit tattered, this image still resonates with me.

The copy under the photo reads, “Particle-track pyrotechnics from a bubble-chamber detector flash on a screen at CERN. Debris from subatomic collisions leave distinctive wakes. For instance electrons and positrons spiral tightly in opposite directions. Computers now sort through such jungles of tracks to pinpoint results significant to experimenters.”

Because I had folded the copy under the picture, I had mistakenly remembered that the image showed neutrinos. Not neutrinos, Marion’s physicist husband gently informed me during our visit, neutrinos are neutral, they could not leave tracks because they have no charge. The copy under the picture confirmed, these were positrons and electrons.

Thank you Marion for stopping by. I love that you continue to wear the jacket! And a special thank you to John who carefully and expertly explained what a neutrino is. It is so very much appreciated! Thank You!