A post two days in a row? Whoa! Today I have for your some vague progress photos of the Viking kaftan that I’m working on for Jake. What’s a kaftan? It’s a long coat.
Above is a sketch of the design as it sits now, after many revisions. We originally cut the fabric to go almost to the ground, but it was a little overwhelming because of the bright color, seen below. The kaftan is made from a “luxe fleece” from Joann Fabrics in “burnt ochre” It is very bright. But Jake really likes this color orange, which screams, “Embellish me! If only to calm me down!”
So I am embellishing the crap out of it. I found a gorgeous woven trim which will go around the sleeves in bands and around the entire front opening. We have some leftover blue from his tunic that will also adorn the sleeves. Then I’m going to hand-stitch a decorative herringbone design on the sleeve cuff, because I’m crazy.
Finally, once the coat is already wearable, and everything else finished, we’re picking out designs to embroider on the back of the coat. All of course, done by hand. I hope that the final results will be stunning. Follow me on Instagram or Twitter for more progress shots.
