The Jacket with the Fringe on the Top and Bottom

Oh so many blog posts spinning around in my head this week....now I just have to sit down and put them on virtual paper.  Let's start with the oldest project that I was able to complete and wear this past weekend.  I started this jacket in late January and finished it just in time for probably the last cool spell before summer hits us hard.  
The jacket pattern is a favorite, Simplicity 2858, (OOP but readily available on Ebay, etc.)and this is my third version.  I lengthened it five inches, cut off the front overlap so that the fronts would meet at the center front, sewed it wrong sides together at the outer edges and then added bias trim on the front and the back side of all those edges.  It was Louise Cutting, not Susan Khalje, who wrote the great instructions for this trim technique in Threads issue #121.  It's a Fabric Mart tweed with black, brown, tan, gray and pinks.  Cozy and sweater like, perfect spring and fall jacket.

Simplicity 2858

First two Simplicity 2858 jackets


post with bias trim details


I was able to finish the jacket on Saturday afternoon after getting everything done for our annual Floribbean dinner.  We've offered this for the last four years at our church auction.  Six people, drinks and appetizers on the deck (homemade sangria, cheese coins, shrimp, mango avocado salsa) and then dinner (Cuban pork roast, rice and bean salad, tropical tossed salad, grilled banana/ red onion salsa) and dessert (Key Lime pie) inside.  The menu stays the same so Mr. Lucky and I have worked out a smooth routine to get it all done ahead of time.  This year we were extremely fortunate to have offered a Saturday night date rather than our usual Friday night.  Friday night here in Maryland saw a huge storm system sweep through with several small tornadoes touching down, right at the early evening hours.  Saturday arrived with sunshine and blue skies...but a surprise, nonetheless.  As I got ready to slice the dough for the cheese coins, I preheated the oven only to discover that our oven did not function.  The gas stovetop was fine, the range clock worked but the electronic switch would not start and we couldn't even light the gas oven with a match.  Oh, we are lucky to have friends in the neighborhood.  A lovely garden club friend loaned me her oven so I could bake those cheese coins and the key Lime pie.  We adjusted our plans and slow cooked the Cuban pork roast for six hours on the gas grill and all was fine.....and I even got the last of the trim sewn to the jacket and wore it to church on Sunday.  Last year I shared the shrimp appetizer recipe, this year I'll share the yummy banana red onion salsa recipe which always gets raves as well:


Banana Red Onion Salsa
1 red onion, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds
3 bananas peeled and halved lengthwise
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp dark rum (optional)
lime wedges for serving


Brush both sides of the onion rounds and banana with the oil and sprinkle with the cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Grill the onion over the hottest part of the grill, covered until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the onion to the cooler part of the grill and place the bananas cut side down on the hottest part of the grill. Grill the bananas, covered, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer the onion and banana to a cutting board and cool slightly. Whisk the lime juice, mint, brown sugar and rum (if using) together in a medium bowl the sugar has dissolved. Roughly chop the onion and bananas, add them to the bowl, and toss to coat. Season the salsa with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the lime wedges.
Love this with grilled chicken or pork.


Back soon with more sewing news from my place.  Now it's time to read about what's going on in your sewing spaces.