As the story goes, my plans for April 2020 took a sharp detour.

I'd been looking forward to the Craftcation conference in Ventura, California. Five days of crafting and business classes and evenings alone to work on my quilt patterns was exactly what I needed.

Instead, I turned my home into a COVID bunker for my family, setting up virtual school spaces, grocery shopping alone for a month at a time, and devouring news like my life depended on it.

Though stressful, it was a welcome detour. I very much needed to feel safety and the closeness of my family during this time.

I'm happy to report that things are beginning to get back on course. Last week, I finally enjoyed my five days of crafting and business classes. It was everything I had hoped it would be. To summarize, I met some people, learned some things, and left feeling empowered.

But my favorite thing I took away from the conference was a jacket.

Thrift Store Hunting

Thursday morning a group of us met Marisa from New Dress a Day outside the Marriott by the Ventura Pier and set off for a day of hunting in the several thrift stores in downtown Ventura.

I was on the mission to find a vintage quilt, and I found the perfect one: a double wedding ring made from pretty pastel fabrics. The workmanship was flawless, but years of love had worn the fabrics beyond repair. Peeking through the frayed pieces was the soft flannel blanket the original quilter used as batting.

Like I said, perfect.

Making a Quilted Jacket

With this quilt in hand, plus an inexpensive sweatshirt, I met the group again in a room full of sewing machines. 

Using the sweatshirt as a pattern, I cut pieces from the quilt and turned it into the quilted jacket from my dreams. Watch the video to see my process.

I'm so happy with how it turned out. Tell me what you think! Would you make a jacket from a quilt?