Bog coats are an interesting thing, very probably the oldest garment in human kind history. It was made from a single animal pelt and shaped with a single seam. As garments go, it’s an interesting bit of history.
When my partner in crime was still among us we engaged in a lot of “what if” brainstorming. My bog coat is the result of a guild project and a series of those what ifs. So let me give you the story.
I don’t know that I would ever have made a bog coat if not for the guild’s project. Once we embraced the project our natural brain storming bloomed. True partners in crime don’t do anything ordinary and the bog coat we created is just that, nothing ordinary. When my sister wears it she doesn’t fail to get compliments.
With the bog coat project in the works, we selected a rather complex fish for the back. (The complexity created a new applique technique). The design came for the internet and was taken from a concrete stamp (most likely) or clipart (next most likely) or Shutterstock. The fish had so much personality. Everything else couldn’t stand up to that cuteness.
Decorating the bog coat using only applique seemed too boring, too simple, but we wanted to retain the integrity of the bog coat shape so whatever we added had to stay within that frame. Using the square dance block allowed us to keep the bog coat shape while applying additional interest beyond the applique. Using a different color of the same fabric as the fabric for the hems added additional interest while retaining the shape. I still think that was fairy genius.
So, beyond all the technical decisions required to produce a garment that retains the original shape and fit of the bog coat, that’s the story.
Here are the blog links for the coat progress.