PR&P Week 5: Drive Inspired

Here's the thing about me and movies: I'm like a guy when it comes to movies. I like intense movies with good plot twists and fast car chases and even a tasteful amount of gunfire. I also enjoy a little Ryan Gosling, so in that way I suppose I'm all girl. Recently my husband and I rented a movie that was the perfect cocktail of all these elements called "Drive." It's fantastic. The maniacal gangsters, the speeding cars, the weird eighties synth soundtrack, the romantic tension on an elevator, and of course the Gosling element. And OH, the scorpion jacket. I had other ideas for what to make this week, things from movies you might feel a little more nostalgic about... but I kept coming back to this quilted satin driving jacket with a stinkin gold scorpion on the back. I NEEDED to make this jacket.

When you hear "quilted satin jacket" cool is not the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, a quilted jacket is normally something I would probably make fun of a little. But come on, this thing is just badass. I've never sewn anything with satin before, but after shopping in the prom fabrics section for my 3yo boy for this stuff, there was no going back. It snags and frays really easily, so I just had to be careful of that. I cut out my jacket pattern pieces first, out of the satin and Pellon fleece lining from Sewn Studio. I quilted those two layers together with a diamond grid on each piece, then put them all together, adding black piping around the sleeve seams. I made a lining in black cotton from the same pattern and connected it to the jacket when I added all the black ribbing. The basic pattern I started with was the 2-in-1 jacket from the book Sewing For Boys, also available at Sewn. (I love that book!)

The scorpion is just acrylic paint. I made a freezer paper stencil of the original with an exacto knife so I could get the exact shape and placement right on the jacket. Then I went back in and added shading in some areas with a darker shade of gold. In person, the brush strokes almost give the illusion of thick embroidery stitches.

My husband obviously thinks this is the coolest thing I have ever created. I would have a hard time arguing with him. Did you notice Hendrix's hair is a bit more Gosling-esque? He has always had longish curly hair. I keep it trimmed myself regularly, but he has never has a real short boy haircut. I convinced Nick to get it cut for our photoshoot and I love it! So handsome and ready for sweaty summer. Nick was so helpful this week and very enthusiastic about recreating the feel of the movie in the photoshoot, which he totally did. (You know, minus blood splatters all over the jacket!)

The t-shirt I made by cutting from an old shirt of mine that happened to have that perfect button neckline, just like what he wears in the movie. I also made slim 5-pocket jeans from dark wash Robert Kaufman denim from Sewn. That is the nicest denim EVER to sew with.

I'm so happy with this thing, and really excited that I got to sew for my boy again in the competition. I need to go watch some Drive right about now. Ok, I'll probably wait for naptime, I'm NOT that neglectful of a parent- even during Project Run & Play :)

You can go vote right here!