While browsing through the other offerings at Quilt University, I came across a very intriguing class: the Mermaid Lagoon Jacket.  It’s basically a tour through surface design techniques in the guise of creating a jacket with mermaids on it.  The class description says:

Get out all of your silk ribbons, pearls, fancy  threads, beads, batiks, and fish fetishes.  Create your own Mermaid  Lagoon Jacket!  As you create this lovely jacket, Linda Schmidt will teach you reverse machine appliqué, couching, silk ribbon embroidery, beading, fabric painting, machine embroidery on dissolving substances, and how to create small people in fabric.  Illustration shows close up of yoke.  All aboard for Mermaid Lagoon!

The supply list has other pictures and provides a tempting view into the tools and techniques we’ll be using.  It is quite extensive, but I already have most of the items on the list.  I am tempted to make my own fabrics for this jacket.  With handweaving, low water immersion dyeing and dye painting techniques, not to mention Thermofax screens, fabric paint, and batik, oh my! – the possibilities are endless.

Of course, my time is finite.  Very finite.  Especially since I will (in theory at least) be going full tilt on Autumn Splendor and the other quilting design class at the same time.  So I don’t know if I’ll have time to finish the class in conjunction with the other stuff, but it was only $36 to register so I’ve signed up in hopes of having Autumn Splendor done – or at least photographable – by then.  The embellishment techniques in this class would probably be great for Autumn Splendor, but oh well: you can’t have everything.

Which leads me back to Autumn Splendor and timing.  The deadline for entry for the Convergence Fashion Show is February 15, which means I need to have at least the outer shell done by then (so the photographs for my entry will reflect the finished work).  Obviously it would be best to have the entire thing done, but with only two and a half months to perfect the fit, finish weaving the fabric, and do any embellishments, not to mention all the fiddly couture finishing techniques, that’s a pretty tall order.  Especially for a jacket that involves lapels, which can be awesomely time-consuming.

The second deadline is the Conference of Northern California Handweavers, which takes place in April.  I am, fortunately, quite confident of having Autumn Splendor completed for that one (it will not be nearly as fiddly as the wedding-dress).  But I am starting to look over my shoulder at the clock.  I will probably set up some target milestones this week to keep myself on track.