Joseph's Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!

When I first heard that Queen Creek Performing Arts was doing 'Joseph', I went to the powers that be and practically begged them to let me make the coat. thanks goodness I have made a reputation (a good one) for myself, and so they said yes. I started be looking at every Joseph coat image on the internet, and even watching youtube to see how the coat flowed. I decided, and the director agreed that we wanted it as close to the Broadway coat as we could. Or at least catch the essence of that image.

I watched the DVD with Donny Osmond and sketched what I wanted to do. The next challenge was to find just the right striped fabric. I was very excited when I found this stripe. I even had a coupon for 50% off. Yay! Then I looked for a pattern that would have the right style of jacket front and sleeves.

To make the squares, I cut triangles of striped fabric, and sewed them into squares. Ugh! Definitely NOT my favorite part, but essential nonetheless.

This is the coat before adding the color wheel underneath. I took it to rehearsal, and 'Joseph' (Brent Slade) try it on. To my great relief, it fit him. Yay! I had only gotten his measurements through email, so I was nervous, but I had sewn for him last year in Seven Brides, so I was pretty sure I was on the right track. I had made six panels with the squares on them, and I safety pinned them on to make sure I had the exact length I wanted them. Then I went home and sewed them on.

Adding the color wheel skirt was not as easy as I though it would be. I ended up with about seven yards of fabric at the bottom. It needs to almost make a full circle, so that was a challenge. I ended up with 14 sections; basically the rainbow, twice. I sewed a gold ribbon down between each section. There are no exposed raw edges.

Then, as throughout the coat, and trimmed it in black bias tape, to make it POP!

Brent was good enough to model it for me at rehearsal last Saturday, so that I could get some pictures of it. It always looks better on a live model as opposed to a hanger!

Front chest

Back (Like the tassle?)

Sleeve detail. Fabric paint and stencil.

Square detail

The finished product!

Some people have referred to my talent. I see it more as an obsession! My family would probably agree.