Not a very exciting project for a New Year's eve post, not a sparkle to be seen. Truth be told this jacket is a bit dull to me, and once completed I really struggled to see what I can wear under it. I must have color ! I think a new silk top is needed and I have some fabric website gift certificates burning a hole in my virtual pocket. Raspberry silk, don't you think?
Edit: 1/5/14 This pattern is the one used for the jacket on the latest issue of Threads magazine, in a bright blue with some textural embellishments.
Onward with the details. Lots of details. You asked for them so here we go.
I am totally enamored with this closure - designs that use seaming to create buttonholes always attract me. The pattern shows just one button but that seemed lopsided so I added a second one.
The inside. I used my remaining scrap of black silk charmeuse for the front facing pieces which ordinarily would cut from the wool fabric. While part of the reason was not enough wool remaining the main motivation was to cut down the itch factor. Can you imagine how itchy that wool tweed would be around the neckline? Soooo much better with the silk charmeuse. The pattern provides a facing piece that runs the length of the front but I changed that into two pieces as I thought it would work better for those in-seam buttonholes. The rest of the lining is Ambience rayon.
Here is a little thing that I do for lined jackets. Maybe not easy to see here, at the outer top of the shoulder seam I do a little hand stitched X to secure the lining to whatever is underneath, seam allowances or shoulder pad. Not too tight, just a loose tack but it really helps the sleeve lining stay where it should and not want to pull when you remove your arm.
I made the full lining and then sewed it in by machine - a nice change from my usual hand sewn in lining. Once I had that long front seam done I double check it to make sure the line is very smooth and even on the 5/8" line. I saw a few bobbles here and so I use a Frixon pen to draw where I want to go over the stitching to fix any wiggles. It might seem excessive but if you have a little wiggle in a long seam it can show and cause a bump or dent. Easy to fix and I love to use these pens so I look for opportunities. (Childhood fixation with colored pens continuing into adulthood...who doesn't love an array of colored pens?)
For the center back lining I cut on the fold and added a 3 inch pleat which adds a lot of comfort to any jacket. There is a center back shaped seam in the jacket which you can see in the side view. I am not happy with the look of the sleeves on the dress form as viewed from the back. Perhaps I should have tilted them forward just a bit at the top to make them hang differently but as it looks OK from the side what is really impotant is how it looks when worn.
Last detail is the hem, I always use a good 3 inches of fusible interfacing at the fold of the hem and then hand stitch to that. With a jacket edge that flares out a bit the hem edge is wider so I steam and kind of shrink it to fit. I think I also did some sewing to take out width - that would made a good blog post - note to self for future:)
Lastly I pressed the lining and then pulled it up a bit to sew away from the edge, leaving that little bit of ease at the lining for movement. It drives me crazy when I see a jacket with the lining pulling at the inside. If anything - make the lining a bit bigger than the jacket and that won't be an issue.
A pop of color in front of my sad looking yard. The apple tree is bare but the bees are still there and if the temperature warms above around 55 degrees F then I see them buzzing out in search of the few flowers that are blooming.
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Now to steal a quote from another wonderful Carolyn, who writes Handmade by Carolyn. This morning I read "We who sew tend to do so on our own, so the big ol' fantabulous internets has been pretty good for our socialising, yes? ;)" I could not agree more. Socializing, trading patterns, advice, making new friends and generally getting out of the sewing room to meet more people who are as crazy about sewing as I am has been the very best part of this blog.
Happy New Year and I hope to meet more of you in 2014!
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