Teal Tweed Jacket

I managed to get my new jacket cut out. I used the teal tweed from Emma One Sock and a silk charmeuse from Gorgeous Fabrics . The fabric was surprisingly symmetrical with the slubby additional threads that run through it.

I have decided to use a modified version of Cherie O'Dowd's ( I think) Chanel-ish technique from Threads to make the jacket. I don't have a lot of time right now, so I used the same pattern from the ruffle jacket as the base. I just won't add a ruffle. I lengthened it to be approximately the same length as the completed ruffle jacket and took in the shoulders a bit.

The technique has you sew the shell and lining together, then bag them out, then quilt the jacket. I might hand quilt it still. She doesn't use any interfacing for support in the jacket at all and I planned to do it like that, but couldn't. I ended up using some cotton in the shoulder areas and down the centre front and some bias in the hem.

Done with it, thank goodness!

I couldn't get any further back or you would see the mess in the studio.

Oops, I did it again!

I worked on the coat while ill this time as opposed to rushing nd I put the collar on wrong. I brought the collar band right to the fold line instead of to the centre front. I only realized after I had it all graded and top stitched. So, out came the stitch ripper and the collar was removed to the shoulder seam, basted then hand stitched into place. Needs a press and some topstitching, but I am going to leave it alone until tomorrow.
Sleeves are in and hemmed, shoulder pads are in. Needs sleeve lining, hemming and buttons and then it can be put away for six months! I think I can get it done in time for Spring.

Again with the tweed!

Collar and front

Full length with the back flare showing on right.

Button jammed through hole. The puckers are because there isn't a shank on the button card. I found four of these at half price at the local sewing shop. I am very lucky to have a local sewing shop just up the road from me. I walked there for a class in about 3 minutes.

I didn't have enough silk to face the sleeves in it, so I have used lining. It still needs some hand work, some pressing and, oh yeah, a longer lining!

Back to Tweed- sounds fitting for St. Paddy's Day

I am the self proclaimed queen of UFOs. I must have made thousands of them in my life. Whenever I run into a snag, I move on to something else.
This happened with my tweed coat. I did not know how to handle the button at teh neckline with the appliqued band and diamonds, so I ignored it. But it is a bulky tweed and there are a thousand pieces. Today, with a balmy temperature of C. 16 degrees, did not seem like a day for sewing a heavy tweed coat. It seemed like a day for sewing a trenchcoat or a pair of spring trousers, but I needed space to do that. So finishing up the coat is now a priority. The lining has all been cut, collar and welt pockets done, sleeves cut.
Today I sewed on the fly closure on one front and the facing on another, sewed the shoulder seams, side back seams and even got the collar basted on. All pressed, no rushing!
The coat looks good so far and the problem of the top button has been solved. I am going to use a hook and eye.

Another Teal Jacket in the works

I have a thing for teal jackets. They go well with a variety of my dark neutral basic tops and bottoms: black, charcoal, espresso, chocolate, taupe, even sometimes with navy.

I have purchased, but not yet received this fabric from Emma One Sock,

And this one from Fabricmart Fabrics. I hope they work together. I would like to use the crepe to make bands on a Chanel style jacket using Vogue 7975. I will probably make it a V-neck or add a collar though. I don't find a round neckline flattering on me.

I resisted the first one for quite a while because of the poly content and my experience with the pilling of the not-all-wool brown tweed coat. However, upon reading more accurately, I realized that the base is all wool, with synthetic embroidery, which seemed more satisfactory to me. It was $45/yd and I got 1 1/2 yds, but at a roll end discount. This is why I will need to find a coordinate for it.

Tweed coat

So, while I am swamped with work and extra family commitments due to my husband's illness, inspiration has struck. Isn't that always the way?
I have some tweed from Emma One Sock that I had planned to make my CSACoat from. It is a mix of black, brown and grey, but many blacks are too black with it and browns are too brown, so I guess it reads kind of a charcoal grey.
I didn't use it in the end because of concerns about the wear of the fabric. The edges of tweed can get pretty ratty quickly. To prevent this I decided to bind the edges with leather and add a few simple appliques in a charcoal melton that works beautifully with the tweed.

The tweed and the initial design sketch.
I am using OOP Vogue 2449 again, with modifications to the fit. I have flared out the back princess seam and made it about 10" longer. Initially I had planned scallops somehow, but went with diamonds for the design. I also extended the rounded collar out to a point.

The plan was made last night. Already it hasn't worked out.
#1-I want to do a fly closure at the front so the buttons don't compete. I have only done this once before and I would prefer to use something I can unpick, so I reversed the fabrics.
#2-But a binding won't work with the fly closure. So applique it is!
I am determined to just DO this before I chicken out.
The collar before turning.
The tweed collar was fused, then another collar in melton was laid over with the stitching lines marked. It was stitched and the inner portion was cut away. I didn't interface the melton, but it needed it, so crossgrain strips were added afterwards. The edging was done in a straight stitch that I will hand embroider over. The threads were pulled through and tied off on the diamonds.
Collar and pocket welts.
This shows the melton edge with leather diamonds along the join line. I did one larger diamond at the CB of the collar.
I learned my lesson and fused the pocket welt melton before the tweed was added. When enlarged you can see the white interfacing showing where the section was cut away from the melton on the pockets. I used a sharpie to colour it in. Shhh....
Welt pocket sewn in.
The charcoal at the front will be the front band.

The collar, before and after the stand. The basting is still there, so it is a bit puckered in places.

Back of collar, looking a bit dirty. There is a lot of pink fuzz around. Mid way through this project I realized I had to make a birthday present for my daughter's friend, so made a pink Minkee rosette cape. That stuff sheds everywhere!
I love the subtle texture contrast between the leather, tweed and melton. You don't notice the diamonds in colour value, but you can really see them when they catch the light.

I would like to add a dark rivet in the centre of each diamond, but am not sure yet. I have time to think though, I won't get back to it until early March now.

Teal jacket and Ashy top

The Vogue 2923 jacket is finally finished and has been worn out ot my January book club meeting. I was a bit overdressed compared to everyone else, but dont really care. I gave a soft press to the ruffle to hold it in place, but it does what is wants anyway. That is probably better.
The fabric is a wool knit I purchased last year. I threw 1.5 yards of it into the washer and dryer to felt it a bit. I used the unfelted wool for the ruffle and faced it with a silk from Gorgeous fabrics. The jacket is supposed to have a lining in the front, but I couldn't get the knit and woven to play nicely and gave up on that plan. Because of this the seams had been trimmed and topstitched and could no longer be serged nicely. However the fabric does not fray or lose fibre, so I just won't show anyone the inside! I used bias to bind the sleeve hems and decided I liked it enough to use as the finish. The texture contrast is pretty. There are three buttons and thread loops holding it closed.

Underneath is a rayon/cotton/lycra knit top from EOS in a colour Linda called "ashy". It suits the colour, not really brown, not really gray, but a heathery mixture of the two. I did a neckline treatment that I saw on RTW and liked. I cut the top from a pattern I made from RTW, cut 2" off the neckline and sewed a 2" band back on. The band was cut to the size of the opening and had a CB seam. I left a small part of the CB seam open, inserted 1/4" elastic into it and adjusted the length until the neckband was gathered up slightly and laid flat on my neck. You can just see the gathers at the neckline in the pictures.

Coat finally finished

I had hoped to get it done before New Year's, but just finished up the coat today while Maisie napped and the boy brushed the cats.

Here are a front view with the front open, a 3/4 view and a close up my son took which shows the colour and weave better.

I had a set back when I decided to interline the lining with flannel. It is very warm, but snugger than the mockup was. It doesn't help that I have gained about 20 pounds recently. I almost gave up on it, but really wanted it out of the sewing room. In the end it fits fine, even with the flannel.

The Great Coat Sew Along not all wool coat

Indecision keeps me from completing many things, so while I have been contemplating design alternatives, I have been working on the "real" GCSA coat instead of the trapunto one.

I purchased a wool blend fabric from Emma One Sock last year. It looked gorgeous and I ordered quickly. As many people know, she who hesitates is lost when ordering from some websites. Small yardages can sell out quickly. It wasn't until I received the piece that I realized two things. That the fabric was not all wool and that there was a metallic fleck to it. I wasn't sure what to think. However the fabric has grown on me and matches a few things I have. OK mainly fabric I have, but a few garments as well. I cut out and began the same pattern as below in the single breasted version, but shortest length. All went swimmingly for a while. I got the pockets done and was working on the side seams when I noticed that one of warp yarns was working it's way out of the fabric. On the not-on-grain side seam and sleeve seams it looked like little caterpillars were growing out of the fabric. The funny thing is that this thread was synthetic, with a metallic yarn through it, so exactly the part that I liked least about the fabric. I tried to ignore it, but I ended up needing to serge the entire coat, which had now been more than half sewn. Retro serging, I call it. I had even double stitched the sleeves in, but I still had to serge them. the seams were really shredding and I was afraid it would fall apart.

Give me all wool anyday.

Some sewing for myself

I have been trying to get away from the red/black colour scheme I have worn for so many years. As I get older, it is not longer flattering on me. I am trying to use brown with blue and or teal. The trouble is that my accessories are all suited to black. It is an expensive and time consuming proposition to move away from that.
I have wanted a new handbag for a while now and have not been able to find one I like. I happened upon some brown leather in my attic, left behind by a friend years ago. I have carried it around for nealy 20 years, so I figure it is mine now (she has long agreed to that, but I still resisted using it in case she wanted it). I had a style in mind, but have never made a purse before, so decided to try one right from the package. Here is the result:

The outer fabic is from Emma One Sock and it is lined with a synthetic suede from Timmel Fabrics.

I had a few problems with the binding on the top edge, but it looks Ok from the outside. I am not usually one to accept that, but this was a first attempt and a real learning experience.