i was knit together...:

January 05, 2010

I am SOOOOOOO HAPPY with this jacket!

Simplicity 2728 with modifications, of course.

I knew exactly the kind of little Chanel type jacket that I wanted. Classic with a little updated twist.

So, here's what I did: I chose the second view, with very few modifications.

Of course, you know that I removed the white heavy yarns from my jacket after sewing it (refer to earlier post). Because the boucle has such a loose weave and does not have much structure to it, I used an iron-on knit type interfacing to stabelize the fabric.

I added about 1 1/2 inches to the length, and eliminated the buttonholes. I made a few slight alterations for fit, but pretty much cut the size 16. I didn't need to do a FBA because I had enough room across the front with the elimination of the button front closure.

I added three button tabs to my jacket. They were made by sewing two tab pieces wrong sides together, and then fringing the seams. One sits at the lower back, and the other two are on the sides of the jacket, overlapping the side seams.

The trim is a figure 8 braid from Joann's with a sheer chiffon ribbon woven through it. I made the ribbon by tearing strips of fabric about 3 inches wide. I like that little frayed effect, which relates well to the frayed pocket edges and button tab edges.

Two sets of lined pockets were placed on the front, and the edges frayed.

All of the above additions were hand-sewn to the jacket before I lined it.

Lining is charmeuse, and bagged. Then I stitched in the ditch, joining the two layers at the side seams and along the front facings where the lining joins the facings.

The chiffon tie is not attached, but inserted through the trim to tie in the front. That way, if I want to wear it without the tie, I can...and it can close by the hook and eyes on the front.

In conclusion, I couldn't be more pleased with the results of my week's vacation sewing. Lots of hand work, but I had lots of Madmen episodes to watch while I did it. I'm so enamored with the process, that I'm already working on the muslin for a very classic cream colored Chanel-style jacket and skirt suit.

Jan 5, 2010 12:38:12 PM