My Version of a St. John's Knits Jacket

It's Monday and I want to update my blog before the day gets any further along. I finished three SWAP pieces - a sweater jacket using fabric from EOS, my TNT SW Mission Tank from a sandwashed sueded silk from Fabric Mart and a pair of TNT lined black crepe pants - fabric also from Fabric Mart.

Here is a picture of all three pieces together:

The reason that I am calling the jacket, my version of a St. John's Jacket, is that it is made from a sweater knit using Vogue Pattern 2285. I think this is an out-of-print pattern now but I used a modified version of it last summer for the eyelet Coldwater Creek knock-off jacket. However, since this is a knit the pieces had to be sewn together using bigger seams which were serged off after fitting to have a neater inside appearance. I also used fur hooks on the inside of the jacket as closures where the original had no closures.

Finally there is the trim....last year I wanted to knock off a Dolce & Gabbana black & white plaid skirt with a huge lace/ribbon/pearl trim detail at the hem of the skirt. I didn't get around to making the skirt and this year the embellishment looked dated to me. Problem was that I had already spent time combining the elements to make the lace/ribbon/pearl trim - what to do? I cut it apart and used it on the jacket.

This is a close-up of the final trim application. More shots can be seen in my Yahoo photo album. But believe me there was much trial and tribulation to get to this point. The center of the lace without the pearls was finally added to the front of the jacket because it wasn't as gaudy as the trim with the pearls. And due to my new corporate environment - it would have just been too over the top. I think even this trim is pushing it but...hey, I just got to be me! There is also a lace trim on the sleeves which was the edge of the original lace trim.

Here is a picture of the tank by itself.

The sueded sandwashed silk was purchased from Fabric Mart last year. I think it was the last piece that they had and boy am I glad that I bought three yards of this. The tank took 1.25 yards and I embellished it with a battenburg lace insert that I got from Daytona Trimmings. I also added three pearl beads to it to give the lace insert a little punch. I am using the remaining piece of this fabric for one of the four dresses I have to make for the Dress SWAP. Here is a detailed picture of the battenburg lace insert:

The pants are made from black wool crepe also purchased from Fabric Mart - I think I buy 10 yards at the beginning of every fall season now...in my quest to own five pair of black lined pants for winter - never seem to get them made every year...up to three pair this year with this new pair! Maybe this year will be the year that I make the five pair!

The name of my SWAP is "Corporate Chic!" (Thanks again Mardel!) It is clothing made to wear in my new corporate environment. It probably should be called Corporate Embellishment Chic since I think almost every piece in my plan has some type of embellishment, trim or interesting buttons added to it - well except for the pants! Again, this is part of my need to be "me" in my new environment.

More pics can can be seen in my Yahoo album - Corporate Chic! I promise I will add pictures of me in the outfit later, I just want to get a pair of pants completed for another outfit (not SWAP related) to wear to work this week!