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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Simplicity 2958 - Done!

Finally!  I've managed to get a completed jacket from this pattern.  So pictures first:

SWAP beige wool crepe dress w/jacket


Another shot of dress w/jacket


Back view

Stats:

Fabric:
2 yards of woven boucle from Parons Fabrics
2 yards rayon bemberg lining

Notions:
5 - 7/8" domed cranberry buttons
5 - 1" snaps
Rayon hem tape

I feel like I've been blogging about this jacket forever!  As you know the first version out of the black doubleknit was a fail.  And this version has had button drama - but it's done and will be worn to work next week.  This is a short week so I won't be "dressing" for work.

Some construction details:

The jacket is fully lined.  No, the pattern doesn't call for lining and I ended up improvising and honestly jerry rigging the lining.  Because I chose to line the sleeves separately from the body of the jacket, using the Nancy Zieman method of lining just the sleeves...


I forgot that without a collar and a facing piece there would be no way to cover the raw edges at the sleeve/neckline edge. So I had to add a lining piece and then hand stitch everything down. 


Now I debated whether or not to share that with you...especially since you would never see it but I like to be real with my sewing and since lining jackets is not one of my strengths ~ it's definitely a hit or miss proposition ~ I wanted you to see that I truly jerry-rigged this lining.  Again this is a case of don't do what I do, sew better! *LOL*

I would like to make this jacket again and will definitely line it by bagging the lining.  I really should have thought that lining situation out better.  However, once I got the sleeves in and turned up, I liked it so much that I just let it be.  This way also required a lot of handsewing.  One of the things that I did think about was encasing the armhole in binding to cover the seam but when I attempted to apply it, it pulled horribly on the back of the jacket - so I let that idea go and went with the hand stitching.

The second challenge I had with this jacket and one that almost made me throw it in the garbage - was that my machine would just not make buttonholes on the completed front.  No matter what I did, add paper beneath them...attempted to sew them from the inside out...change the order in which they were sewn...nuthin' worked.  Plus after removing all of those stitches a couple of times, I was worried that I was ruining the fabric because it is a loosely woven boucle.  I finally broke down and stitched the buttons down then added snaps. 


This jacket is in no way perfect.  But it's very wearable, comfortable and it achieves the look I was going for ~ so I'm content with it.  Also it works with two different dresses...the ivory silk twill dress and the beige wool crepe SWAP dress, plus a pair of beige wool crepe pants in my wardrobe. 

The coordinating cranberry dress never materialized.  I just didn't feel like pushing the sewing this weekend...instead I started crocheting a scarf to go with my new winter coat.

A parting shot:


No photography goes on in my apt these days without The Little Prince getting involved.  He's learned to say "cheese" and does it everytime a camera comes out! *LOL*

...as always, more later!

40 comments:

  1. Good job making it work. It looks very nice with the dress.

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  2. I think this jacket might look nice over your tri-colour dress on your profile picture.

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  3. Nice looking jacket, looks like it will be versatile.

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  4. Great job. I love the little guy!!!

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  5. Great job! I have had similar problems with my machine doing button holes on boucle. I always just end up sewing on snaps!

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  6. I really like the way you styled the finished product. I also like your honesty.

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  7. Terrific jacket. Thanks for sharing ALL!

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  8. This jacket/outfit looks absolutely lovely. I can so relate to your "inside" lining woes. I sure had them on my last dress. Hope you will enjoy wearing it, because you look great in it. What a handsome young man you are posing with!

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  9. The jacket looks great!
    I know exactly what you are talking about with the buttonhole problems. I had a similar experience last year. I was making a coat from loosely woven tweed and my great new sewing machine, which does 6 different 1-step buttonholes, just wouldn't play along. I think it had to do with the open weave and after that, I've avoided making buttonholes in such fabrics (like a boucle jacket later that winter).
    I've been told there is some sort of wash-away fusible stabilizer that's supposed to help, but I've never tried it out.

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  10. Great jacket! I love it. And thanks for showing us the lining - it's always so encouraging that not everything needs to be by the book to look good on the outside! I always love your dresses!

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  11. Nice cardigan. I think it is a great wardrobe staple!

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  12. Love the boucle fabric. Love the jacket. Love the buttons. Love it all!

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  13. Beautiful jacket! I really like the idea of a cardigan jacket and yours certainly looks very stylish and polished but, also, comfortable and wearable. Lovely job with the lining - you have a great talent for solving sewing problems in an ingenious way!

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  14. The only thing I can say is, "I LOVE IT!"

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  15. It's a great jacket, it will look good with so many different clothes! I agree, lining is really tricky, and patterns almost never tell you how to line the finished garment. I think your solution went pretty well. Thinking about snaps on boucle, I can't think of any rtw clothes with button holes. Now that I consider it, boucle garments always have snaps, zipper, or just hang open

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  16. Great jacket! True craftmanship is making it work despite the challenges. BTW, cute "little Prince":)

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  17. Sometimes I come across a vintage home-sewn piece at thrift stores and you sometimes see "in a pinch" techniques on those too. But they are lovely and well-constructed. So you are in a fine tradition. I think your jacket looks great.

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  18. Great jacket. It looks fantastic on you, and will be very useful for winter office wear. Claudine

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  19. Love your jacket! That is a wonderful Fall piece, it will go with so many things. Looks great on you!

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  20. I love the fabric you used for this jacket. It looks very soft and comfortable, but still professional over your dresses.
    What a cute little man you have there!

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  21. You made a real good job and I like your style! This is what I love most sewing my own dresses: it is my style! Thanks for sharing your experiences!

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  22. Great colors for fall and my how he has grown! Time really flies by!

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  23. Great job! It looks like you'll get a lot of wear out of it.

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  24. Oh, very nice! Looks cozy, yet good for work, too. I love the pop of color you've added with the necklace and bracelet. Then there's the prince, how cute is he?!?

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  25. Good job! I only just got around to listening to your interview with Lori on Sew Forth Now. It was lovely to hear you chat about your sewing. I'm kinda relieved that Fabric mart don't ship to the UK cos I would be in BIG trouble!!

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  26. Nice work! It looks very comfy for work but still professional. Of course, Little Prince sets it off beautifully.

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  27. Great job! It's stylish, colourfully flattering, and looks terrifically comfortable. And, we all know that not everything we make needs(or can!) be up to CC couture standards; sometimes good enough is precisely: good enough!

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  28. You both look so happy to see you wearing this lovely jacket. Yeah, when you figure out machine buttonholes on boucle, you can write the article for Threads. I too have gone the snap or hook and eye route. The colors are terrific on you and it's cozy but chic.

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  29. Great job. Love the jacket and Prince Cheese too. I always love you but when you admit to a work around etc I love you even more because it means there is hope for the rest of us.

    Am wondering about the buttonholes and am filing this away as we sew on the same model machine. Who'd a thunk it?

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  30. Very pretty jacket. The little prince looks even better.:-)

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  31. Nice jacket!! The little prince is so adorable!

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  32. What a great, versatile jacket! The buttons are perfect. :)

    I can so relate to your desire to crochet. I am bitten by the knitting bug!!

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  33. Your jacket turned out great and I love your final button choice. I haven't worked with boucle before, but will keep this info. in mind if I ever do. Thanks for sharing.

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  34. What a great jacket! Thanks for the pictures and information!

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  35. Love that! I really like your final button choice--exactly what it needed.

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  36. Beautiful outfit and a new technique too. The Little Prince may have a future in model. His a handsome young man.

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  37. I LOVE what a rolled-cuff can do sometimes. It makes all the different in the world. What's the deal with your armhole linings? Really - I really want to know.

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  38. Fantastic job on the kjacket you look stunning! Fabulous!

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  39. Really pretty - love those cranberry buttons, too.

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