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!