Vogue 1308 - Construction - Part A

Of course for my first Jacket of the Month, I picked a really involved garment.  I didn't mean to but it is what it is so...

As I stated before the fabric is really soft and it definitely needs an underlining to add some firmness and stability to the fabric.  So after all of the pattern alterations I basted the front and back pieces together and tried it on to see if the shell would fit and it does.

me wearing shell without any interior structure

Next I added the silk organza underlining to each piece by machine basting it onto the fashion fabric. 

I then stitched up the sides and shoulder seams.  After that the fusible interfacing was added to the jacket shell at the back hemline, the back neckline and the center front, the neckline & hemline.

Now the pattern instructions tell you to add the facings to the garment, then the sleeves and finally the pockets.  I changed this order up.  I added the breast pockets first because it was easier to me to add them at this stage then after the facings and sleeves have been added. 

I will add the sleeves next.  They are cut out and awaiting the silk organza underlining and fusible interfacing at the hem line.

This jacket construction is a process.  It's all about layering.  As each sewing technique is completed, you layer the next one onto the previous one...and it's laborious.  This is not a quick sew and go jacket.  I keep telling myself that once this piece is completed, the rest of the garments will just fall into place and before I know it, the collection will be done.  That's what I keep telling myself!  *LOL*

Here is a bad picture of the jacket as it stands now on Lulu. 

I say bad picture because Lulu's back is bigger than mine so it closes funny over her and pulls...plus I think Lulu needs an FBA and I wasn't experiencing that problem...could be that Lulu is perkier and higher than I am now!  *LOL*  Though it is interesting that this pattern has no darts...

Anyway, I'm back to work tomorrow so the rest of the construction will have to wait for the weekend.

...as always, more later!

Vogue 1308 - Pattern Alterations

On Tuesday before I went back to work (3 days of unbelievably long hours that left me wrung out by Friday evening!), I made alterations to the pattern and cut out the jacket and pants pieces from the first 5 yard piece of the charcoal/blue pinstripe wool.  Not only will this be my first jacket for the JAM (Jacket a Month sewalong) but these are also the first two pieces of my Pinstripe Follies Collection.

My most pressing concern was to make sure the jacket would close around me.  After flat measuring the pattern pieces, I realized that I needed to add several inches to the abdomen and hip area of the jacket so that is where the concentration of pattern alterations were made.

Jacket Front:
~starting with a size 22 for the jacket body, I cut out the size 18 for the jacket shoulders and armholes
~slashed and spread the front to add 1.5' or a cumulative of 3" to the jacket fronts
~made a narrow shoulder adjustment - reducing the pattern shoulder from 7" to 6" before seam allowances

Jacket Back:
~starting with a size 22 for the jacket body, I cut out the size 18 for the jacket shoulders and armholes
~made a high round back adjustment - so that the back neckline would lie flat
~added 1" to the back piece by starting at the high back and grading from a 1/8" to a full 1" at the abdomen and hip line

Sleeves:
~added 1/2" to the bicep area only on both sides of the 2 piece sleeve pattern by grading up gradually from just below the sleeve cap and then tapering into the side seam.

A couple of things:

1.  I may have added too many inches to the jacket abdomen and hipline.  But I will baste the jacket together to get a fit and subtract from it, if necessary.  I would rather have too much space, which I can remove, than too little.

2.  After working with the fabric, I've come to realize that it is a very soft wool.  It will need some bulking up.  So I'm adding a silk organza interlining to the jacket pieces to help stabilize the fabric and to make a firmer more stable jacket. 

3.  I've also changed my lining fabric.  I was going to use a charcoal rayon ambiance lining which is a little thin.  Instead I'm going to use one of the polyester charmeuse prints that I have in the collection...again, I want to add some more heft to the jacket.  The pants will still be lined in the rayon ambiance. 

This weekend I will be working on the infrastructure of the jacket.  Basting the silk organza on, applying interfacing, etc.  This is such an involved project that I know I won't have a finished garment this weekend.  However, next weekend is a three day weekend here in the States, so I'm hoping to have these pieces, as well as, the skirt finished and ready to be worn the following Tuesday.

One more thing ~ today is my blog's 5th Anniversary!  I'm starting my 6th year of blogging and I have to admit that I enjoy it just as much as I did when I first started.  Part of that enjoyment is the fact that so many of you avidly follow my sewing adventures and leave such amazing and wonderful comments.  Thank you so much for allowing me to share my sewing journey with you!

You had a couple of questions:

"I'm wondering what books you would recommend to have in a sewing reference library."
The list of my favorite Top Ten Sewing Books is on the right hand sidebar.  It's always available for your perusal.

Diane asked:
"I've never used elastic like you use before though. Do you have an old post around on how you put it in?"
The process was explained in this post...enjoy!

Lynnelle asked:
"Some time ago, you mentioned a book on flat-pattern measuring that revolutionized your sewing. As I cannot find the post, can you please list the title and author of the book? Thank you."
The book is by Cynthia Guffey and is called, "Precision Measuring & Pattern Alterations"   Here is a link to her website. 

I have a little more blog reading to do and then I'm off to work on the interior construction of the jacket...

...as always, more later!

The Pinstripe Follies

I was digging around in the Fabric Closet last weekend.  Originally I was planning on putting the pieces that fell down from the top shelf back on the shelf because it's getting a little difficult to manuever in there.  However, when I went to put a piece on the top, this piece of blue wool crepe fell down:

What was interesting about that is at the same time this piece fell down too:

...and they went together so well that I think they planned that appearance in my life!  *LOL*  Neither piece have been in the closet long so I think they have a lot of chutzpah to cut the line in front of some of the older pieces but cut the line they did!  This combination is 15 yards of fabric...that's a lot of pieces...and the opportunity to make some really kewl garments for my fall/winter plan. 

Only it evolved.  After a couple of hours of digging around in the fabric closet and playing with different fabric combinatons, this is the composition of fabrics I ended up with...I will use them to make the 13/14 garments that will make up this wardrobe.

I've named this plan "The Pinstripe Follies" since the pinstripe fabric is the basis of the collection.  It will contain the following pieces:

Blue/Grey Pinstripe fabric ~
*Jacket (pattern TBD)
*Lined Pants (from TNT pattern)
*Vest w/collar (Vogue 7944)
*Straight lined skirt (ala Tracy Reese pattern - using my TNT pattern)
*Bolero Jacket - Vogue 7617
*Two Tone Dress - from TNT dress pattern (print top/grey pinstripe skirt)

Blue Wool Crepe ~
*Sheath dress (TNT dress pattern)
*4 gore skirt (Simplicity 5914)
*Straight lined skirt (TNT pattern)

Blue/Gray Paisley Print Wool Jersey ~
*Cardigan (Burda 8869)

Sweatery Blue Fabric ~
*Cardigan (Burda 8869)

Dark Blue Print Poly Charmeuse ~
*Blouse (Simplicity 2566)

Grey Hat Print Poly Charmeuse ~
*Sewing Workshop Mission Tank w/tie
*Top of TNT print dress

I have one piece of fabric in reserve, I'm not sure if I really want to use the fabric, but if during this process I decide that I want to add it, I probably will.  I'm really excited about this collection because it has quite a few of my favorite patterns, some new ones, an interesting color combination that will work quite nicely at my job and garments that I am comfortable wearing.

The most important thing to note is that all of these fabrics are from the fabric closet.  I thought about purchasing a shirting fabric from Fabric Mart but I have more than enough here and mixed with tops currently in my closet, I think I don't need to add anything else. 

I will begin constructing these pieces during this three day weekend...hopefully I can knock a few of them out so that I will have some new additions to my work wardrobe which can be worn next week.

Finally to all my friends in the US, I am wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope your day is full of good food, family, fun and football!  To everyone who has a family member serving overseas, please know that my prayers are with them as they perform one of the most honorable tasks, serving in uniform and protecting our country and our freedoms. 

Tomorrow I will be with my family enjoying their company and making new memories...all of my daughters, their significant others and my grandchildren will be with me, as well as, my mom and my sister and brother's families.  Friday morning I will start to sew...

...as always, more later!