It's looking like a jacket

I have made good progress with the Cordova jacket this weekend.  The jacket unit is complete with sleeves attached and separating zipper installed.  I began working on the lining unit and will attach that somewhat differently than the instructions call for.

I still need to tweak the bodice portion some in the front.  I took a deeper center back seam which helped fit better and you can actually see the peplum from the rear.  The front looks rather boxy still and the peplum is not so noticeable; the pattern drawings show this as being more distinct and more of fitted waist area.

I will make this adjustments before attaching the lining unit.

This fabric has been a true bear to work with.  Stitches get lost in the fabric and having to take apart seams have been troublesome. Now that I have most of the fitting issues resolved, a jacket in another fabric may be in the future. 

At long last

I finally wore the Butterick 5917 dress today.  I took some photos before work and because the dress is such a dark navy blue it is hard for you to see some of the details.  You have seen some of the details in previous posts.

I chose to use the longer sleeves with this dress but did not want the ruffles.  I like ruffles but not a lot of ruffles.  The great thing about wearing the dress today was I had a meeting with the Executive Committee of our board of directors and this dress did not wrinkle heavily.  Some wrinkling which was to be expected; that was to be my wearability test and it passed!

Here are a couple of other views of the dress

I received several compliments today about the dress.  I think it is a style that suits various figure shapes.  I think I will probably make another one.  The first version was a summer one and I have yet to wear it; it will have to wait for next summer.  This is now more fabric used from the fabric stash.

Jacket update

I decided that I would use "Design Plus" fusible bias stay tape for the remaining edges of the jacket.

If you look at this fabric wrong, it ravels! 

I discovered that I was looking at View A peplum instructions; this view has double peplums.  So the lining of the peplum yesterday proved to be a waste of time.  I also realized this morning when fixing my first cup of coffee that I had not adjusted the front area of the peplum to match the added length due to FBA.  Thankfully I had enough fabric to cut out another peplum.  Here is the adjusted peplum piece with the 1.5 inch adjustment.  I had added 5/8 to the side back pattern piece for hip fluff and had added that to the peplum piece when I first cut out the pattern.

I attached the peplum pieces to front and back.  I tried on the jacket for additional fitting.  My jacket is looking more boxy than the drawing of the patterns on the pattern envelope and instruction sheet.  It looks like I really need to take deeper seams at center and side back seams as well as side seams from waist to hip area. 

I realize that this pattern line is drafted more for a pear shape person and I am definitely not that shape.  I cut the shoulder and upper chest at size 12 tapering to 16 at bust down.  Big mistake on my part, yet that is what I usually do with Vogue and Butterick.   All in all it is better that it is too large then too small.

More updates later.

Cordova update

I have made considerable progress on this jacket.   Of course I have chosen a fabric that ravels very much.  I used "Hug Snug" on the various seams.  I made the decision to do this as I knew that the edges needed this even if I am lining the jacket.  The weave is not real loose but loose enough to have a lot of raveling.  Serge finishing the edges did not go very well at all.  Sewing the bias binding to the seam edges took more time but in the end worth it.

The front/side front and back/side back pieces are sewn.  Peplum pieces are lined.  Next step sew the shoulders and sides seams; attach peplum; install separating zipper; sew front and back lining; insert sleeves in jacket and jacket lining; attach jacket and lining units.

Here is a collage of the various stages of the jacket in progress:

Upper left photo-showing how the fabric ravels
Upper right-Hug Snug attached
Middle left- front pieces pinned to Alma Marie
Middle right-back pieces pinned to Alma Marie
Bottom left-peplum
Bottom right-lining side of peplum

It's beginning to look

like a jacket!

I had planned to show a photo of the jacket back but camera not working until battery is recharged.

I will say that the fabric, a boucle type, is rather raveling and I decided even though I am going to line it to encase the seams in Hug Snug rayon bias binding.  I could have serged edges but I think this binding will also give it some firmness that I think is needed for the seams as it is more loosely woven than I first thought.

Pictures to follow soon.

This is the look of progress

I am making headway on my Cordova jacket.  I was able to get all pieces cut out this AM and applied interfacing to the facing pieces.  Lining is cut out also.

 Interfaced front, back and peplum facings

Front, back and sleeve lining

Progress-ready to sew

Cordova progress

I finally finished making numerous pattern fitting adjustments this evening.  I started on these last evening.  I had to make my usual forward shoulder adjustment, 1.25 inch FBA.  Just these two adjustments required numerous pattern pieces to be adjusted.  Other adjustments included narrow back and adding additional width at hip area in the back.

The separating zipper I had on hand just was not the right one for this jacket.  I did not want metal teeth zipper for this jacket.  This required a trip to JoAnn's where I found exactly what I needed. 

As noted previously the fabric is one I acquired from EOS  over a year or more ago.  I had black lining fabric in the stash as well.  I am now ready to cut out the jacket fabric and lining.  More information later.

BurdaStyle Magazine

I stopped in at JoAnn's Fabrics to pick up a separating zipper for the jacket I am working on.

As I am making my way to check out, I stopped to peruse sewing related magazines and saw this.  I I have not purchased a Burda pattern magazine in quite some time.  I stopped my subscription a few years ago as I felt the price was too high for the number of patterns I ended up making from the magazine.

This is tauted as the premier issue of BurdaStyleUS.  Perhaps others have seen this but it was new to me.  There are patterns to trace included in the issue; there are also instructions for sewing other patterns that have to be downloaded from the BurdaStyle website.  The price was steep ($14.99) I thought yet I paid it anyway.  There were a couple of garments that appealed to me.  There were two sections with patterns to trace so the overlaying of several patterns on pages were not has cluttered.



I thought I would share this and if interested it can be found at JoAnn's.


   

New Kwik Sew patterns

I took advantage of the recent BMV sale and purchased more patterns (like I really needed them).  I actually purchased a few Kwik Sew patterns that I have not purchased since taken over by McCall's.  They have not been as appealing to me as they were previously.  There were a few new ones that caught my attention.  I also purchased one-a vest pattern-that has been in their line up for a number of years.

I liked the look of the red jacket.  The pieced jacket looks fairly nice as well; I would use color blocking for this one.

I liked the look of the top on the left and was the reason for the purchase.

 The view of the top on the left side caught my attention.  The top is a cut on sleeve with an attached cowl neck.  The one on the right has a cut on draped cowl neck.  Long sleeves are sewn to the cut on sleeve.

This patten has been around for a few years.  I made another KS vest pattern with the faux sherling fabric as seen here but I was not happy with the results. So I decided to try this one.  I have enough left over fabric to make this one.








One change made with KS patterns is the pattern paper.  Previously it was heavier paper.  I found that it stood up well to multiple tracings.  The paper now is still white but less heavy.

Next up-Cordova Jacket

I purchased this fabric from EOS many months ago, perhaps close to a year. 

I decided that I was going to make the Sewaholic Cordova Jacket pattern.

Actually this was the pattern that drove the purchase of the pattern and surprisingly I kept with that decision.  I have cut out the pattern pieces and have pinned the front and back together to try on for fitting purposes.  I chose the sizes I used when I made the Sewaholic Renfrow top.  I will have to reduce the length about 1 to 1.5 inches.  Sleeves will need adjusting as well. 

I have black lining and have separating zipper but not sure if it is the right length or not.  It is good to be starting another project. 

It's complete!

The dress is finished except for sewing the hook and eye!!!  Dang it took me forever to complete this dress.  So many interruptions that I was beginning to wonder if I would finish it  and if I would actually be sewing anytime soon.

I will take more photos wearing the dress later this week; this is the best I have at this time.

Hanging the way it is does not really give you a great feel for how this dress looks.  It looks like a sack here.
I cleaned up the sewing table and put up the pattern.  I started pulling out other fabric that I decided to move to my other room where I store fabrics that are off season. I was thinking about doing a quick project but decided that I wanted to make a jacket that I had put aside for several months.  That process has begun.