I'm back. I had no intention of staying away for so long (have I said this at other times?), but... life became somewhat overwhelming, then moved on to being completely overwhelming. I'm dealing with it.
I missed blogging... keeping some sort of record of sewing accomplishments... something to keep me on track, a place where I could click, click through posts to make myself feel better when I'm feeling that I'm getting nothing done, a sense of a real accomplishment when I would finally post a project. Somehow simply hanging a finished garment in the closet doesn't quite equal a picture and a blog post.
Seems like I have a lot of catching up to do here. Where to begin? I did keep taking pictures, so it would only make sense to use those pictures first.
As the snow was beginning to fall (all too early) last fall, I was still finishing this jacket.
I was definitely tempted to pack it away as a UFO until spring, but managed to convince myself that it would be a welcome sight in a finished state, come spring. A number of people were sewing various versions of this same jacket, and I definitely paid attention to what others had to say. The sleeves needed rejigging to hang better. Far from perfect, but much better than they were originally. Fabric is a "novelty polyester", which, I vaguely remember buying for an evening jacket. That obviously didn't happen, and this casual jacket is much more practical in my life. The wrong side of the fabric is rather rough, so lining had to happen. How thoughtful of my stash to produce a very silky poly charmeuse just for that purpose.
Raw edges were treated with a Hong Kong finish, then slipstitched to the lining.
I like a "nice" zipper for a jacket like this. "Nice" zippers come in a very limited selection locally, so I did have to make do with something shorter than the recommended length. It worked. I do know that I probably paid more for the zipper than I had probably paid for the fabric. No waiting for sales. No trolling around online. When I need a zipper I need it NOW, and that means a mad dash to the store, agonizing over the lack of choice, then finally choosing from what's available and making it work.
So glad to see again. I've missed your posts. Jacket is lovely, fabric very yummy. Could you elaborate on what was wrong with the sleeves and what you had to do to fix them? Sleeves are so difficult and I appreciate any insights offered. Very little is written about them.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back. I love seeing your impeccable beautiful sewing and this jacket is no exception. This pattern is definitely on my to buy list.
ReplyDeleteHi Irene! Love the jacket and so glad to see you again.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Irene. Good luck on dealing with all the overwhelming life issues.
ReplyDeleteThe jacket is beautiful. Your instincts were quite correct in knowing you'd appreciate it in due time.
What a wonderful jacket!
ReplyDeleteLovely and impeccably made jacket. I really like how you handled the facing/lining with the HK finish, it looks beautiful, must remember to try that. Also I love the fabric cover on your dressform, did you cover it yourself?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful jacket and glad to see you posting.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back. Your jacket is stunning and artful in its construction!
ReplyDeleteThe jacket is absolutely stunning! I'm glad that you're back and I totally understand why you like blogging...I do it for some of the same reasons. Hope you'll hang around and share more of your garments with us because you do amazing work!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous jacket! My grandmother always told me that the inside should be as beautiful as the outside, and she would certainly have appreciated your fabulous construction. A pleasure to see.
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