The "Glad to be Plaid" Sport Coat....An ode to a Plaid.

I had so much fun with my initial foray into the world of tailoring, with "The Herringbone Jacket", that when I ran across a post, on another site, concerning the patterns by Claire Shaeffer's for Vogue I was immediately interested. The post also stated that the directions for couture tailoring techniques that Ms. Shaeffer includes are worth the price of the pattern alone....when I read this I was sold. It is my understanding that Ms. Shaeffer is a very well respected authority on such tailoring techniques and since I am very eager to learn more about the craft and the techniques used in fine tailored garments I knew this pattern would be right up my alley.

Vogue #V8333

I didn't run out and purchase it right away, this was some months back that I ran across the post, I believe on Gertie's blog who by the way has never steered me wrong in the past. So I went about my other projects always with it in the back of my mind waiting for inspiration to strike...it did, on Saturday, at Fabric Town! 

I had only gone in to buy the pattern. I wanted to review the instructions, as I was prepared for them to be lengthy, and begin my "Project Planning" process. I had already looked at all the fabric website and had somewhat of an idea about what fabric type I wanted, wool for sure, and the color scheme I was after. There were a couple online I was considering but truly nothing was calling out to be turned into a jacket so I figured I wait until it found me.

It did find me, at Fabric Town....I was browsing through the wool/suiting section and there, between two nondescript bolts of plaid, wool suiting was what I had been searching for! The perfect plaid...in the right color hues....not too orangey, not too plain brown, just right for the jacket that was being formed in my mind's eye. It is 100% Camel Hair and so soft and just awesome. It longs to be a Sport Coat.

Once I found it, I just knew and the design in my mind began to really take shape. I have been drawing inspiration from men's sports coats. Primarily this one from Ralph Lauren:

Shetland Plaid Sport Coat by Ralph Lauren

There is much planning that still needs to happen before I begin the actual construction of this jacket....like making a muslin. I plan to use a plaid of similar size to practice matching. But I was just so excited about this fabric that I had to share it with the world.

Cheers!

Amelia

The "Birds of A Feather Flock Together" Dress....Update

I am very pleased with this dress and how it has turned out. It fits great and I decided against lining it to decrease unnecessary bulk and it's not necessary for modesty's sake, a slip will be adequate. Since a lining is now out I have begun the final finishing stages and I am almost finished....almost!
 

The dress placket was completed, it had to be for fitting, and the neck facings have been edged with bias tape, bias tape that I made by the way! I am pleased how the neck line and back "V" are lying against the body, very flat. The last steps are finishing the sleeve facings, the seams (which I am doing by hand with an overcast stitch), the skirt hem and I am going to make the "Bow" belt, the pattern for which came with the dress pattern.

I have plans to wear this dress for Thanksgiving....I think the colors are perfect!

Cheers!

Amelia

"BOAFFT" Dress Placket

This dress is progressing pretty nicely. I have completed the majority of assembly and construction and am working on the side closing. I had inserted an invisible zipper but it was a DISASTER! The insertion went fine but it completely distorted the shape and drape of the dress. The fabric is so lightweight and fluid that a zipper is just to heavy and rigid so I am inserting a side placket to a fix snap closures and hook & eyes to. I ran across this idea in one of my sewing books and it is exactly the fastening element I need.

I wasn't completely sure how to go about executing it so I did a test first with scraps of my fabric and some muslin scraps.

Since it was so easy and I liked the results I have begun inserting the placket onto the dress. I am using strips of "Radiance" fabric in "Honey" for the actual placket.

I need to complete the pressing and sew on all the snap closures and the hooks and eyes at the waist.

Once I complete this step I will insert the sleeves and try it on. Whether or not I am going to insert a lining will depend on how it fits. I would like to line it, though it isn't necessary for modesty sakes as I have determined a slip would suffice, but if it adds bulk I am not going to do it.

So that is where I am at with this dress.

"Birds of A Feather Flock Together" Dress

I saw this fabric online and I instantly fell in love with it...it is by the designer Carolina Herrera and I absolutely had to have it. The fabric is 100% Silk Twill, the colors and design are just awesome and perfect for the fall.

Carolina Herrera 100% Silk Twill

When I received it I was extremely pleased, it is even better in person. I wasn't sure until i got it what pattern I would use but I knew for sure I wanted to make a dress out of it. Since the fabric itself is so busy I needed something that wasn't too stylized or complicated, I really wanted the fabric to make a statement and not the design of the dress. I had the perfect pattern already!

Simplicity # 2914

While I was in Omaha, NE this past May I found a vintage Simplicity pattern in one of the many Vintage/Antique stores I visited. It is really basic but of course it is a Bust 32, all the patterns I like are a Bust 32 when I am a 34, so I had to grade it up 2". This ended up being a lot easier than my last project, "The Herringbone Jacket", and I only had to alter the bodice since I was able to gain 2" in the skirt by reducing the back pleat to 1" instead of 2".
 

Since this dress is for the fall I decided I wanted the sleeves from View #2 but I like the "V" back of View #1. I plan to use an invisible zipper on the side since, for me, they are easier to insert than the lapped type. The dress will be lined for modesty and to give it a bit more substance. I haven't yet decided what color I want to use for the lining but I am pretty sure I want to go with the George Kaufman Radiance. I really love that silk/cotton blend, it posses the best qualities of silk and cotton in my opinion. If I lined it in silk the dress would be really flowy and drape really beautifully but it would be extremely fragile and still really translucent, a slip would probably still be required. If I went with a cotton type it would be modest and sturdy but it would loose that drapey, flowy aspect which I really want. With the Radiance I will be able to maintain the liquidity I desire and also have a studier, more modest dress. The only thing I need to decide is what color to go with. The fabric has so many colors to work with and since this is for the fall I want to use one of the darker colors. I think I will end up going with a Rust color. The belt will most likely be made out of whatever I use for the lining....there was a pattern for a Bow Belt included.

I am pretty far a long on the outer shell of the dress at this point. I have cut it out, marked the fabric, assembled most of the bodice and I have complete the darts on the skirt front and half of the skirt back. For the neck interfacing I have used crinoline for rigidity since the fabric pulls and slides in all directions. So far I am really happy with it. The dress is taking me three times longer because I am using the silk than if I used something else....it takes me forever to do anything as the fabric is extremely uncooperative but it'll be worth it.

Bodice Back

Bodice Front

Skirt Front

I am really very happy with this project and glad I chose such an easy pattern since the fabric causes enough of it's own problems just trying to get it shaped correctly!

The Herringbone Jacket....Update.

After much hand work....I am basically done with this project. Here is a quick recap of what I did since my last post.

In my last post I mentioned the canvas hair I used as structure for the front & back panels, as well as the tape I used for extra stability.

After I inserted all the hair canvas and taped all the necessary areas that needed additional stability I constructed the lining out of black 100% Cotton Sateen. I made the lining exactly as I had made the wool outer shell. This required that I chop off parts of the lining to allow for the front & neck facings as well as the hem. attached the darts & side seams of the outer shell to the lining to anchor them together and to prevent the lining from shifting around to much. I lapped the lining edges over the facing edges and slip stitched it in place to finish. 

Once the lining had been inserted into the body I attached the sleeves. The tailoring books suggest affixing the sleeves after the lining has been attached to the body. This is apparently how mens suiting is done.

 

Pinned & Basted into place

  

I attached the sleeves and then I affixed a sleeve cap support strip. Before I did this the sleeve heads were looking sort of limp so this really helped the over look. 

Then I was able to insert the sleeve lining by slip stitching it into place. After both the sleeves were lined and hemmed I finished attaching the lower edge of the body lining and I was done!

The only thing left is to add the front closures. I am going to be using some large, black, sew on snap closures. 

I really enjoyed making this project. It did take a lot of time and there was a lot of hand work involved but I am happy with the results and I learned a lot and got to put a lot of techniques into practice. I truly enjoyed working with wool and hope to make something else out of wool some time really soon.

"The Herringbone Jacket" Simplicty #3298 ca. 1940s

First up for Fall/Winter 2011 is a lovely Jacket with asymmetrical closing & 3/4 length sleeves made out of 100% Wool "Herringbone."

I am using a Simplicity Pattern, bought on Etsy, that I graded up 2". This was awesome practice and it turned out great!

I am making View #2. I got the fabric to make it half price and I really love it, it is so easy to sew with. I think my new favorite fabric to work with is wool.....

I made the muslin and I was really happy with how the fitting turned out! I couldn't believe that my grading worked....I am so proud.

I have been focusing on really doing things thoroughly, instead of taking "shortcuts" that end in mediocre results. Therefore, I have been basting stuff together before permanently attaching the seams, highlighting the center lines with a hand done basting stitch to help with fitting, overcasting to finish seams and to prevent un-raveling....All these little things take a lot of extra time but I think they will pay off in better results.

At this point I am very close to finishing the outer shell.....I have finished the construction and the major "tailoring" details that I taught myself with this project. Again, very proud.

I used Hair Canvas for support and structure at the front and back as well as in the sleeve and body hems, I really like the result of this. I also "taped" along the neckline, front closing and armholes for extra stability. This detail has really created a crisp, solid look on the neckline and closing, like you see in men's suits. I have learned so much about what goes in to creating a tailored look and it has been really fun researching it and practicing. I can't wait to make more tailored clothing.

My resources have been The New Encyclopedia of Modern Sewing  (ca. 1940's), the standard Vogue sewing book and the awesome internet.

My next steps are finishing the interior seams to prevent the inside from raveling too much, constructing the lining and inserting it and then attaching the sleeves, which I will do after I insert the lining. I may not use buttons and instead use snaps on the inside for closure. I want to keep the finish as clean as possible.