Jacket

I think I know why many of the 2006 SWAP participants chose to make a coat as the jacket requirement. A coat is worn over all the tops and you don’t have t o worry about “collar compatibility” between the tops and the coat like you do for a jacket. I eliminated my first choice of a tweed Chanel type jacket because of the collar issue and with a tweed jacket, the tops have to be solid colors or prints of a certain scale and pattern density to look good. Maybe I am being too anal and matchy, matchy. I live in central VA and my coats get worn about twice a year. So making a coat would be wasted effort.

My 2007 SWAP jacket is solid colored and collarless so the tops can be solids, textures or prints and varied styles of collars, shirt; collar, turtleneck, scooped, cowl, boat neck. The jacket pattern is a TNT Vogue 7796. It fits me well and has slimming vertical lines. It is unlined, but I think I could make it reversible by lining it in another color print or textured fabric. I could even use contrasting bands on the reverse side for a different look. It will be made of a reddish brown worsted wool. On a quick trip to Hancock’s to pick up thread last week, I found a imitation leather in the exact same color. I prefer real leather but I bought some just in case I wanted to use it for trim or an accent on pockets, collars, etc.

Commitment

I created this Blog to share my trial, tribulations, and hopefully progress on the 2007 SWAP sponsored by Timmel Fabrics http://www.timmelfabrics.com.

I spent Nov. planning. Pulling fabrics out of my massive stash, looking through boxes of patterns, perusing fashion magazines. All of this was scattered out in my dining room, as my basement level sewing room is too cluttered. It all had to be put away so that the 11 members of my family that came for Thanksgiving holiday, could eat a one table. On top of that my mother in law moved in with us that week.. The moving van with her furniture arrived the day before my relatives. Thank god for rental storage units. I piggybacked on her unit and squeezed a couple boxes (22) of quilting fabric in, freeing up some space in my sewing room.

Then the Saturday after Thanksgiving, just when I had planned to get back to the SWAP, I find out I need a full length formal gown for the Cotillion Holly Ball the following Friday. A frantic round of the local consignment and Goodwill shops was unsuccessful. So into the fabric and pattern stash I went. I originally planned to take a Christmas party dress from last year, remove the short black skirt and add a long black skirt. But after taking and viewing a before picture, I decided it would be too much black for me. A 10 year old McCalls pattern and a piece of scalloped edged navy lace sparked the next plan. A trip to the local fabric store yielded a matching piece of navy polyester crepe. Now you know how hard it can be to match navy! I took it as a sign. But I hate, hate, hate sewing polyester of any kind. I admit it, I am a fabric snob. It must go back to my teen years in the swinging 70's when polyester was king. I told myself to get over it. The dress went together quickly, fits well after some tweaking and I will be wearing it tonight.