Catching Up

Catch up time. Here are a couple of items I made earlier this summer. My version of the Burda waistcoat 108 from the May 2009 issue. and a second version of the Simplicity 2633 blouse. The blouse is made from some silk blend fabric purchased during the PR Philadelphia weekend.

More recently my friend Tammy and and I decided to make Chanel type jackets. For reference we used the Nov 2005 Threads magazine article “ Inside a Chanel Jacket” by Susan Khalje, the “Chanelisms” section (page 183-185) of Couture Techniques by Clair Schaeffer , and Claire’s “Behind the Seams - Chanel” DVD. Also helpful was the Chanel Jacket blog http://www.chaneljacket.blogspot.com/

We thought making the jackets would be a good way to keep practicing the fitting and tailoring skills that we learned in our classes at G Street Fabrics this spring.

Tammy is using Vogue pattern 7975 for her jacket

Her fashion fabric is a a lovely soft blue and orange wool bouclé stripe with metallic weft threads. It is really pretty and looks great with her coloring. She plans to wear her jacket with jeans.
I originally planned to use Vogue 7890, View A for my jacket. I made a wearable muslin of it for the initial fitting. It fit great, but I decided I wanted a style without contrast bands. The wearable muslin is almost done. I had to order the lining fabric from Sawyer Brook. Here is a sneak peak showing the jacket fabric, fringe and contrasting denim trim.

I ended up blending two other patterns for my jacket. I morphed the front lapel, collar and pocket flaps of Vogue 7151, view A with the princess seams and two piece sleeve of Vogue 8260. The 8260 is actually a "V"neck with separate collar pieces attached just like 7151.

My fabric is a green/ pink/ lavender wool blend that is lined with lavender silk charmeuse.

We spent one Saturday fitting muslins of our jackets, having a lovely lunch, poring over the sources and discussing the techniques and next steps. Yesterday we got together again and quilted our fashion fabrics to the lining fabrics and cut out the quilted pieces using our patterns. The quilting was so boring for me when I was doing it on my own, It went much faster while chatting over the noise of two sewing machine with someone sitting at the other end of the table. My jacket shell and sleeves are sewn together and I am ready for all the hand stitching needed to sew the lining seams closed.

I am already playing around with ideas for trims; auditioning ribbons, fringed strips, and cords. I even dug this little gizmo out of my craft closet. It is called Embellish Knit.
It makes a a knitted yarn tube as you turn the handle. Sort of an automated version of a Knitting Nancy.
I had never used it before and was skeptical it would actually work. It does but only if everything is just so… the yarn feed loose and tangle free, the finished cord heavily weighted, and the wheel turning at a steady pace. Oh and you have to hold it in one hand while turning the wheel with the other. I caught myself biting my tongue and holding my breath while using it. Not a relaxing task.

It is so nice to have a sewing friend to work with on challenging projects like a Chanel jacket. Unfortunately, this project is going to stagnate while I am in Toronto, Ontario Canada on business next week, followed by a week of vacation at the Delaware shore. I hope to break away from the meetings next week and make a quick trip down to Queen Street, Toronto, which sounds like a fabric district similar to Philadelphia's Fabric Row on 4th Street. I am staying in the suburb of Oakville and I was told there was a good fabric store there too, though the person who told me that could not remember the name. Any readers' suggestion on good fabric stores in Toronto are welcome. Maybe I will find the ideal trim for my jacket in one of those locations.