Thursday, September 27, 2012

Vogue 1143 Suit - nearing the finish line

Who thought this Vogue suit had disappeared in the black hole of space? That mysterious vortex of unfinished objects which exerts such a powerful pull on the pesky, the difficult, the not completed in the appropriate season.  You know what I mean. The waning days of winter, a scratchy wool skirt or a heavy jacket.  One evening you are happily stitching on your winter creation and it seems a little warm in the house. You open the window and hear some crickets, or maybe catch a scent of orange blossoms just outside. It is spring! or very nearly.  Suddenly that heavy jacket or long sleeve dress holds no appeal.  There is some nice linen calling your name. A shift dress in a bright cotton. Anything but the thing you are working on now but will never wear until fall returns.  So away it goes, maybe in a bin or  bundled up into a bag and shoved into the back of the closet.  Have you been there?

That is exactly what happened to this suit.  While it is not particularly heavy fabric, a lined, belted, long sleeve jacket just didn't do it for me once June arrived here. This jacket sat on one of my dress forms for months. In July the thermometer was hovering around 100º F and I finally folded it up and put all the pieces away in a bin.  Last week I saw a few falling leaves - so it was time to revisit this suit and get it DONE.  Here is a look at the 2 pieces, jacket is put together and just needs it lining and lapel facing. 

Vogue 1143 suit in progress
I have to say this project confounded me in so many ways but I see some light at the end of the tunnel and have plenty to post about when it is all finished.  I would never have chosen this for myself but last January I made the bold (idiotic) offer to make a Vogue designer pattern chosen by a reader of this blog.  Ruta chose this Vogue 1143 Guy Laroche pattern and while I am very glad she did it was a challenge.  Lots of weird quirks with this pattern plus the frightening idea of pants.   

V1143 pattern envelope
Just about finished and I hope to have finished outfit photos in the next few weeks.  I need some kind of top to wear with this so I will have to ponder that once the jacket is completed.

Unrelated to the post above, I saw this plant growing next to a wall when taking an early morning walk on vacation in Hawaii. Wonder what it is. Even the random roadside plants are lovely there.

Orange roadside flower

16 comments:

  1. I had an eye on this Guy Laroche suit, but the reviews were discouraging, too difficult for me? the jacket is spectacular.Can´t wait to see it finished!

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  2. very intriguing...the suit and the plant actually. Hope someone can identify the plant for you, in the meantime I will look forward to the completion of the jacket. I am really liking the look of it.

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  3. The suit certainly merits finishing. It's beautiful!
    Thank-you for the nudge to go unearth the UFO's from last winter.

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  4. OMG beatuiful! can I please see the line drawing of that? The sleeves look very intriguing.

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  5. I wondered what happened to that suit. This is one of the patterns I would like to make. I am so interested is seeing it when it is completed and hearing about the process.

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  6. This suit deserves to be finished - you have put in a lot of effort already! It looks super...as for the plants, could it be a version of a Poinciana tree??? And the creeper in the background looks like a Hoya - both beautiful tropical plants...

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  7. Oh wow, what a sophisticated looking suit. I can't wait to see it finished. Keep at it. You are almost there!

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  8. In Arizona they call that a bird of paradise, not the same plant that we call bird of paradise in CA. Here's what I found on a google search:
    Red Bird Of Paradise.
    Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Pea Family: ( Fabaceae ), Red Bird Of Paradise; Sometimes called Mexican Bird of Paradise which is really the common name for the yellow variety, Caesalpinia mexicana. Also called Pride of Barbados, Poinciana, Peacock Flower, Dwarf Poinciana, and flamboyan-de-jardin.

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  9. Looking good! This pattern is quite magnificent, so I cannot wait to see it when it is finished. I like the double peplum :)

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  10. It certainly looks very good in its current state, and I look forward to seeing the end result.
    I love the idea that you are sewing a pattern chosen by a reader. I am sure you could sew ANYTHING, regardless of difficulty, but glad to know that even you get confused now and then!

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  11. Haa, You do manage with everything, also with this pattern! Looks already now very good. I look forward for the photos of the final result! B.r.,

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  12. Hi Beth, this is my first comment on your blog, though I've been reading for about a year now. I can completely relate to your first paragraph about relegating a quickly becoming out of season garment into the black-hole of the closet as the seasons begin to change. I'm not a very quick sewer so it takes me a long time to get anything done. I have a dress I've been working on since June that I just put away unfinished as the weather is turning chilly. I probably won't look at it again until next June!

    By the way, that suit is just gorgeous. I love the jacket and the belt. You sew beautifully and I love your tailoring.

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  13. I can't wait to see these two pieces completed. The weather is supposed to heat up this weekend so hopefully that won't derail your work! Thank you for sharing your beautiful Hawaii pics as well -- sounds like you had a wonderful vacation.

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  14. Hooray for finishing this project! I love that you offered your readers the choice of which pattern you'd make next. How fun!

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  15. Picking up an abandoned project is an act of supreme courage. This looks like it will be a fantastic polished ensemble.

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  16. I began that pattern a few years ago and have yet to finish it. I have the jacket partially sewn and frankly forgot about it until I read your post! Yours is looking very nic.e

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