Wednesday, October 30, 2013

C'est fini! - my Faux French Jacket, V7975

Finalmente finito! Because this jacket seemed to take me forever! Okay, not really but I have so many other things in the queue that I wanted it to be finished. I think it was the fringe! Plus the plaid matching, the hand sewing, the constant vacuuming. Okay, not really on that either, until I couldn't stand seeing all those little boucle fibers everywhere.  The final result:

jacket on me
Just think if I had done the real "Shanel" method, with the hand quilting. Although that does not seem so bad to me, I love hand sewing and if planned I could stretch it out over a few weeks at a relaxing pace. Next time. On my previous post Carolyn asked if I "planned to add any additional embellishment to the trim?"  As you can see in the photos, there is no blue trim to be seen. I did the fringe with the intention of putting the blue braid trim on last but when I was making the pockets it just looked weird to me. A bit too much, so I tossed that idea aside and just did only the fringe, which I am quite satisfied with. Perhaps the light blue braid trim is too much of a contrast on the black, so I will set it aside for a more springlike fabric pairing. 
Here is my final pocket design, small square pockets, hand sewn on with a fringe edge on top. Better, huh?

Pocket experimentjacket pocket2

The lining is silk charmeuse and I intentionally made it a tiny bit bigger than the jacket, it doesn't change the shape of the jacket on the outside but makes it roomy enough so that it does not pull across the shoulders during normal movement. There is a also small pleat in the lining center back.
I used silk organza for the neck and front edge with a one inch seam allowance, then turned that back and hand sewed with silk thread. I sewed the lining in by hand, up to the edge of the seam allowances.
So quite a few changes to this pattern which is Vogue 7975. If I made it again I might change the neckline a bit, maybe make a slight V-neck.

French jacket neckline organzaInside neckline1


lining front

jacket back
I am really happy with this plaid matching. And I have two more plaid wools in my recently acquired stash - should I keep going on a plaid kick? maybe a skirt. Or I am thinking of somehow blending two plaids in one jacket, could be great or an epic fail. 

The previous posts had a lot of details on construction. 
First post on this jacket: all about matching the plaid and some tips on marking.
Second post on this jacket:  some details on marking and sewing sleeves, plus a closer look at the fringe which is added to the jacket body.

jacket on  me 2
Who says we don't have fall color here in N. California?  Just a little bit sometimes. That is a crepe myrtle tree behind me turning all kinds of orange, plus the start of a few pale pink camellias in the background.
This jacket needs some other pieces, I have to figure out just what top to wear. That shirt was in the back of my closet but is just the right shade of blue to set off the boucle threads. I could see wearing this jacket over a solid color dress, blue or black. Or maybe a black suede skirt. 
For a change I accessorized, a la Chanel, pearls and another 50's vintage necklace from my dresser drawer, by way of mom. You can see the bracelet in the picture above. The color is much more white on the pearls, it came out a bit golden in the light when I took this photo. There are some earrings as well. I should wear that bracelet more often...

black white jewelry

Now on to the next thing(s).  
Happy almost Halloween,     Beth

24 comments:

  1. Great looking jacket. I actually have this same fabric and as of yet have not made anything with it. Probably because I don't want to match up those plaids. You did a fantastic job with that and I will make sure to keep your post on matching. Again a really lovely jacket and I like the final pockets.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful! Well worth all the effort. Love the fringe, too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ooh la la, Beth! This turned out beautifully and I really like it without the braid. Your sewing is completely inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful! I love the fringe on your jacket -- better choice than the blue trim. Great job with the styling -- the pearls are fab!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I want to nuzzle your lining it looks so soft!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fall colors!! I've seen a tiny bit of leaves turning brown and falling off in SF, but nothing in Daly City. We don't have trees. Your jacket is wonderful, I love the black fringe instead of blue. It's so elegant and understated!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, I love it. I agree the trim would have been too much. The fringe only is tres chic.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love your jacket with fringe only, too. Gorgeous fabric.

    ReplyDelete
  9. HI Beth

    Really love your jacket. You keep my inspired. We dont have access to this type of fabric here in Christchurch at the moment. Waiting for the fabric shops to come back. Will be buying up heaps next year when we holiday in San Fran -

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful! Stunning! Love it! You made the perfect decision regarding the trim--tres chic!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Magnifico!! I really like it without any trim, the weave is perfectly interesting on its own, and I LOVE the way you've styled it, with the collar turned up and your cuffs out. Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful jacket Beth. Thanks for sharing your inspiring work!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh I love it Beth! So gorgeous and chic. I hear you on the trim - I ended up 'downgrading' mine significantly too once it came time to sewing it on - just seemed to be too much. Less was definitely more. Vogue 7975 just keeps on giving though - such great lines. And I love the autumn colours in the background - my favourite season!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh, I really like your jacket! the pocket finish is so nice, and I like your more casual styling. I've stayed away from the faux french pattern primarily because I've no where to wear a dressy jacket - you've opened my eyes to an alternative take. Very nice!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love your jacket - you did a fantastic job as always!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm so impressed! I'm a new follower and I can tell I'll learn a lot from you.

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a great result. I love the way you did the pocket and fringe round the edges. Less formal that way and I like that about it. The way you styled it with blouse and trousers is very good too. Congratulations on finishing such a complicated project.

    ReplyDelete
  18. So, so fabulous! Amazing plaid matching, too. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh my,but your jacket is so beautiful. You must love it so much. I'm voting for you on Pattarn Review because your is the best of the bunch IMO

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lovely jacket, you did a fantastic job!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Lovely jacket! Looks very smart.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Clearly the jacket is fantastica! What I really like is how you´ve styled it for the photos. You look great!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Very nice, and much as I loved the look of the pale trim I think your decision to just use fringe was right, it looks more modern.

    ReplyDelete