Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Burda Jacket 08/2013 #106 Finished

Another Burda completed, now I have made two! This jacket made it under the wire as completed in 2013 with a day to spare. Based on the comments left for the previous post a lot of Burda subscribers noticed this jacket pattern and possibly were waiting to see it sewn up. I am giving this pattern a big thumbs up with a few cautions. Did I mention it is short?  Or maybe it is me, I am lengthening everything lately, jacket-wise.

Burda Jacket front
Not a very exciting project for a New Year's eve post, not a sparkle to be seen. Truth be told this jacket is a bit dull to me, and once completed I really struggled to see what I can wear under it. I must have  color !  I think a new silk top is needed and I have some fabric website gift certificates burning a hole in my virtual pocket.  Raspberry silk, don't you think?

Edit: 1/5/14  This pattern is the one used for the jacket on the latest issue of Threads magazine, in a bright blue with some textural embellishments. 

Onward with the details.  Lots of details. You asked for them so here we go.  
I am totally enamored with this closure - designs that use seaming to create buttonholes always attract me. The pattern shows just one button but that seemed lopsided so I added a second one. 

Burda jacket buttons
The inside. I used my remaining scrap of black silk charmeuse for  the front facing pieces which ordinarily would cut from the wool fabric. While part of the reason was not enough wool remaining the main motivation was to cut down the itch factor. Can you imagine how itchy that wool tweed would be around the neckline? Soooo much better with the silk charmeuse. The pattern provides a facing piece that runs the length of the front but I changed that into two pieces as I thought it would work better for those in-seam buttonholes. The rest of the lining is Ambience rayon.

Burda jacket lining
Here is a little thing that I do for lined jackets. Maybe not easy to see here, at the outer top of the shoulder seam I do a little hand stitched X to secure the lining to whatever is underneath, seam allowances or shoulder pad.  Not too tight, just a loose tack but it really helps the sleeve lining stay where it should and not want to pull when you remove your arm. 

Lining shoulder

I made the full lining and then sewed it in by machine - a nice change from my usual hand sewn in lining. Once I had that long front seam done I double check it to make sure the line is very smooth and even on the 5/8" line. I saw a few bobbles here and so I use a Frixon pen to draw where I want to go over the stitching to fix any wiggles. It might seem excessive but if you have a little wiggle in a long seam it can show and cause a bump or dent. Easy to fix and I love to use these pens so I look for opportunities. (Childhood fixation with colored pens continuing into adulthood...who doesn't love an array of colored pens?)
front stitching adjust   understitching
For the center back lining I cut on the fold and added a 3 inch pleat which adds a lot of comfort to any jacket. There is a center back shaped seam in the jacket which you can see in the side view. I am not happy with the look of the sleeves on the dress form as viewed from the back. Perhaps I should have tilted them forward just a bit at the top to make them hang differently but as it looks OK from the side what is really impotant is how it looks when worn.
                      back liningBurda jacket backBurda jacket side
Last detail is the hem, I always use a good 3 inches of fusible interfacing at the fold of the hem and then  hand stitch to that. With a jacket edge that flares out a bit the hem edge is wider so I steam and kind of shrink it to fit. I think I also did some sewing to take out width - that would made a good blog post - note to self for future:)

hem pleathem details
Lastly I pressed the lining and then pulled it up a bit to sew away from the edge, leaving that little bit of ease at the lining for movement. It drives me crazy when I see a jacket with the lining pulling at the inside. If anything - make the lining a bit bigger than the jacket and that won't be an issue.

A pop of color in front of my sad looking yard. The apple tree is bare but the bees are still there and if the temperature warms above around 55 degrees F then I see them buzzing out in search of the few flowers that are blooming.
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tweed jacket outside 3

A big thank you to everyone who reads this blog and welcome to so many new readers. Which I attribute to some very nice words from Carolyn who writes Diary of a Sewing Fanatic. I look forward to more of her creativity, spirit and very warm authentic voice on her blog next year. 

Now to steal a quote from another wonderful Carolyn, who writes Handmade by Carolyn. This morning I read "We who sew tend to do so on our own, so the big ol' fantabulous internets has been pretty good for our socialising, yes? ;)"  I could not agree more. Socializing, trading patterns, advice, making new friends and generally getting out of the sewing room to meet more people who are as crazy about sewing as I am has been the very best part of this blog. 

Happy New Year and I hope to meet more of you in 2014!   

Beth

34 comments:

  1. I love your blog Beth! You are generous with your expertise and your garments are gorgeously made. Thank you for all your help with my fitting woes this year. Happy new year!

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  2. Happy new year Beth! That jacket is beautiful! Maybe you should host a tailored jacket sewalong next year ;-) I would jump in! No pressure. Have a great year.

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  3. Beth, that jacket is amazing, and your tailoring matches in kind. Your fit is spot on. I often don't think of a jacket as the color in the outfit, it is the canvas upon which you add color; with this fabric, you can put anything with it. Raspberry - yes! The cobalt blue is trendy now, but to me it is a basic color. Emerald or a lighter color of green that you can wear, yes! Do you do purple, the new Pantone shade? Yes! Can you do any kind of yellow or gold - yes! Of course, any red, blue or yellow based, yes! I think you can make this jacket anything you want it to be. Wear with jeans and a white shirt - yes! I believe I have overworked this to death, but you see where I am going with this! I haven't tailored a jacket in many years, but appreciate the results. Great, great job.

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  4. This coat is so lovely! I was eyeing it since it's got really interesting lines, but I hadn't noticed the neat buttonholes. So cool to see it made up- and I agree, a raspberry pink top would look awesome under it. :)

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  5. Great detail about those inseam buttonholes. I have a J Crew coat that has that at the waist seam and have always thought of that as a clever detail.

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  6. Fabulous jacket…and yes a splash of raspberry silk is in order :) Happy New Year!

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  7. Your jacket looks so professionally tailored.

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  8. It's a great jacket, and I love the tweed. What a great idea facing it with the silk. Have a fabulous New Year!

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  9. Your jacket is just beautiful!

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  10. Your jacket looks great, thanks so much for the photos of the insides (I love looking at constructions pics!)

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  11. The jacket is stunning and thanks so much for showing the construction interiors. As for the kind words they are so well deserved. I look to you as one of the people who help me take my sewing to the next level. Thank you for that and Happy New Year!

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  12. That is a beautiful jacket, Beth! I love the interesting closure.

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  13. I have yet to comment on your blog before. I think your version is the best fit of this jacket I have seen made so far. Your tailoring is superb.

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  14. Absolutely a stunning jacket. Great job.

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  15. Adorable jacket -- I love it! Wow -- on your tailoring as well!

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  16. Absolutely gorgeous! And yes, a raspberry colored silk blouse underneath would be perfection!

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  17. Happy New Year. Your jacket is stunning and thank you so much for showing all the extra details. Love the 2nd button and will keep that in mind. Your raspberry coloured silk blouse sounds divine, what pattern would you use?

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  18. Beautiful jacket. I always enjoy reading your blog and i love how descriptive you get. Happy new year to you.
    http://zigafashion.blogspot.com/

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  19. Beatiful, excellent job as always!

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  20. Happy new year!
    Lovely jacket, the two buttons are a good idea.

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  21. What beautiful work! I am a jacket lover and learn a lot from your posts. On my next project, I'm going to try that X.

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  22. A beautiful jacket with extraordinary little details that make all the difference.

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  23. P.S. I'm going through a herringbone obsession right now!

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  24. Your jacket looks so smart and, as aways so beautifully tailored! I like the minimalism of just a few buttons, like that. Wishing you a wonderful, happy and healthy 2014, Beth, and I am looking forward to seeing lots more of your meticulous creations this year :)

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  25. Happy new year Beth! Your jacket looks fantastic, like all your makes do. You are such an inspiration!

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  26. This jacket is really lovely. I struggle to find jacket patterns in styles I like because I dislike collars/lapels, but also don't like "plain" round or V necklines. This one looks perfect.

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  27. As soon as you said silk top I instantly thought of raspberry! This jacket is so beautiful and classic, it will be versatile!

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  28. Raspberry silk all the way! Its a gorgeous jacket on you, and I love the cross tack at the shoulder to keep misbehaving lining in check. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I'm looking forward to reading along and seeing what you sew this year!

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  29. The quality of this item is unbelievable. It's absolutely beautiful. I love reading about all the detailing..

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  30. Swoon! Happy new year to you, Beth! I love that you used pink thread in the interior. I bet a colorful brooch would also give a great pop to the jacket, too. A brilliant silk scarf? Can you rock a hat? So many possibilities! Love the jacket.

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  31. Fabulous jacket Beth! I love that pattern and really enjoy reading your blog. Your expertise is fabulous! I agree on adding extra width to the lining. I recently made a jacket and didn't do it...it now fits but it's too snug. I wondered if I should have fitted the lining instead of the woolen fashion fabric. I-d really appreciate your advice.

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  32. You did a fabulous job as usual.
    Bonne Année and thanks for your blog

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  33. What a beautifully-made jacket! The two buttons is definitely an improvement over the original design. Love it with the bright skirt!

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  34. I get so excited when you sew a pattern that I am thinking about making. I know you will work out any pattern kinks and show us how to make a beautiful sewn garment. It is so classy looking.

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