So nice I made it twice: Simplicity 2455 Jacket

Since I am trying to stick with my goal of making useful separates instead of more dresses, I did some reflecting on that idea, thinking about garments that are useful...not utilitarian.  Evaluating which were the items that were both most frequently and most comfortably worn since I started this blog. Without question it is the blue corduroy jacket I made in December 2010. I wear this all the time. That blog post also ranks as one of the most popular - I think everyone wants a jacket that can go with jeans and mix with lots of different tops. Plus that was the post where I mentioned the velvet board (or often called the needle board) one of the top google search terms that seems to bring seekers of sewing info here. More on the needle board to follow.
I had a piece of olive green stretch corduroy in my stash, a meager piece of 1 and 1/3 yards (60"wide). The pattern (S2455) calls for 1 and 7/8 plus the dreaded "more fabric needed for one-way design and to match plaids". Corduroy falls into that category, all pieces needing to go one way. I stared at it a few times and one day I thought ... tweedy-boucle-ish sleeves.

I think this is a little sleeper of a pattern, Simplicity 2455.  Looks kind of serious and businesslike in the pattern images but has nice princess seams, easy to make lapels and a hint of peplum. Here is the first one I made, in blue uncut corduroy. 

    

In the post for the first version, I have some notes on how to get that inside corner of the collar/lapel intersection nice and smooth. 

I used the needle board again for pressing this jacket, and if you go to the other post you can see some photos showing why/how to use it. It is kind of a pain to remember, but this olive green fabric is cotton corduroy with a bit of lycra, so once a seam is pressed things are good to go, not that much pressing to do, and the important thing to remember is NOT to put the iron down on that right side of the fabric!

Needle board

Here is a look at the collar close up and the back. I didn't intend to put the wool on the under collar but had no choice as I was down to shreds after cutting out the body of the jacket.

Now stop staring at that undercollar. Or am I drawing your attention to it? See the stripes, horizontal on one side, vertical on the other.  Also no choice. After all, the undercollar has to go on the bias. So here is a look at the wool fabric, the selvedge is on the left. See the devious problem? As I did not see when I bought it. Diagonal stripes. But I did have a brainwave right before I cut out these sleeves, and did some draping on the dress form. If I had cut it out on the straight of grain, then while both sleeves would have had diagonal stripes but since the sleeves are mirror images the stripes would have been oriented in opposite directions. Hard to explain but take it from me, it looked weird. So the answer is - breaking all kinds of sewing rules, cut the sleeves out on the bias.  Turned the diagonal stripes into vertical ones. Result - worked very well on this loosely woven fabric and gives them a sweater-ish quality that is perfect.

Other inside details. You know I am a fanatic about trimming the inside of a garment. Banish all possible lumpy bits. Here is how I do the hem on the facing, it looks a bit rough as it is a very casual corduroy garment, no pretence at all to being a well tailored jacket. On the facing I did press it directly so there is the mark from the iron, however the needle board was under it so the outer side is still all plushy and smooth.

My usual motley crew of assorted linings. I did happen to have this piece that matched so I used that for the parts near the front. To make it neater I wrapped the lining around the bottom of the facing, enclosing all those ravely bits of corduroy. When I do a lining I most always put that little pleat at the bottom, it just gives the lining a little more "breathing space" letting it hang inside the garment and not pull at the outer fabric. I can't remember if this pattern calls for a lining, I just cut out the main pattern pieces and then wing it on the dress form with the jacket inside out, pinning and stitch on by hand.

As with the previous jacket version, I did a bound buttonhole because the machine button hole maker would have marked up the front. Another find from the button jar. Do you have one of these goofy little tools? No idea what it is called, the "button raiser-upper" "button height adjuster" ? Anyway if it is a BIG button and buttonhole I use a pencil, but for anything less than that I use this gizmo. Which would be more useful if one had 3 hands, but it works once you get the first few stitches in. Kind of a weird photo, though, but I wanted to show how it is used. 

Our weather has turned warm, tomorrow's plan is a hike, maybe wearing shorts ! Woohoo! (we are enjoying the temps but I fear one of our drought summers is a possibility) and I am planning to be outside and away from the sewing machine this weekend to soak up some sun. The Pattern Pyramid drawing from my last post is coming up, so make a comment if you are interested. I appreciate the interest in recent comments about fit and pattern alteration so I will start some posts on that next.

Happy Is it Spring Yet? Sewing, Beth

In pursuit of lapel perfection

For any project I always feel there is a critical construction element - once I get that right I can breathe a sigh of relief.  For some dresses, it might be the darts.  For a plaid skirt, matching the seams.  For a coat or jacket, the collar and buttonholes are my focus.  For my winter coat, as the pattern was designed, the lapels seemed really large, or maybe just a strange shape, but as sewn up they seem just right.  











It is that seam and inner corner where the collar and lapel meet that are tricky.  
Here are a few notes on construction.

To start I mark the stitching lines on the collar and lapels, being most important to mark the inside and outside corners.  You can see the tailor's tacks in yellow thread.   The fusible is a bit bubbly and not solidly fused as the fabric is so dimensional, but it was sufficient to create the right amound of structure.  The inside corner is clipped to the reinforcing stitching.

Next pin the pieces together.  I start with what I think of as the "anchor" pin,  piercing through the tailor's tack on both pieces and holding them in place.  Then I pin outwards from that inner corner. 




Then stitch between markings being sure to lift the preser foot and pivot at the 
inner corner.    I have always been one to sew over pins, trying now to break myself of the habit, but for something like this I still do it, at least at the inner corner.




Then it is time to trim, press, and catchstich the seam allowances down.  This last step may seem like extra work, but a few minutes of catchstitching really pays off in smooth lapels.   Since everything is interfaced, you really can do it very quickly - you are just catching a few threads of the interfacing and no stitches will show on the other side.  The tailor's tack is still in the fabric, just at the corner so the anchor pin did its job.  

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For the lining of this coat, I made some adjustments to the pattern because as designed it had a back yoke and center back seam, which seemed unnecessary for the lining.
To cut out, I pinned those pieces together and then moved them about 3/4" from the fold to create a pleat in the center back of the lining.  This is always a good idea for jackets, allows more movement and gives the lining a bit more room so it doesn't pull at the front of the jacket.


                                             

I think that is enough on this coat.  Time for something new, and preferably quick and easy :)


And here is the only guy doing anything in the garden this week, even though I have plenty I should be doing.  He has dug so many holes I should give him the bag of bulbs to plant.  


Happy Winter sewing, Beth