Winter Wool Jacket completed

It seems our winter is almost over and spring is starting early, so I am glad to say I have finished my winter wool jacket project, and I wore it last week. I have enough fabric remaining to make a matching piece, either a skirt or pants but I am not sure I will. A skirt would be nice but I probably would get very little use from a skirt suit.  Pants are more practical but maybe just too much plaid (even though the plaid is subtle).  Either way pants will have to wait until I perfect my pants making, which is my number one sewing goal for 2012!

So can I say it?  I am really happy with that plaid matching!  Check out the sleeve/sleeve cap/jacket front.  I was very careful when I cut out the jacket - but sometimes the sewing fairies sprinkle magic dust on a project and it works out perfectly.

This is an even plaid, so I was also able to match on the collar and lapel seam.  

In my last post I outlined a number of steps required to finish a tailored jacket, but giving it more thought I realized that each step actually consists of many small steps. For a look at sewing the collar and lapels on a tailored piece, check this post for my dressy winter coat from last January, or this post for my corduroy blazer jacket.

Sleeves have their own issues, and while easing in the sleeve cap is one step that can be confounding, there are lots of other small steps that contribute to success.

Here is a quick outline of steps I go through:

• mark sleeves, notches and dots
• chalk mark inside of each sleeve - helps to prevent sewing up 2 lefts or 2 right sleeves!
• stitch sleeve seam or seams in the case of a 2-piece sleeve
• press sleeve seams
• run gathering stitch from notch to notch along sleeve cap
• pin sleeve into garment, start at center bottom, pin notches, pin dot markings and then ease sleeve cap into place.  Pin inside the circle created by the sleeve. I disagree from some sewing books on this, but it works for me.
• sew sleeve using long basting stitch, turn garment right side out and check the placement, fix any ripples and re-stitch.  
• Sew with regular length stitches all around sleeve.  Run second row of stitches inside seam allowance 1/8" from from first row.  Sleeves get a lot of strain when you move your arms so this is important in a coat or jacket.
• Trim the seam allowance under the arm to 1/4" from front to back notch.
• Press the seam cap allowance only, do not press the seam allowance into the sleeve. 
• Stitch in the sleeve head, I always hand stitch.
• At this point, I let the jacket "rest" a bit on the dress form, and play around with various shoulder pads (if required) to see which ones work best.  Often the ones that I least expect are the best choice which I define as disappearing but supporting the garment.

Another whew! no wonder it takes so long to make this type of jacket.  But on the plus side this type of project lends itself to lots of small sewing sessions.  You can see the double row of stitching, and how I have trimmed the seam allowance at the underarm. On the left is the sleeve head, pinned on and being stitched. Below is the finished sleeve head, the wider portion is up against the sleeve cap, so it supports the 
sleeve and smooths it out.

Here is the jacket without the shoulder pad, so it is evident that the pattern is designed for using one, and if you omit it the shoulder kind of sinks and creates those drag lines. On the left is the jacket is nearing completion, still needing hemming, buttonholes and pressing. On the right is the shoulder pad that I used.  I tack it down along the shoulder seam, and then sometimes a few stitches on the sleeve seam allowance, but less it more, it should kind of float inside the jacket and if it is the right shape and size it will be invisible.

Finished jacket, with lining completed and machine buttonhole. Looking at this photo I think I need to do a better job on the pressing, I was rushing to get it finished and take photos while the light was just right in my sewing room. I found a nice black leather button in my button box, always rewarding to find just the right button!

I am ready to move on to spring sewing - there are so many great patterns calling me. However my next project will be the one selected by blog reader Ruta, Vogue 1143 Guy Laroche suit, in a lightweight stretch fabric that will make a great all season outfit.  I looked over the pattern this past weekend, and while it has a zillion pattern pieces it looks fairly straightforward.  Except that it has pants ! EEEK!  I will persevere and get them accomplished. . . I hope.

If you are interested in this tailoring project here are links to the previous posts on this project.  Post 1, Interfacing and other details and Post 2, details going on inside the jacket. 

Today's SunnyGal garden photo - the first daffodil of the season plus some violas and a white primula enjoying the early morning sunshine.

Winter Wool jacket progress

Yesterday the temperature in my part of the world was around 72ºF with plenty of sunshine and people walking around in shorts.  OK, I can probably see someone in shorts here 365 days of the year, even when it is in the 40's. But it is January, which should be the season for hibernating, wearing my cozy winter sweaters, and looking longingly at gardening catalogs.  But not this year, the January without winter.  So either we will have a excessively rainy spring or jump straight into hot summer with too little water in the reservoirs.  Which is a long way of saying that I am trying to speedily sew my winter wool jacket so I can actually wear it this season. This is a Vogue Anne Klein pattern V2853 from 2005 which is a great pattern and goes well with some tailoring techniques.


This weekend I hope to sew together all the components.  I like to make jackets in units, a system which I am sure I have seen in some sewing books.  

I tend to sew a jacket using my own mental checklist, no matter what the instructions say. Here is my order of tasks for making a lined jacket.  First step, of course is cutting out the fabric.  

• Mark tailor's tacks on all pieces, chalk mark wrong side of fabrics
• Apply interfacings
• Jacket fronts - finish welt pockets, bound buttonholes if needed
• Jacket back, sew seams and apply upper back shoulder stay
• Shoulder seams, sew fronts to back
• Attach under-collar, trim and tack down seam allowances
• Sew and press sleeves, set aside, sometimes stay tape on this seam
• Cut out lining - using pattern pieces now removed from fabric
• Attach upper collar to upper lapel, trim and catch-stitch down seam allowances
• Sew collar and lapels together, press and turn
• sew side seams
• attach sleeves, with sleeve head and shoulder pads if required
• sew lining pieces together
• sew in lining, by machine or by hand
• jacket hem, lining hem
• tack lining down at shoulder seams
• machine buttonholes and buttons
• hem sleeves and sleeve lining
• final pressing!

Did I miss anything?  whew, it does seem like a lot of steps, but a lined tailored jacket has a lot of components, inside and out. The reason I do the jacket in this order is mostly to be able to work "in the flat", possibly one of my made-up technical terms? But I like to be able to sew the collar/lapel and then do that pressing without the side seams sewn up, which restricts the way I can move the jacket over my ironing board and tailor's ham. Just so much easier.  If you are interested in tailoring or just want to make a jacket using a great method, I recommend Sherry's Ready-To-Wear Tailoring Sew Along, on her fantastic blog, Pattern-Scissors-Cloth.  She is a great instructor, and I really appreciate her analysis of fitting and the fixes to apply. 

Here the jacket back with undercollar, so you can see the way I have tacked down that seam using a catch-stitch, which is a hand stitch that uses an X pattern to keep the seam allowances flat.  I used turquoise silk thread, so you can see it better plus it is fun to sew with a bright color that will later be hidden. You can also see the back stay which is cotton and I cut out on the fold using that back pattern piece. I find the back stay makes the upper back nice and smooth, so if there are any shoulder pads they disappear under the fabrics.  This pattern calls for shoulder pads, and I think they work well in a tailored jacket, to help it hang on the body better and support the jacket weight. Also the sleeves look very good on a well-designed jacket pattern with shoulder pads.

The woven interfacing is cut on the bias on the undercollar, same as the fabric, however I did add a crossgrain piece which you may be able to see in the photo, at the lower part of the collar.  If I had used hand-stitched hair canvas for the interfacing that is where the extra shaping would be, to give the collar a roll line and structure.  Time now for a brief rant on patterns, which never include the roll line on collars. If you look at this post from last year on my black wool coat, I had a little rant on this topic and showed the roll line I created. 

Even though I love this grey fabric I need some pop of color somewhere, so I put a line of bright blue piping inside. I cut a bias strip 1.75" wide, folded in half, stitched at 5/8" and then have a nice line of blue on the black lining. On the upper lapel and collar I used Pro-Sheer Elegance fusible knit interfacing, see photo on the right.

So what's next?  According to my list above I am about in the middle:  Sew upper-collar/lapel to jacket, then press and turn.  And onward!


This morning I took a quick trip to Britex Fabrics in downtown San Francisco as I am making a dress for a "creative black tie" event for someone and we were in search of some interesting fabric.  Driving in over the bridge the city was spectacular and I wanted to get a photo of it all but for once there was no traffic and we were zipping in too fast for a nice photo of the Golden Gate Bridge with hundreds of sailboats and a cruise ship docked at the pier.  So instead, despite the "no photography" signs posted in the store here I am among the lovely rainbow of fabrics that is Britex. Wearing my blue/black houndstooth jacket, same pattern as the one in grey I am making now. 

No purchases for myself there, a triumph. I averted my eyes and thought about all that fabric at home!  


Happy Weekend Sewing, Beth

Interviewing the Interfacing

It was a great weekend for sewing, lots of cold and rainy weather plus a nice collection of unwatched stuff on my Tivo equals some quality sewing time. While I have many, many projects on my to do list, I did spend more of that time than I should have on my winter wool jacket. Now that winter has arrived here (sort of) I want to wear it soon.


In the second part of my previous post I showed the pattern and fabric selected for this jacket.  Doing a tailored wool garment is one of my favorite projects, so throw in a little plaid matching and I am in sewing nirvana. I cut it out about a week ago, rather slowly for me, taking about an hour which is a lot for a pattern that is already fitted. This fabric has an even plaid but it is very faint and so it took some deep staring at the fabric to get it all matched. 


Picking up this project on Saturday, the first thing I did was interview my interfacing.
Sounds a bit silly but this is one small task that has a big payoff.

Pinned to the wall is the interfaced jacket front piece, paper pattern piece, and right side of the jacket front showing all my lovely tailor's tacks.  (I have written before about my obsession with thread tailor's tacks).  The jacket front is completely interfaced with Pro-Weft Fusible from Fashion Sewing Supply.com.  I am now a total convert to using these interfacings, they really are fantastic and one of the best things about them is that they FUSE properly with very little effort, as opposed to other fusibles that need to be practically cooked on to get them to fuse and even then leave some bubbles or peel off. 

Before I get to this point, with all that fun fusing, I test various types of interfacing on my fabric.  In this case for the under-collar and under-lapel I tested the Pro-Weft and the Pro-Tailor Deluxe. You can see my test sample here, the photo is lightened a bit so the samples are visible.  After I fuse the samples, then I stitch a fold in the fabric to simulate how it will feel under the two layers of fabric, as well as how the edge feels.  I haven't used the Pro-Tailor Deluxe much and thought this was just the project for it, but as it turned out it gives a slightly stiff feel, and the Pro-Weft felt better. This fabric is a very soft Italian wool and just didn't need the crisp interfacing but I think the Pro-Tailor will be perfect next time I make a coat.   I keep the labeled samples stapled to the instruction page for easy reference. 

This may seem like a lot of fuss but it takes just a few minutes plus some fabric fondling to see how it will feel when all sewn up. The fold and stitch is important as sometimes the fabric plus interfacing feels just right but then when seamed gets too springy or stiff.  OK, don't laugh, but I do this test with closed eyes so I can see which one really feels the best - sometimes I am surprised by the winner.  

I completed the jacket fronts, with their darts and welt pocket. The pocket flap is also interfaced with the Pro-Weft. It is NOT pressed so it looks a bit wonky but I am satisfied.  The plaid matching so far is coming out nicely, but perhaps sharp-eyed readers will notice that there is no way the seam on the right could match both above and below the pocket (see pattern piece above, dart and small cut-out wedge which creates pocket welt) so I chose to match the sleeve and jacket back with the jacket upper front and the rest of the seams below the pocket, going around to the jacket back and so far it is working out fine. Note if you are trying out your first plaid matching project - choose a pattern with continuous and even up and down seams, not one like this!  A skirt is a great place to start, and for a jacket Simplicity 3628 has good seaming and nice collar options.

Today is Monday and I think this project will have to be put aside for a few days but I hope to finish it by next week as well as catch up on my blog reading.

Reaching back to last August, here is today's SunnyGal Garden photo.  I was looking through some of my camera roll and don't think I ever posted this one.  When I was barely upright last August due to my back problems, I took a slow early morning walk around the garden and saw this dragonfly on the rose. I carefully returned to the house, retrieved my camera and approached the rose bush again, and he was still there.  The result is one of my favorite garden photos ever.  I just planted 4 new bare root roses so who knows what will be seen this spring.  Is it here yet?

Happy Sewing, Beth

Vaguely Vogue - still deciding on my first project for 2012

Yes, still deciding, but certainly not inactive.  I am always making something, however for my first big project of the year I haven't settled on anything yet.  Perhaps due to the run of strangely warm and dry winter we are having I have little desire to make a wool jacket or coat. This extended sunshine makes it seem like summer-dress weather.  OK, you know I love the sunshine and just tolerate winter, but I do like to break out the wool coats once in a while, plus the garden is not happy without a bit of winter rain.  


As for sewing, a little update on recent non-blogged about projects.  I made a pair of wool flannel slacks for my mom. I did a slight alteration on a black wool RTW pair that she had, so I made a pattern from those and then made a pain in charcoal grey flannel.  They are about 3/4 finished, need another fitting and then lining, etc.  I copied exactly her existing pants but the new ones were about 2" big all around, how did that happen?  Pants are so squiggly - you can't really lay them flat and copy as easily as a dress or blouse.  Plus I kind of rushed and used tissue paper, I have had much better success copying onto muslin which you can pin on and mark with pencil.  But once they are done I will have a nice pattern for future use. I did some closet cleaning, and was just about to get rid of a pair of my old pants, when I realized I could cut them apart and make a pants pattern for myself.  Eureka!  I like making pants, they are really quick, but I DISLIKE fitting pants, yuck, that is the worst.  So this may be just the trick, and be helpful for plans outlined below.
Which brings me to my new projects for 2012.  In my December giveaway post I asked for your nominations of a Vogue pattern for me to make in 2012.  There were some great suggestions, really fun to see what you suggested. Although perhaps a bit more glamorous than my usual lifestyle requires. I narrowed it down to 4 choices.


Lisa's choice Vogue 1230             Sham's choice Vogue 1223        Angie's choice Vogue 8754
Badgley Mischka dress                Anne Klein dress                       coat reminiscent of 
                                                                                               Jill Sander's designs

I like the neckline of the Badgley Mischka dress, but gosh another dress, maybe if I get an invite this spring to a formal occasion.   The Anne Klein dress, really pretty and I just got some fabric at a thrift store which will be perfect, so I will put that idea aside for late spring.  The coat on the right - love it - but I have soooo many coats, and this week I am wearing short sleeve t-shirts.  


My choice, suggested by Ruta, is Vogue 1143. I love the jacket, so chic.  I think Vogue frequently does a terrible job on their fabric choice for their photo shoots, almost impossible to see the details and this one is no exception.  The jacket has two layers on the bottom and an interesting shape.  So fabric choice is still holding me up.  Plus it requires knit or woven with stretch . . . interesting.  I did get some grey but I am not sure about it.

Not sure about it because I bought this charcoal grey and blue plaid fabric pictured below in the fall at Stone Mountain Fabrics in Berkeley.  I went on a shopping trip with my sewing pal Jean and had intentions of making a jacket plus maybe pants or a skirt. I am not a stash builder - not when I spend $$ on nice wool, so I would like to get it made up.  I was looking at new patterns and then remembered this pattern which I made about 5 years ago - fits perfectly and will work for matching plaids.

Here is the jacket, which I do wear all the time. It is an odd combo of black and dark blue houndstooth, which seemed like a good idea but it doesn't look quite right with solid black or solid navy blue pants.  However I did make a skirt and pants so I have the whole suit.  It works really with with dark blue jeans, so I often throw it on when I want to look slightly snappier than jeans and a sweater.  The color in the photo on the left is more accurate, on the left shows the front dart into the welt pocket detail.


So that is my plan - to quickly whip up this wool jacket and get that fabric out of the stack and a new jacket into my rotation before wool weather is gone (if it ever arrives).  


Happy Weekend sewing, Beth

Giveaway Winners and another Christmas treasure

I am speedily sewing the the last few christmas presents today.  Some of my family members may get a box with fabric and a photo, but that is nothing new.  Which usually works out better and should lead to fewer after-the-fact alterations.  
As for other Christmas preparations, my shopping is mostly done. I always have a few last minute things to get, and sometimes have lucked out with a find of something that turned out to be "the" present of the season.You know what I mean, you get everything on everyone's list, or something you think they need or could use, and then the one random present purchased on a whim turns out to be the best thing ever. If only I could go back and analyse what made that one thing such a success.  Chalk it up to serendipity, which my computer dictionary says has an origin in a fairy tale, The Three Princes of Serendip, who "were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of".  I love that.  Describes so many things I have found. 


And of things you were not in quest of, but serendipitously found, here are the results of my holiday giveaway!

For the See's Candy:    Lynne Williams in Wisconsin

For the Palmer and Pletsch tailoring book:  Ruta in ?

For the Singer Creative Sewing book:  My Summer Touch in Russia

I will be going to the post office after the holiday, so send me your mailing address at my e-mail:  sunnygalstudio (at) gmail.com

Thank you so much for all your comments on the Christmas wreath I showed in my last post, which my very talented grandmother originated.  I could show you so many things she made for Christmas, she seemed to work on holiday items all throughout the year, as well as many other wonderful creations.  In today's parlance she might be called a crafter, but back then she was just like all her sisters who never sat still, were always doing something with her hands.  She was a very good knitter, but crocheting, that was her speciality. We have large lace tablecloths she crocheted, I cannot imaging the patience to finish something like that and I don't think I have ever used it.  She made blankets, hats, shawls, and even made a hot pink bikini for me when I was in my teens. My mother has some holiday tablecloths that are embroidered with red, green and gold threads, absolutely beautiful which we do use.

Here are the Christmas stockings she made for my family when my sister and I were small. I remember her knitting these, I was always amazed at the construction, with lots of little yarn bobbins wound with the different colors, and she would tell us not to interrupt when she counted the stitches to knit the names.  My stocking has my full name which only my grandmother used, so when the stocking is hung up the name kind of folds behind a bit and it looks like Ethan. My sis used to tease me that some guy named Ethan would get my presents. 

I love how Santa's beard is knit with angora. I almost want to learn to knit so I can make these stockings. . . almost.  I have a feeling this is an advanced project!

Thank you to everyone who reads this blog, your comments are appreciated more than I can express. Discovering the sewing blog community several years ago has reinvigorated my creativity and multiplied my enjoyment of a favorite pursuit.  

For the new year I will be making one of the Vogue patterns that was suggested in the giveaway entries.  I have not made my final choice but I am thinking it will be something with a chic European look.  So stay tuned in the New Year!

Merry Christmas to all,  Beth

Last day to enter the Holiday Giveaway

Holiday Greetings to all.  Today is the last day to enter my Holiday giveaway, as tomorrow I will draw the winners' names.  Here are the details:

How to enter?  I have thrown out a challenge to myself.  Is there a particular Vogue pattern that you would like to see me make?  I am game to try anything, and so far there have been some fantastic suggestions. Fitting, fabric choice, sewing techniques, I will go through all in a series of posts.  And I will try to choose something out of my usual comfort zone. 

Based on the Vogue patterns suggested so far, some of you think I lead a glamorous party filled life, but more likely is that we all (myself included) look at those fabulous patterns and wish we had somewhere to wear them!  I do love a party dress so maybe one of those will be the choice.  In any case, it has been really fun to read the comments and I look forward to sewing up something fabulous.

For one US reader, a half-pound box of See's chocolate candy, which is a west coast favorite and no holiday is complete without it.

For 2 International readers, one of these great sewing books

Here is a little Christmas nostalgia for you to see.  This is a wreath I made, based on a design my grandmother Betty first did when I was very little.  She made these holiday gift package wreaths for everyone in our family, and they were all different, based on the wrapping paper and little trinkets she put on them. When we were little we loved to look at all the little details, and the wreath usually sat on the coffee table with a big candle in the center.  One of my happiest memories is unwrapping our presents on Christmas, with us ripping open our gifts and my grandmother saying "save that paper, it is pretty and I can use it on a wreath".  Also in the summer we would collect tiny fallen pine cones that she would later spray paint gold.  

My mom still has the original wreath that my grandmother made, it is close to 50 years old and one of our family treasures, carefully wrapped up each year and put away for the next Christmas.  

So leave a comment if you would like to be entered in the drawing and let me know where you are writing from (state or country).

Happy Last Minute Holiday Sewing to all,  Beth

Silk Charmeuse blouse, Part 2 - Hidden Buttonhole Placket, plus enter the Holiday Giveaway

In my last post I started a silk charmeuse blouse but modified the pattern, Simplicity 2339, to have a hidden buttonhole placket and facing instead of an attached button front band.

Here is a look at the blouse front and the facing, with the placket pieces interfaced and then stitched right sides together.  On the right the placket is pressed toward the facing, this is the side that will get the buttonholes.  

Now the placket has been edgestitched on both sides, just on the inside. You can see the edgestitching where the center is open at the bottom of the photo.  I think I neglected to take some photos during this process since I was working it out as I went, and not really thinking about documenting.  (in case it didn't work out!) So I can't show you the steps in between the photo above and below.  Hatty commented that she would like a tutorial on this hidden button placket, so I will try to do that soon.

For the buttonhole placement and spacing, I copied those from my RTW blouse.   Any shortcut at hand in December, when sewing at super speed!  

And I didn't follow my own tip which many readers have used - stitching the interfacing and then turn and press, that would have been a great edge treatment for this blouse facing. What was I thinking?  Sewing on autopilot and using scrap pieces of interfacing so the facing edge is less than lovely.  Oh well, next time.

Here is the finished placket seen from the right side. Buttonholes not cut yet. On the right is the blouse front, I ran a line of basting stitching and pinned very carefully to topstitch.

The finished blouse.  Look, Ma, no visible buttonholes. I can see it needs a good press.  The skirt is Simplicity 2512, a Cynthia Rowley skirt, which is crazy.  Cute on the mannequin, OK when worn if I could only stand with my backside to the wall.  One turn to the side, and it looks like an inflatable tire around the tummy and behind.  Unwearable.  I like the waistband and the fabric is just right with the blouse (scroll down to the bottom of this post for the first appearance of this fabric).  So I will be taking it apart and cutting down the skirt.

Couple more pics.

And what about that holiday giveaway?  A random drawing from those who comment between now and Dec. 20. As I mentioned in my previous post, a box of See's Candy for a commenter in the US, and for international commenters, a choice of 2 sewing books (Palmer & Pletch Tailoring, or Singer Creative Sewing)

How to enter?  I put out a challenge to ask what Vogue pattern you would like to see me make and post about from start to finish (fabric, fitting and sewing).  You don't have to suggest a pattern if Vogues are not on your radar, just say hello and say where you are located.  Great nominations so far although a bit glamorous for my life these days - no red carpet appearances in my calender this upcoming awards season :)

Happy Holiday Sewing, Beth