Pink, frilly, boucle jacket

Sewing is a funny business.  A technique you wish to try here, a pattern waiting for its moment in the sun, a fabric sale there, and next thing you know, you have a frilly, pink jacket.  

Actually, this pattern may never have come into being if I didn't have a fight with my partner over book week costumes.  Originally, the Grand Old Duke of York was going to be Humpty Dumpty.  Only somebody wondered why I would put that much effort into my son only to have him going to school to look like an idiot.  I stormed off in a huff, with no place to go but the sewing room, where I chose the most time-consuming project that I had on hand.

The pattern is Vogue 2923 DKNY, which was printed in 2006, but is still available from Vogue clearance.  I'll show you a picture of the muslin, as it looks quite different made up in a medium weight linen.  The collar becomes a flounce the flows down the front opening and curves around to form the back peplum. I must say that sewing does not always bring out the best in me.  I was quite the miss-cranky-pants when I was fiddling to get my muslin right, and children wanted things, you know, like to be fed, or driven somewhere compulsory.  The linen for this muslin was gifted to me, but it actually doesn't look too bad...maybe I should have had my fashion moments in the eighties with all that peach and apricot.

I have previously attempted a Chanel-style jacket, which is my favourite jacket, but I decided that this time around I did not want the jewel neckline. I wanted something a little less classic.

The fabric is a boucle, with a high percentage of cotton.  I was hoping that it would be what people in other climates might consider a summer weight jacket, but it is a bit bulkier and warmer than I was anticipating.

The pattern has darts.  I was wondering how best to mark the fabric.  I even paused from my frantic sew-a-jacket-in-a weekend pace to read some of the blog "Go Chanel or go Home".  The first dozen or so entries did not mention marking fabric.  It was then that I realised that the traditional Chanel style jackets have princess seams for a reason.  I decided to fudge my marking and remember this as a lesson for next time.

It also did not occur to me to match plaids.  Not that I would have had enough fabric anyway.  Next time, I need to order more fabric to match plaids.  By some fluke, the pockets pattern matched perfectly.  Only then I decided to move them to a more flattering position.  I did not muslin the pockets, but I would recommend including them in the muslin if you are going to trim them with a contrasting trim, as the trim gives a very strong horizontal line.

I trimmed the seam allowance and a bit more off the collar and sandwiched the selvedge fringe of the fabric between the upper and lower collar.  I wish that it had occurred to me to account for turn of cloth in this bulky fabric, because the collar does not sit as flat as it should.  I don't think it matters much on a frilly, fluffy jacket.  

I did not have enough fringe to trim the pockets, so I wove a few strands together to make a trim.  Nothing too fancy because I did not have many threads available.

I caught the collar between the jacket and the lining as I bagged the two together.  I quilted the jacket after it was constructed, as outlined in a Threads magazine article.  After reading the "Go Chanel or Go Home" blog I now know that typically the panels are quilted before construction.   If you look closely at my inside-out photos, you will see that I quilted in shapes to suit the pattern pieces, rather than vertical lines.  I used a walking foot for the quilting.

You can see that I have not trimmed and bound the armhole seam.  That is because I have enough fabric to make a matching blouse or dress or tank plus skirt.  I want to cut these out before I cut the bias strips necessary to complete the armhole.  That could be sometime off as they are not at the top of my sewing queue, and besides, it feels as though the winter weather is over here.

I love the lining fabric.  I have had the boucle a couple of years and was patiently waiting for the right colour silk charmeuse to present itself.  A cut length of this pink print fabric went on sale at EmmaOneSock.  I had admired a skirt and blouse made up in this same fabric on net-a-porter and had been stalking it for a while. It wasn't until it went on sale that I realised that it would be a perfect match for this jacket.  Nothing like a sale to get the creative juices flowing.  I'm not sure what this silk fabric is called, but it does not have the sheen of charmeuse and is more of a habotai weight.

A few quick photos on me.  I made the muslin one weekend, the jacket the next and put the finishing touches on today.  No time to dress up for a photo shoot though, so you get my spent-almost-all weekend gardening hairdo.  I wanted to blog tonight though, as I am anticipating a busy month with little or no sewing and blogging.  No front-on photos though, because the boucle is hardly slimming.  I have bought a length of white denim (on sale, again) which I will hopefully make up into slim jeans to match, with a top in the pink lining fabric to complete the outfit.  One day.