Monday 7 December 2015

jacket in

(Sorry.)

A little while ago, I bought the Sewaholic Cordova jacket pattern. I loved the shape, and having seen on the envelope that lightweight brocade was one of the recommended fabrics, I had a vision of a black brocade jacket with an electric blue lining that rather excited me. But finding a brocade I liked and thought I'd happily wear as a jacket proved trickier than I'd imagined, and I started to look at other options. Eventually I bought some white wool with multi-coloured flecks, mostly because the online shop had named it "Joseph Boucle" (who's got two thumbs and enjoys terrible fabric/literature crossover puns? THIS GIRL) and planned to make the jacket up in that instead of brocade.

When I came to look at it, I realised that the fabric was a lot more multicoloured and a lot less white than I had in my head, meaning I wouldn't get the kind of contrast with the lining that I'd been hoping for. Apparently that was the main selling point of the jacket to me, because I then completely lost enthusiasm for the project.

A little while later, I bought a sewing magazine with a free pattern on it. I've now stopped doing this, because I've learned that sewing magazines always supply the smallest size and that's no good to me. The free pattern on this magazine is a New Look pattern with a much larger range of sizes - US sizes 8-20, it claimed. I thought that might bode well. Then I got it home and saw that this range of patterns only has a nine-inch hip-to-waist difference, and that their "US size 20", i.e. a UK size 24, had a hip measurement of 43 inches. I know sewing patterns are sized smaller, and I know I have a lot of hip, but given that I wear a UK 14-16 on my bottom half in ready-to-wear, I was not expecting to have this problem. Ugh.

The pattern was for a sheath dress and cropped jacket, and due to my ridiculous 14-inch hip-to-waist difference, the jacket pattern did fit my measurements. I threw the dress pattern away because what is even the point it's just a dull sheath and decided to repurpose the boucle to make the jacket.


This came out really well. The photos did not, because we took them at 4pm and apparently that's night time now. Yay autumn!


It isn't quite neutral enough to bring the Zombie Hoodie Replacement Race to an end, but it certainly covers some more of the bases. I found it quite easy to construct - the main problem I had was that this fabric frays really quickly. This was my first time inserting sleeves in a woven fabric, and it didn't give me any grief at all. There aren't any closures on it, which in some ways is great because I definitely would have put this off if it had a zip and possibly put it off forever if it had buttons. It's also unlined, and I'm not so keen on that because I have to look at my seams every time I take it off. When I make it again (which I will) I'd like to try and put a lining in, though I have no idea how easy it is to just Frankenstein a lining into something. Experiments!

(Also, remember when I made this top? I had no idea it would be so useful, but I get loads of wear out of it, especially now that it makes a nice outfit with this jacket. I must make some more.)


Posing Tip: Pretend to be looking at something far away. This is a simple way to find the light with your face, allowing your ridiculous expression to be shown off to full advantage.


Also positioning yourself in such a way that it looks as though you're lost in the wilderness of your very small North London garden. That's a good one too. (This is why you come here, right? The modelling tips? You wait til I do a whole post using Tyra Banks' 'pose with pain' philosophy.)

More jackets to come. I've not decided whether to make a more neutral version of this or have a go at the Cordova first, but it will probably be one of the two unless something else comes up. I am organised and good at planning. You cannot deny my truth.

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