My Chanel-ish Suit - Part 2

*Rachelle asked, "Do you think you'd mind showing us the inside of the jacket?"
No problem, here's the inside of both the skirt and the jacket. The jacket lining was inserted completely by hand, as I feel it gives me more control over the placement.




















As well, here is a close-up of one of the buttons (which I adore). The buttons are vintage glass with a tortoise pattern. This photo also gives you a much nicer view of the fabric. It is amazing the depth of colour that this fabric possesses.

I had forgotten to mention that the jacket was interfaced with sew-in hair canvas. The front facing, the back neck facing, the jacket hem and sleeve hems all benefited from the addition of this wonderful interfacing. It gives the jacket the perfect body and weight. I had hoped to finish off the inside of the jacket with chain, a la Chanel, but I could not find anything appropriate in any of my local stores. For future softly tailored jackets like this, I suppose I will have to turn my search to the internet. Anyone have any vendor suggestions? Marji?

My Chanel-ish Suit

When I first saw this fabric on the Sawyer Brook website, it basically reached through the monitor and demanded that I own it. The name of this fabric was Cucurbits and to learn more about this name, visit Barb's Fabric Blog (the blog of the owner of Sawyer Brook).

When designing my SWAP, this fabric was chosen to be the central focus and all the other fabrics were picked based on colours found therein. In real life, the colours in this fabric are far more vivid and rich - it is one of the most beautiful wools with which I have ever worked.

Obviously, I needed an amazing pattern (or two) to showcase this exquisite fabric - something simple and classic. I decided to create a Chanel-style suit using Simplicity 3108 for the jacket and Vogue 5521 (which is my SWAP wardrobe pattern) for a slim skirt.















The Vogue 5521 slim skirt was very straightforward to sew - two darts in front, two darts in back, side zipper and a waistband. The only interesting thing about this skirt is the kick pleat. The back of the skirt is cut on a fold and a straight line of stitching, parallel to the centre back fold, creates a large pleat in the centre back which extends down to the hem. This pleat is pressed to one side and stitched down 8 inches above the hem. Below this, the pleat releases to form the kick pleat.

The Simplicity 3108 jacket is wonderful. It has a round neckline, 7/8 length kimono sleeves, buttons down the front and two decorative pocket flaps. I love the cropped length of this jacket - it sits at the perfect spot at the top of the hip. The jacket fits exceptionally well due to the shoulder and elbow darts. It is these small shaping darts that set the vintage patterns apart from the modern - it is unfortunate that most of today's patterns have so few of these useful dressmaker details.

Both the jacket and the skirt are lined in chocolate silk charmeuse, which finishes off the inside in a luxurious manner. The buttons on the jacket are gorgeous. They are vintage glass shank buttons that have a tortoise pattern. They add the perfect finishing touch to this jacket. I have included pictures of this suit in action:




















I also have a couple of questions to answer.
*Nancy K. said, "Do you end up having to do a lot of grading on these vintage patterns or do you find them in your size? I'd also like to know when you sleep, you accomplish so much I am just in awe!"
Firstly, I actually do sleep so I have to find time for sewing elsewhere :) What helps is that I don't watch much TV and I don't have kids for which to care. As well, since I am a teacher, I am usually done work each day at 2:30 (except for afternoons when I have meetings or when I am swamped with marking or lesson planning) and I have two months off in the summer. All of this adds up to free time for sewing!!
In terms of vintage pattern sizing, I don't usually buy patterns unless they are in my size (which varies depending on the era, but I find just about anything with a bust of 31.5" works for me). I tend to be too lazy to do a lot of grading up or down.


*sklong@pa.net said, "I have a question about lining a skirt. The skirt pattern doesn't call for a lining; it's a very simple nearly straight skirt - just curved a bit at the hip - with an elastic waistband. Will I use the skirt pattern to make a lining for it? will the lining be attached just under the waist band? Or Should I treat the lining and skirt as one and make the casing for the elastic with the lining there also?"
You definitely can use the skirt pattern to make a lining for a straight skirt. Check out this helpful webpage (this is not for an elastic waist skirt but the principle is the same). Of course this assumes that there is a separate waistband into which the elastic is inserted.
However, if the elastic is inserted into a casing made by folding down the top of the skirt, you can handle it two different ways. If you are not worried about the waist being too bulky, construct the skirt and the lining, place them wrong sides together and turn down the top of the skirt and the lining together to form the casing for the elastic. Alternatively, remove all but 5/8" of the casing allowance from the top of the skirt and the matching lining. Sew the skirt and lining right sides together, along the top, with a 5/8" seam allowance. Turn skirt right side out and press along the top being sure that the lining does not show on the right side. Sew around the top of the skirt at 1" (if the elastic is 1") to create a casing that consists of the skirt fabric on the outside and the lining fabric on the inside. Be sure to leave a bit open to insert elastic and then finish sewing. I hope this makes sense.


Up next, the coat...

SWAP 2008 - Ode to Camelot

Although you haven't seen all of my SWAP garments individually, I wanted to post a summary for Carolyn, so she doesn't explode!!

First off, here is the final version of my storyboard. A few things changed from the original. A couple of fabrics were switched out and a pattern was changed. You can click on the image to make it larger.

This year's SWAP was difficult for me, but I'm glad I persevered, as I really love my new wardrobe. Each year SWAP challenges me to do more, to try new techniques, to just all around up my sewing game. I try to create a wardrobe, that if I can actually pull it off in the allotted time, I will be proud to call my own. I guess I use SWAP as an opportunity to push my abilities and excel beyond my comfort zone.

This year, I decided to create a wardrobe of suiting separates. This was a difficult venture, as I wanted to create four suits that would not only stand on their own but would also be completely interchangeable. Creating a plan that took into account the style lines of the garment and the fabric choices, so that everything played nice together, was tough! Although I had to invest many hours into finding four coordinating fabrics and the patterns that worked well together, I am pleased with the final result. Each piece actually does look good with every other piece. I am also pleased with the two dresses and the coat that rounded out my SWAP plan. The dresses are flattering and the colours are smashing. The coat I absolutely adore - it is one of my favourite garments that I have ever sewn.

Each year, as I am working on my SWAP, I am surprised by some revelation related to my sewing personality. This year that revelation involved embellishment. All of my SWAP garments are clean, simple garments, with very little in the way of overt details. All the special tweaks, like bound buttonholes, silk linings and hand tailoring, are subtle and not immediately obvious to the casual observer. I have to admit this caused me some consternation, as I found myself desperately wanting to add some ribbon here or a bit of beading there. However, I really wanted this wardrobe to be true to the Jackie Kennedy inspiration and she was not one for extra frou-frou. Up until this point in my sewing career, I liked to add the occasional little something to set my garment apart from the norm, but I had never considered myself to be a big ornamentation kind of gal. Although, in the end I am glad I resisted the urge to "gild the lily" as I love my SWAP pieces as they are, I now feel compelled to embellish the heck out of something!

Anyhow, without further ado, here is the compilation of all my SWAP garments:
Next post, I want to show you the 'Chanel-ish' tweed suit, as these pieces are made from the most amazing fabric.

Paterson Pattern - Part 2

In the last post, I showed you the Vogue 1050 skirt. The top that is included in this pattern has a very interesting sleeve and bodice treatment. Take a look at the envelope pictures below. In the front, the sleeve is cut in one with the bodice. In the back and under the arm, a separate sleeve piece is set in. In terms of the bodice, the back bodice pieces wrap from the back, under the arm and to the front. The back has a centred zipper, which allows the wearer to get in and out of the blouse.











A look at the section of the instructions describing the construction of the sleeve and bodice is worth a gander.

The bodice is quite comfortable due to this unique construction - it fits fairly close to the body in front, but hangs longer and blouses out in the back. The bodice is also shorter in the front, which is good as the skirt has gathers along the waistband in front, so there is no top volume where there is already skirt volume. This is a very well thought out design.

The top, like the skirt was constructed with a sand coloured silk charmeuse underlining. The underlining gives the top just enough extra oomph to make it feel solid and not flimsy. I find that well made garments tend to have a certain weight to them that sets them apart from cheap RTW trash. I truly believe that the success of a garment starts with the inside - the underlining and the interfacing provides a foundation from which the garment hangs and it is this foundation which can make or break a piece.

Here is a picture of me wearing both the skirt and the top. As you can see, I'm channeling my inner Jackie Kennedy with the pearls and the sunglasses. All I need is a pillbox hat and a luncheon to attend!

When I'm wearing this outfit, I feel so proper and lady-like. A while back, in a fashion magazine, they were touting the return of structured dressing. Man, I hope it's true! I love this tailored, put-together, classic look. I just hope it doesn't make me look like an old fuddy-duddy!

Last, but not least, Carolyn, I'm there for ya, baby! I am almost done the composite photo showing all eleven SWAP garments. I will post it as soon as it's ready to go...

Paterson Pattern - Part 1

Prior to purchasing this vintage pattern, I had never heard the name Ronald Paterson. I decided to do some investigative work and after a bit of digging, I found this. Apparently, he was a Scottish born designer, who headed a fashion house in London from 1950 to 1970. After this period, he worked as a costume designer in movies until his retirement. The examples of his work and the vintage patterns that were designed by him are gorgeous. I will certainly be looking for more patterns by Ronald Paterson.

As part of my SWAP, I wanted a top and skirt that had the same feel as this outfit worn by Jacqueline Kennedy to her husband's inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 1961. This outfit was fashioned using beige wool crepe by Oleg Cassini. (This picture is from "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years", which is an exceptional resource for JK fans.)

Originally, I planned on using a sand coloured wool gabardine. However, as the SWAP deadline began to loom, I decided to switch to a sand coloured wool crepe, purchased during the wool blowout at Fabric Mart earlier this year. I figured I would do a true homage to the original inspiration garments, while at the same time making my life easier. Wool crepe is a much more forgiving fabric to sew than wool gabardine - with limited time this seemed like a wise substitution. I could not be happier that I decided to do this. My muslin for this outfit was done using wool gabardine and it just does not hang as nicely as the SWAP pieces done in wool crepe.

Both pieces are underlined in a cream coloured silk charmeuse, also from Fabric Mart. This underlining gives the pieces a wonderful weight and such a luxurious finish on the inside. Below is the outside of the skirt, which is basically a straight skirt. However, the side seams are shifted to the front side hip and topstitched (which can be seen in the small photo to the right) and there is a gathered section over the abdomen area. The back is shaped through the use of four darts (two on each side) - one set of darts acts as faux side seams. The skirt calls for a lapped zipper in back and I replaced it with an invisible zipper, for a smoother line.





On the inside you can see the silk underlining, to which the hem is attached to keep the hem area on the outside stitch free. The underlining was serged to the wool crepe in the beginning and the the two fabrics were then treated as one for the construction.

I had some problems with the waistband as the instructions called for belting. My local fabric stores do not carry this notion, so I improvised (if anyone has any internet leads on belting, I'd appreciate a heads up). The waistband was instead cut double and constructed as is typical.










Finally, a few questions.
*Marji, in reference to this post, asked, "Did you reduce any of the fullness or dart the batiste or did you gather it one-to-one with the silk?"
I just gathered it one to one with the silk. Both the batiste and the silk are so lightweight that the excess bulk at the waist is really not a problem.

*Carolyn, referring to this post, asked, "Ummm, my fabric came in and you are going to love these pieces! Did you get yours yet?"
Nope, it usually takes 1 to 4 weeks for a box of fabric to cross the border from the US to Canada. The last time I ordered from Melody, it took 1 week so I'm hoping the fabric gods are with me again and I'll have a quick delivery!

*Yesterday, Carolyn also wrote, "I am dying over here waiting to see the finished collection...could you pleeezzzeee just throw me a bone and take a picture of all the pieces AND then go back and tell us all about them!? I've been waiting since December/January and the stress is KILLIN' me!!!!"
Whoa, I would hate to be responsible for any SWAP related deaths. I'll see what I can do.

*With respect to yesterday's post, Nancy K. asked, "How did you do the lining up without a facing? When you get a chance maybe you could do a tutorial?"
It was actually quite easy, it's really no different than when facings are present - in this case, however, the lining takes the place of the facings. The jacket shell and the lining are cut and constructed exactly the same and then they are attached, right sides together, at each front opening and around the neckline, with a 5/8" seam. The bottom is left open to facilitate turning right side out after the corners are trimmed and the seams graded. Then all that is needed is a very careful pressing to be sure that the lining rolls to the inside of the jacket. You could understitch to ensure this, but with my jacket it was unnecessary. The bottom of the lining is finished by attaching it to the jacket body by hand. If this doesn't make sense, let me know and I will try to put together something visual.
ETA for Nancy K: I always insert the sleeve lining by hand - both at the armscye and at the cuff. I find I have so much more control over the lining placement this way.

Lastly, thank you to everyone that has visited lately. I appreciate it so much that you take an interest in what I post here. I apologize if I have missed answering any question over the last while - I've had a few whirlwind weeks and admittedly I'm not as organized as usual. Things are settling back down now, so I hope to stay on top of things better.

Orange You Glad You Asked? - Part 4

I AM DONE!! Obviously I am excited that I managed to finish sewing for SWAP 2008. With all that has occurred in my life lately, I had several moments when I didn't think I was going to be able to finish, especially when I managed to pick up a nasty spring cold this past week. But, I persevered and I got all 11 pieces sewn. Now, I just need to get some pictures taken and sent off to Julie of Timmel Fabrics. Now, I finally have time to blog about the garments you haven't seen yet.

I began work on this terracotta wool blend suit ages ago (see previous posts here, here and here). I adore the colour of this wool bend fabric, but man oh man, was it ever nasty to work with! There came many-a-time when I considered balling up both the skirt and the jacket and having at them with a lawnmower! This fabric was difficult to ease and getting an invisible hem was a nightmare (see here). Also, I found out the hard way that this fabric would take on an almost irremovable shine when faced with a hot iron. Aarg!!

But, never one to given in just because of a few setbacks, I managed to tame this fabric beast (with a ton of swearing tossed in for good measure). You have already seen the skirt, but I would like to show you all the jacket to match.

Here's the front of the jacket, which has bound buttonholes and handsewn patch pockets. I had a difficult time choosing just the right buttons, as many of the ones I had in my button stash just weren't right. Finally, I settled on these wine-coloured shank buttons. I was sure that the colour wouldn't work with the jacket, but when I put them together, it was like it was meant to be.









Here's the back of the jacket, showing the small kick pleat at the hip. You can also see the two piece sleeve and the back shoulder darts which I love.













The inside of the jacket was lined from edge to edge using a Anna Sui silk charmeuse that I picked up for a song from Fabric Mart. It feels so delicious and it makes putting on the jacket so easy. I may never line my clothing with anything other than silk charmeuse ever again!












The sleeves (left photo) have bound buttonholes to match the front of the jacket (right photo).

The Universe Has Spoken

Melody, of Fashionista Fabrics, is having a sale on every fabric on her website - including all the ones I have been drooling over for weeks! So, I took it as a sign from the universe that I was supposed to partake of this sale. Really, who am I to question the universe?

Here are my picks, along with the pattern that will be used:

Silk Pique Panel Print - Butterick 4856














Silk Pique Poppies - Vogue 2960














Floral Silk Shantung - Vogue 1043














German Print - Simplicity 5036 - the full skirted dress
















PVC Coated Linen - Vogue 8480














Warm Toned Wool Challis - Vogue 2786

They Call Me Mellow Yellow - Part Two

Okay, I have been meaning to create a second post about the JK inspired yellow dress for ages now. But, as most of you know, the world has been spinning just a little too fast for my liking lately. Thankfully, things are starting to get back on track now. My Mom has moved into the respite section of a retirement home (and plans to stay for 2-3 weeks to further recuperate), so my life is beginning to be less hectic. Although, as everyone knows, Moms can keep ya runnin' no matter what!!

Okay, back to the task at hand. As I said, I finished this dress (based on Simplicity 7990) up a while back and I do believe it is my favourite piece in my SWAP to date. Below, you can see pictures of the outside and inside of the dress.

This dress is the most luscious shade of deep, sunny yellow. It has been hanging on the armoire in my bedroom and every time I walk by it, it gives me pure joy. I cannot look at this dress without smiling!

Not only do I love the colour, but I love the fit. The split neckline, fitted cummerbund and full skirt are very flattering on me. I highly recommend this style for the small busted, pear shaped woman - it highlights all the good and disguises all the bad. What more can a gal ask for?

As you can see on the inside photo, the entire dress was underlined in light peach cotton batiste. This masks the translucent quality of the dupioni, as well as keeping the garment cool and breathable. Most importantly, the batiste allows for the invisible tacking down of facings and hems, which keeps the outside of the garment pristine and free of stitch marks.

All in all, I adore this dress. It makes me happy, happy, happy! I know that I can't be the only one that has clothing that has the ability to change my mood. So, fess up folks, do you have a garment that makes you warm and fuzzy just thinking about it? An article of clothing that makes your day every time you wear it? Do you have an outfit that makes you feel like you can take on the world? Do you have a dress that brings back pleasant memories when you see it in your closet? Tell me about your happy clothes.

ETA: Lisette M asked why I decided to forgo a lining in this dress. The easy answer is that I want to wear it to work this spring/summer. Although my school is supposed to be air conditioned, it doesn't always live up to this supposition. Considering I am usually hot on a regular day, I fry in my classroom on a hot day. So, the less fabric on me, the better - I find the cotton batiste to be cool and comfortable, so I left it at that.