Learning from RTW: deconstructing a jacket

As I've told you, I took apart my favorite jacket. This jacket comes from a Romanian designer and it fits me beautifully. However, the fabric is horrible. 100% polyester, with quite a cheap look to it (this designer usually has beautiful fabrics, I don't know what happened this time). The advantage is it never wrinkles and you don't even have to iron it. The disadvantage... I completely hate it!
Therefore I took it apart, to copy the pattern and learn from the construction as well.

This is what the pattern pieces look like:



I forgot to take a picture of the jacket before taking it apart, but here is a photo of the half left, still in one piece, except for the collar:



As I already knew from Kathleen Fasanella, seam allowances are 1 cm (3/8 inches), the allowance of the seam joining the facing to the fronts and the lining to the hem is 0.6 cm (1/4).

What I've also noticed:

• The entire fronts are fused (but then I'm doing this all the time)
• The side panel is fused too, even if it extends into the back as well
• The back has a fused panel, covering the entire neckline and the armholes
• All the hems (back and sleeve) are fused and the interfacing extends past the foldline (I was doing that too)
• There are little cut slits instead of outward or inward notches
  
• THERE IS NO EASE IN THE SLEEVE CAP! But then, Kathleen Fasanella says that sleeve cap is bogus - see her post about it here. There was also a discussion on PR - go to Message Boards, Creative Sewing, and then Making Clothes Look Less Homemade - the discussion starts on page 11 of that thread. The sleeve looks perfectly OK and suits me perfectly.
  
• The sleeve cap is fused too! (I wasn't doing that nor was I ever instructed to do it) - see below what I'm talking about:

Also, I like very much the shoulder pad. It is the best I've ever had in a jacket. It gives shape without being too bulky (I have round defined shoulders and I really hate how I look with shoulder pads thicker than... let's say 1 cm).

See the pad below, compared to the best shoulder pads I can buy here (they are Italian and cost a bit more than 2 euros per pair, which is about 3 times more than "normal" shoulder pads):



Notice how the shoulder pad from the jacket doesn't have a symmetrical shape, like the bought one. The part going in the front is longer and thinner (lower part of photo), the one going in the back (upper part of photo) is shorter and fatter. Also, the pad is made out of three layers, assembled with pad stitching:



The bought pad is made out of foam, one layer and covered in soft knit mesh.

I'm thinking of making my own shoulder pads from now on. I must find foam for that. The foam piece in the picture above is thicker in the middle and thinner at the ends, but I can achieve this by layering several pieces of foam, in different sizes.

My houndstooth jacket from this pattern is coming along in a great way so far. I'm taking this opportunity to use all the tailoring techniques that I know of: shaping the lapel with an additional piece of interfacing and using stay tape for the lapel roll line; taping the fronts; adding a chest shield; adding a wigan strip to the sleeve hem; sewing the collar in a bulkless way etc.

When the jacket is finished, I'll post links to what I've found online about tailoring and also some pictures showing how I sew the collar to the jacket (a bulkless method, I think).

But... the International Salsa Congress starts tomorrow in Bucharest and it will keep me very busy.

Despite the pompous name, a salsa congress is an informal and fun event. You have workshops (about three simultaneous workshops in each time slot) the entire day, led by the greatest international instructors/dancers, and parties at night. People come from every corner of this world.

At the end of the congress (Sunday night) I'll probably be half dead, but it's definitely worth it!

Ta-daaa... first wardrobe piece

Between interfacing my houndstooth jacket (well, not jacket, pattern pieces) and trying to finish my red McCall jacket (I still have to hem the jacket, hem the sleeves, sew the buttons and sew the lining closed, but I really don't feel like it), I've finished my Modern Sewing lace up skirt. It seemed like quite an easy quick project and I wanted a pencil skirt therefore here it is.

Front



Back



Close-up of lacing detail



Read the pattern review written for PR here.

Updated storyboard and fabric photos

Storyboard version 1.1 :). I've decided to give up (or postpone sewing) one of the BWOF jackets and replace it with a copy from RTW - for this purpose, I undid my favorite jacket ever. It comes from a Romanian designer, it fits me beautifully (I'm sorry, but I forgot to take a picture before undoing it, pictures of the undone jacket will follow) and I hated the fabric of the jacket - therefore it was a perfect candidate for undoing and copying it. I've already cut it out of the houndstooth from TimmelFabrics, interfaced it and prepared it for sewing. I still have to cut the lining.



Fabrics: Top row, from left to right: Italian black suiting (wool, rayon, elasthane); houndstooth in silk and flax from TimmelFabrics; black cotton/lycra; dark grey suiting; off-white suiting
Second row, from left to right: light grey suiting; autumn red suiting; black and white krinkle cotton from TimmelFabrics; white stretch cotton; dark grey knit viscose/lycra; white cotton/lycra
Last row: white shirting; white and black stripped cotton/lycra.

Coat fabrics: red, white and black boucle from TimmelFabric; black stretchy wool; red mystery fabric



And now, my accent colours:

Red:


Yellow: I would like a jacket in the same shade, but it's absolutely impossible to find a doubleknit or suiting in that coulour :(



Emerald: I will buy a bag in the same shade. The fabric is a doubleknit.



Purple. The fabric is a knit.



Strings of fake pearls that will go very well with the retro trend of this season:



And before I go...
Have you ever seen a cat sleeping like mine??

Provisional storyboard

This is just a first draft. You'll notice for instance that there are patterns who don't have a fabric assigned (I have to pull out fabric during the weekend and decide). There are patterns I'm not yet sure I will make for this wardrobe (Burda WOF 06/2007, jacket 107) put I put them here anyway, awaiting a final decision. The Loes Hinse Hepburn pants are going to be in or out, depending on how the muslin will look. I've got the Burda WOF 09/2007 yesterday but so far, I'm not that enthusiastic about it.

The Modern Sewing Lace skirt will be sewn in a black suiting with very tiny white dots, but I forgot to take a picture of the fabric.

I need more tops, but these are the tops that I like so far. And anyway, this is not a contest with strict rules, this is me wanting to have a wardrobe, therefore I can add bought tops as well, as long as they go with at least three other items.

This weekend I will pull fabrics and take pictures of them. Pictures of accesories will follow also.

Until then, have a fun weekend!

Planning for fall sewing

Well, I'm back from holidays and trying to re-adjust to going to office :) My brain still refuses to get into "work" mode and office hours seem unusually long, but little by little I'm hopefully getting back on track.

After getting the second prize in the PR Wardrobe contest for my summer wardrobe, my mind was already set on fall sewing the entire holidays, so like every season these past two years, I've started reading a lot about fall/winter trends. This means buying tons of magazines, reading them, cutting (hm, tearing) away pictures that I like and gluing them in a big notebook. My favorite website for reading about fashion trends is (surprisingly maybe) not style.com, but Fashion Era. Why? Because Pauline from Fashion Era not only does a comprehensive and informative synthesis of key trends (read her trend report here), but always has a Wardrobe tips article, telling you what to keep and what to get every season if you want to be really trendy, as well as providing tips for updating your wardrobe.

Other articles that I found useful are from Stylediary:

• Fall Fashion Strategy - what to add, what to rework, what to stash
  
• Cues from the Runway
• Fall Shopping List

Even before holidays, the idea of sewing capsule wardrobes haunted me. I know I want to do a Salsa dancing wardrobe, but haven't planned in detail. And I want to do a Fall/Winter wardrobe as well. I might be doing a storyboard soon, but here is what I've decided so far:

• It's going to be a black, white and grey wardrobe. I'll add accents in red (jacket, skirt, trousers planned; white, black and red dress; I have lots of red jewelry; I want to buy a nice red leather bag; I found gorgeous Italian patent shoes on sale during my holidays - photo soon)
• I'll also add accents (jackets, jewelry, bags) in bold bright jewel colours: I'm thinking yellow (already bought a necklace and a bag - pictures soon), green and the star colour of this season, purple.
• I want to make cropped retro jackets, I like bell sleeves worn with long gloves (have to get or make long gloves)
• I want pencils skirts, high-waisted
• I want A-line dresses (worn with opaque tights) and slim dresses
• I want more slouchy pants and maybe men's pants too (without the pleat)
• I haven't decided on how many items I will sew, but there are going to be more tops than bottoms and each item will have to go with at least three other items.
• I want to sew one or two coats. Maybe a trench too if I find the right fabric.

A storyboard with fabrics and patterns will probably follow quite soon, but I want to do a more careful planning (even if I will change it many times) and maybe wait for the September issue of Burda WOF as well.

PR Wardrobe Contest -- Composite review

2007 Wardrobe Contest - Fleurs de la Mer, LauraLo
16 items

Combo 1
Combo 2
Combo 3
Combo 4
Combo 5
Combo 6
Combo7
Combo 8

Initial storyboard. As you will see, I changed many things compared to the initial plan, but stuck to the fabrics and colours chosen initially. It is very normal for me to keep changing my mind, I'm a Libra :) Well, all kidding apart, I do change my plans often when I sew. To sew well, I need an idea that challenges me and absorbs all my creative energy, transforming me into a little sewing maniac, therefore if I get such an idea, I tend to change my initial plan and give up other "less-inspiring" things.

I've also changed the name of my wardrobe to "Fleurs de la Mer" - Flowers of the Sea, because of the flower motive that comes in two skirts and the jacket and because the colours make me think of the sea.

I made 7 tops (four needed for the contest and three extras - top 6 and top 7 do not go very well under the jacket, but at Anne's advice, I post them as extras, therefore they do not have to go with everything, 5 skirts (three needed for the contest and two extras), 1 pant (extra), 2 dresses and 1 jacket (counting as accessory).

Here they are:

Jacket - white cotton with blue and lime green cotton/lycra knit flower appliques, satin bias bound patch pockets, bound collar

Top 1 - flowery viscose top, with trim at the bust line
Top 2 - a second flowery viscose top, with trim at hem
Top 3 - lime green cotton/lycra knit top, with "homemade" trim at neckline and bound armholes
Top 4 - aqua cotton/lycra knit top, with homemade trim at the bust line and dolman sleeve
Top 5 - aqua linen top, with homemade trim at the bust line and bound armholes
Top 6 - lime green cotton/lycra top, with knotted straps
Top 7 - blue cotton/lycra top, with cross-stitch embellishing

Skirt 1 - A-line, white cotton with blue and lime green flower appliques and satin bias bound hemline
Skirt 2 - kiwi organza bias skirt, underlined with self-fabric
Skirt 3 - aqua satin bias skirt, with hand embroidery and sheer square sequins
Skirt 4 - kiwi stretch cotton batiste skirt, with homemade trim and satin bias binding at the hemline
Skirt 5 - aqua stretch cotton batiste skirt, with hem band and waistband in blue cotton satin and flower appliques. Underlined in self fabric.

Pants - slouchy jeans in blue stretch denim

Dress 1 - mock wrap-up dress with bias skirt, in white linen/silk
Dress 2 - sleeveless Cosmo in white cotton/lycra with lime green waistband, ties, and neckline and armholes binding

I really enjoyed this contest, even if I change my mind a lot or get sidetracked, even if at the end I feel a bit bored of the same colours. But it keeps me disciplined and makes me accomplish things. If I would set myself the goal to sew a capsule wardrobe, I will probably get sidetracked a lot more and finish in 1 year. If finishing at all.

I've also discovered that I really enjoy writing reviews (maybe that's why my reviews keep getting longer, sorry if I am boring), I like sharing things with potential readers, I like the idea that what I know or discover might me helpful someday to somebody else. I've also made lots of friends here at PR and via my blog and I'm grateful to all the people who encouraged me, offered advice, suggestions and compliments. Not only this feedback is very rewarding, but it also makes me want to get better.

And thirdly, it seems I have two fears less after this contest: working with bias, especially sheer fabrics, and sewing jeans.

I'll be leaving for the seaside on the 3rd of August and guess what, I'm taking this entire wardrobe with me! I've already worn everything in this little wardrobe and I love and feel great in all the pieces. They do say something about my taste, about my lifestyle, they do say something about me... therefore I'm happy!

My Burda 08/2007 is here...

Just in time, I'm so ready to start sewing for fall.
I glanced through the magazine and so far I wanna make these:



I might do that in a dark grey or black cotton/lycra. And another one in a print?



I'll do this in a very good quality cotton batiste or in a white shirting (cotton plus a bit of elasthane)



I think I will do this as a jacket and not a rain cape. I'm thinking the silk and linen BW houndstooth from TimmelFabrics. Got to find a black glossy buckle.



These pants, in dark grey drapey wool suiting. Maybe a second pair in beige.



I adore this. It's so... me. Got to have this. Red or white suiting. Or light grey? Got to find a nice closure for this. Or maybe make one if I can find D-rings. And to go with that, I want a high-waisted pencil skirt, like the picture below. Will use boning.



I want to use fabrics from my stash. During the past two days, I organized my fabric using a tool created by Deepika from Patternreview. I now have two folders with sheets of yellow thicker paper, full of fabric swatches. It's great, I can look at them all the time and combine fabrics or take them fabric shopping to find matches. Or just to discover I have fabric I forgot about :)

For this jacket, as well as for the cape above, I want to make a pair of long gloves, I found some tutorials and patterns on the Internet (will post the links soon). Don't know if I can find leather anywhere here so maybe I'll order some. Or just make them in a nice stretch velvet. Any suggestions?