Channel Jacket Project--- very long post warning!

About a year ago I decided I wanted a Tweed Boucle Channel style jacket and started to think about how to accomplish this project. Clarie Shaffer has a whole book dedicated to this couture made jacket. At that time I became aware of  Craftsy classes on line. I took advantage of a holiday sale and got two of them on sale; The Iconic Tweed Jacket and Jacket Fitting Techniques. One was on pattern fitting for jackets and the other was making a cardigan jacket -Channel jacket. I decided to use the Vogue Pattern that the Craftsy class uses Vogue 7975. Mine will be view E a longer jacket with buttons.

Vogue 7975 /view E

There are many patterns out there with this cardigan jacket in mind here are a few that I found a while back. Some have some very couture details and some are much simpler. I am not a couture sewer but can do some of the techniques.
Whenever I take on a big project I want to do it correctly and I don't worry how long it will take me to finish the project. 

Some fitting issues I needed to fix

during the fitting process

Before I sew anything I make a test garment called a muslin some people call it a toile. In order to do this you must cut the tissue pattern out of fabric and sew it together discover how your body differs than the pattern make the adjustments and cut a new toile until you get a great fit. It is difficult to do this on yourself and very time consuming. I decided to use my dress form and duck tape. Yes you can duck tape yourself and create a shell that can then be placed on a dress form and with a bit of stuffing voila you have an exact replica of your body. This took time for the class to come and for the form to be finished but I did get a good fit using this method. I also bought the fitting series DVD by Kenneth D. King called Smart Fitting.  It is a interesting CD but not for beginners.
I had bought my fabric a few years ago when it was on sale and I got another recently on sale. Both are synthetics and cheaper than the Linton tweeds that is popular for this jacket.
After all of this time which is six months ago I finally have my fabric and lining cut out. I am making a version with buttons and trim that goes around the neckline down the front and along the hemline. the edge of the sleeves with have it too. I am making a two piece sleeve but without the button vent. I decided that I didnt want that much fussiness in my first jacket.
The trim ideas are many and I have so many ideas but think I have setting on an easy but nice version.

I am using the wrong nubby side as my right side

Here are the pictures of my pieces cut out.
 Have you ever done a project that took much time to plan and execute. I love the process so I don't mind the length of time to complete this project. Tomorrow I will post about my trim options.

The arty vest is done

Applique, Quilting and bias binding are a few of the features of my new vest. This project was inspired by a embroidery CD I bought last spring by Floriani . Leaves of Nature it is called and it called out to me. I had no idea what I would use it for when I bought it.

Then I was in Indiana at a quilting store and I found this quilted fabric with leaves stamped on it. Eureka! I saw a marriage between the two. The next day I went to a fabric sale run by the Mennonite people in Indiana and I found 6 yards of a calico cotton that would compliment my leaf fabric. I got to planning and now many months later I have finally finished the vest. I used pattern Butterick 6062 for the vest, View D which has patch pockets and a dart and the hem is rounded.

additional fabric calico

Butterick 6062

I used my duct tape double to fit this pattern and it came out just right. It was the first time I ever used her since I made her last April. I do recommend having one if you don't already.
I plan to make a jacket that will compliment the jacket. I have used the same fabrics but will reverse the usage of the quilted with the calico. The jacket will have more embroidery on it possibly a boarder of leaves. I just wanted to have fun with some of the techniques I have been exploring in my monthly sewing guild meetings. What have you been working on lately?

New adventures with sewing

I went on a sewing retreat last weekend. What is that you say? It was with the American Sewing Guild Virginia Chapter. Twice a year a group of ladies book hotel rooms and get to use the ballroom for setting up a group sewing area. We had two breakfast buffets and two dinner buffets included with the retreat cost. We stayed at a historic hotel,The George Washington Hotel  in downtown Winchester VA. It was marvelous to be able to sew for hours on end. I started sewing by 9:30 am on Friday and didn't stop until 9:30 pm my first day. I got two pillows made and some repair work on a pair of pants. I decided that I wanted to make a purse that I saw on the Indigo Junction website.  permission purse.  I cut out 17 squares and used my machines Janome 8900 to decorate the squares. I stitched out all sorts of combinations. I used a variety of decorative threads I had on hand and used a top-stitching needle for most of my work. Here is how it turned out. (I bought the handles because I had a 50% off coupon for Hancock Fabrics. )

Willow on her Patriotic Love seat with new pillow

I finished the topper on the back of the couch

Day two and three I worked on a labor intensive purse with all kinds of decorative stitching. I used the Indygo Junction pattern for the inspiration.The pattern is called the Permission Purse.

There were quite a few ladies at the retreat and I had a ball talking to everyone about their projects. Some people made quite a few tops in two days. I was amazed. I just wanted to work on this intense project. I used a Jacket that I bought for $7.00 at the local Salvation Army. It was the cheapest way to get a good quality 100% wool tweed. So have you ever been on a sewing retreat?

Style goals for 2015, self descriptors

My Style goals for 2015:
Tribal, Equestrian, Embellished, Textural,Tomboy, Chanel, Western,these are my self describers. Boy what a mess of words, yet they describe what I like. I have no ideal what my style architype is with these words. Yet when I look at my former clothing pictures I do see a theme. Separates are what I wear. I wear pants, pants and shorts in summer hardly any skirts or dresses. I love color and prints and I wear a lot of them together. I like the 3 piece idea;jacket-top and pants or sweater-top and pants.  I love boots because I can no longer wear heels. I love flats but they give me problems too. I am confined to wearing tennis shoes because they give my old bones cushion.
1. I need to buy more unique and stylish and comfortable tennis shoes. I only have 2 pairs and I am wearing them out too quickly.
2. I have lots of boots so I need to wear them. ( At least for part of the day)
3. I like pants I have plenty of them maybe buy some that are leather or of a different material than denim.
4. Wear more hats. I make them and sell them but don't have really nice ones for myself to wear duh!!!!!
5.Wear my jackets I have plenty of them they are dressy but look good with jeans and a blouse or top, this is my dress up go to.
6. Get a new pair of glasses mine are now 2 years old and I think I need a metal frame...??? 

I was reading Angie's list over at youlookfab and that inspired me to write this post. Hopefully it will become clearer what my style type is as I move forward this year. Funny how something so personal can seem so elusive.

Plans for a New Year:Where to go with this Blog?

Have you noticed lately that bloggers are getting much less feedback than lets say two years ago? I have noticed this. I still read all of my favorites and a few more that I am always discovering. Is blogging loosing popularity to twitter? I don't really have the answer for you but I am still blogging. My blog does not raise money for me nor is a career stepping stone, rather it is a public documentation of my hobbies and interests. I like the fact that others can randomly read it and respond to it. That is the purpose in a nutshell. I don't need to be famous or popular or necessarily right about anything just feel the need every once in a while to put my thoughts on my blog. So in the upcoming year I will continue with my hats and sewing as my most frequent posts. I am going to post some updated pictures of what I am wearing as well. I think my style is evolving but to what I am not sure. I just purchased the color theorist's book,"Color Your Style, A Fashion Expert Helps you to pick your colors etc, by David Zyla. He has an interesting way of picking out colors based on the ones found in you skin and eye colors. I think I like this in principle. I have been draped but not always able to find those specific colors. Am continuing to work on my two piece jacket my Chanel inspired boucle wool jacket and a few other unfinished pieces. I am having so much more success with my embroidery machines. Oh and for Christmas I bought a Janome 8900 quilting and sewing machine. I will let you know about it but so far it is amazing. Have a great 2015 my friends!!

Is black the only color for a funeral?

I am going to a memorial service to honor my mother tomorrow. She passed away in September and has lived a long life. One of the things she enjoyed was for me to help her put together her 'outfits' and to pick out her jewelery to go with the outfits. This process has been going on for a long time.
I do remember once in 1966 helping her get ready for a date with my dad. We spent hours getting the makeup on and the wig combed and teased. I put on those old fake nails that you glued on for her. Her shoes had 3 inch heels and were gold and sparkly. It took me at least 10 minutes to hook up her long line girdle-bra combination because she could not reach them on her side.
Once she was all glammed up and walked down stairs my dad looked at her as she descended and pronounced,"Where is my wife who are you?" . No she didn't kill him but it was not the reaction she was hoping for.
I learned from that event to dress my truth and not to transform myself into something I wasn't.
Tomorrow we are having a service to honor her so I decided to glam up for it just for her. So I bought a new dress with some stones sewn to the neckline. I normally wouldn't go for the sparkly but my mom would have loved it so I 'll wear it in her honor. Normally people would wear all black to a funeral. I gave up wearing black several years ago because I just don't look good in black. It makes me look washed out. So I hope nobody in my family will be offended but I am not going in all black. In fact I will be wearing a blue coat. Is there really a dress code for funerals?

Jerry 2012

Two piece jacket vest combo

I am starting a new jacket project. I bought a quilted leaf print fabric.

It is reversible so here is the other side.

There is something about leaf prints that attracts me.
There are a few patterns that were specifically developed for this kind of pre quilted fabric.
Butterick Pattern 5400 is one of them. I decided that I didn't want such a simple jacket, yes, the fabric is busy already but I wanted to kick it up a notch.

I decided I needed a complimentary non quilted fabric so here is what I chose. A printed cotton calico.

I believe this will make for a nice contrast in that it is a different scale print and also it is one of the colors in the leaf print.
The other issue with the Butterick pattern was that is had a poor fit in the shoulder and bust for me. I found Butterick 6062 view C. It has a built in bust adjustment for D cup and a really nice vertical dart.

Now to the gist of this post mixing it up or transforming a piece of fabric into something fabulous. I am going to make two pieces that work together. A jacket and a vest that can be worn alone or together layered. One piece will be the jacket with the back from the quilted fabric and the front from the calico fabric. The vest will be the made with the front from the quilted fabric and the back from the calico. The sleeves of the jacket are two pieces so the larger one is quilted and the under sleeve is the calico.

I am going to admit it is not my original idea. This is a poor picture of page 229 form Oct 2012 INStyle magazine. I loved the idea of these two pieces working together or alone. So that was my inspiration. Stayed tuned as I will be doing a follow up post on the embellishment details I have planned.
I am linking up with Not Dead Yet Style