What's so challenging about a couple of big ole patch pockets? Matching them the way I wanted to! It was a bear.
First, I deviated from the pattern in that I wanted a slanted cuff on the pocket. I also wanted the pockets on the diagonal, bias pockets, so they would need an on grain lining to keep them from stretching out. Then the cuff needed to be bias as well but in the other direction. If I put it all going in the same direction you won't notice the cuff. So the cuff had to go the other way, That was the rub!
This is not as easy as it sounds. It took a lot of head scratching, flipping of fabric and pattern pieces to finally get it right. There are two pockets and they mirror image their bias design. I need to line the pocket and for the top 2 1/2 inches there would be ikat fabric that when folded down would go in the opposite and bias direction of the pocket, basically a faced edge to the lining. Then I had to do the reverse for the cuff on the other side. Confused? Trust me, it took many tries to finally get it right. If anyone ever tries this the trick is to put wrong sides together and make sure the pattern flows continuously. You can see that with the green arrow above. If I cut that piece in this direction, it will work. I had to cut them wrong side up to make sure I got it right. I'm exhausted already.
Here the pieces are trimmed for a trial run and ready to get their lining. Don't want to mix anything up!
I got them sewn together tonight and they are ready for topstitching. I need to sample that out first. I've decided to topstitch in the darkest shade of the blue, a trick I learned from smocking. An expert told me to pick out either the darkest color in the print or the lightest color when choosing smocking thread colors. We'll see how that works with this jacket! I may also use that triple stitch once again. I really like the look and this jacket could use some heavy topstitching to casual it up. So next stop is samples and then get those pockets on the front of the jacket. Till then.......... Bunny
We woke up to this the other morning. Seems Rocky Raccoon thought the pickings inside our house were even better than what was outside and literally chewed through the screen and weather stripping. Nasty, huh? Do you know how many times on a hot summer day I leave this window open when I am not in this part of the house or out busy in the garden? Not any more! I would have died if I woke up to a raccoon in the house in the middle of the night! At this point hubby and his Have a Heart trap have dealt with the issue and now we just need the window fixed! Rocky can go chew through someone else's kitchen window! Oh, he climbed up the porch rails, onto the grill and over to the window..,,life in the boonies!.....Bunny
First, I deviated from the pattern in that I wanted a slanted cuff on the pocket. I also wanted the pockets on the diagonal, bias pockets, so they would need an on grain lining to keep them from stretching out. Then the cuff needed to be bias as well but in the other direction. If I put it all going in the same direction you won't notice the cuff. So the cuff had to go the other way, That was the rub!
I got them sewn together tonight and they are ready for topstitching. I need to sample that out first. I've decided to topstitch in the darkest shade of the blue, a trick I learned from smocking. An expert told me to pick out either the darkest color in the print or the lightest color when choosing smocking thread colors. We'll see how that works with this jacket! I may also use that triple stitch once again. I really like the look and this jacket could use some heavy topstitching to casual it up. So next stop is samples and then get those pockets on the front of the jacket. Till then.......... Bunny
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Ha ha ha... don't you just love country living? A woodchuck decided to explore my basement window well and discovered that below the brick wall holding back the soil was good digging. So he dug and dug and dug... flinging the dirt up and out of the window well along with good-size rocks and a strange, heavy iron ring. In the process he destroyed the screen on the brand new, energy efficient cellar window. Again, thank goodness the window was closed, or I would have had a large, fat woodchuck living in my basement... (and that would certify that I would NEVER go down there again!). By the way, a friend who lives in a rather densely-populated urban neighborhood is in the process of ridding her yard of another huge woodchuck and a family of 4 raccoons!
ReplyDeleteWe have recently had to deal with an armadillo digging under the house foundation. His dirt excavation covered our A/C condensation drain outlet--condensation backing up in the pipe--leaking on the wood floor--you get the idea. Read up on the funny critters--moved him on to other digging spots with strong smelling scents, but still have to deal with floor repair. We are on 30 acres. Out here it often seems we wake up to a new problem every day! ha. Joys of rural life............
ReplyDeleteGreat job matching the pockets: what a great workout for your brain!
ReplyDeleteNo armadillos here in suburban Chicago, but we battle regularly with raccoons (trying to get into the attic) and groundhogs aka woodchucks (digging into the foundations). When you finally convince the woodchuck that he'd be better off living somewhere else, you need to fill in ALL the holes, or a skunk might move in!
Great job with those pockets! I once had squirrels living in my attic that made their way there from a tree that was too close to the house. We had to get a humane trap set up and then we trimmed back the tree. Problem solved!
ReplyDeleteAs always, Bunny, you figured it out. Or, as Tim Gunn would say, you made it work. Your changes to the pocket as drafted really make a difference, something I never would have thought of.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago we had a bear at our house, about 6 feet from the door. We were away for the day but our little wildlife camera took pictures. No return visits. Great pockets.
ReplyDeleteHope you don't have any bird feeders around! That's awfully close. Aren't those cams fun? We have been enjoying ours but no bears yet.
DeleteThose pockets are cool!
ReplyDeleteI live in the city and I've had raccoons literally chew through my roof trying to get into the crawl space. They were doing it for spite after I startled one of them so badly he fell off the porch roof to the deck.
Pockets with pizazz for sure, Bunny! I like the way you think...you make a decision and stick with it no matter. Others would have just said...forget the stripes and just gone with whatever worked the fastest and easiest...but not you!!! Brava!
ReplyDeleteRaccoons live in my neighborhood too...in the city in the sewers...you can see their eyes light up when you drive after dark...the whole family...either coming up from he storm drain or going back down. They also do damage in the back yards pulling huge river rocks from walls looking for grubs and fishing for koi in my neighbor's pond...got to feed those young'uns!
Looking forward to seeing these pockets on your jacket! :D
ReplyDeleteLove your Ikat print. Racoons? I'm having similar problems with possums and native rats here in Australia.
ReplyDeleteIn our last house we had a counter in the kitchen with a window just above it; it was a place to put groceries down. We came back into the kitchen and found the screen chewed open, and being summer, the window was open and the squirrel after eating his fill of a loaf of bread was wandering the house. Not fun, but at least it wasn't a raccoon!
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