Vogue 1385, a Felted Wool Jacket begins

The muslin is cut and marked and ready for me to give it attention. I will be using Vogue 1385, a Sandra Betzina pattern. I found it critical to muslin this design. Some years back I had a bad experience with the fit of the SB patterns and have not used them since. This is despite my liking many of the designs. Betzina's patterns are based on her own sloper, not the one used by the Big Four. My understanding is that it is geared toward a more mature body, whatever that means. Either way, I wanted to know what I needed to do to make her designs work for me as I like quite a few of them. So I cut the pattern out exactly as drawn for what she calls a size C. Her sizing uses letter designations . The waists seem bigger in proportion to the hips and bust of the Big Four. My previous issue was with the upper chest and sleeves so we will see what happens. Do I petite the pattern? Do an FBA? We'll see and that is why this muslin is really important  and cut exactly to the pattern size. I want to know how her sizing works for me so that hopefully I can do the same alterations each time I use one of her designs.

I love this blouse/jacket. The neckline is very flattering and the versions I have seen on the web are awesome, particularly the one made by Shams  and this beauty  from Margy. I will use the darted version for a bit more shape But I do like the way Shams's hangs without the darts. My goal is to have a soft sweatery jacket to wear at work. The fabric is wool gabardine that I have felted which gave it a really nice hand. 

IRL, the fabric is not so heathery looking, more of a jewel tone. Felted wool can be cut and it won't ravel. This has major impact on facings, seams, etc. There will be no facings on this jacket. I have a specific idea for how I will handle all the darts. I think seams may be lapped. Haven't worked that out yet. Felted wool is usually a quick sew as it requires nearly no traditional finishing. But it does require some thought put into how you will dart and seam and face so this should be fun. I love a challenge. I am going to reference some of the ideas I used in the jacket that was published in Threads. 

My grey rayon knit top is completely done and I like it. I added a flounce on each side of the garment which I like. Pics to come probably over the weekend. This is a hectic week with work responsibilities so your patience is appreciated......Bunny  

Catstitching and Marks , B5960

I continue to take this really simple coat pattern and work on adding more structure to it. So far you've seen me underline the center front panels with flannel and hair canvas.

This pattern piece, the center front will be folded in half, part going on the outside, part going on the inside of the garment as facing. That fold will be pressed in at the edge of the flannel you see above. I have visions of this interlining getting twisted up and shifting inside the sewn shut fold some time later on up the road when I send it to be cleaned. I chose to catchstitch the edge of the flannel interlining along that fold. This really adds nothing to  shape but is integral to keeping the interlining in place. I used extra fine black thread and a thin needle and did the catch stitch along the edge. See that little stitch on the needle? The pad of my ring finger is under there. The wool fabric is rolled over that finger pad with each stitch and therefore giving some curve and slack to the thread. I didn't want anything to dimple so the tension of the stitch is looser than normal. Rolling the wool over the ring finger pad with each stitch helps.

Here are my pressing tools! I made this little tailor's dauber years ago. I use it to dip in water, rub it across the well of the seam and then press. But today I will use my angled paintbrush. Any small paint brush will do.

My seam is on a seam roll to prevent impressions telegraphing to the right side. I dip the little paint brush in water and run it down about 4 inches of seam. Then I iron the seam open with the point only of the iron, lifting the back end of the iron as I go along. I am only using the point here. Once the seam is pressed till the moisture visually disappears, I let it sit till dry. It does take time but this gives a good sharp open seam on bulky fabrics. Once the entire seam is done all is flipped over and the seam is ironed with the point again, a press cloth and some steam, but not much.


Please forgive the harsh linty looking photos. You have to alter the photo with black fabric or the details can't be seen. In real life, this fabric is lovely and glows.
Another thing I do when using wools like this is to be aware of bulk and reduce it when possible. Before I sew any seams I clip them back to reduce bulk.

The marking on this garment was done with silk thread using tailor tacks and basting.

It's really critical to get the lines right for the pockets. What appears to be just topstitching on the outside of the coat is quite necessary structure. First they were marked on the wrong side with waxed marking paper and a serrated wheel. This stuff is hard to remove so must be done on the wrong side. But I needed to see these lines on the right side.

 

On the wrong side I used silk thread and a basting stitch to follow the waxed line I just drew. This will show on the right side when I am ready for topstitching. Do you see my masking tape with the "W" on it  to let me know this is the wrong side? I'd be in a world of crappo if I didn't do that!

I also got my stays in the coat and will show you how I did that tomorrow.  In the meantime here's a pic from the other day. We watched these beauties pick there way  across the river on the ice. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by so much wildlife....Bunny

B5576, Wool Clutch Bag

Luvin' it!

Pattern: Butterick 5576, four views of a very simple to make clutch. 

•               Easy construction, would recommend for beginning, eager bag makers
•               No zips, pockets, thick strap issues. 
•               Love the style. It may be "Mad Men", it may be a throwback to my long gone youth, but     lately I have been experiencing clutch craving. 
•               Highly Recommend this pattern

Fabric:  The turquoise blue is from an old jacket I made in the early 80's and decided to take apart and felt by throwing in a hot water wash and hot dryer. I cut off the buttons and lining first. The flower and strap were made from some wool I dyed back around the same vintage as the jacket and never knew quite what to do with. Those were the days when fabulous fabric waited in the stash for a fabulous design that never seemed to emerge. Now, nothing is sacred. No matter how big, small, expensive, or old or new, I have learned to just cut it. This change in attitude, which occurred a few years back, has set me free. There is always more fabric to buy so why "save" stuff? As the seamstress for Nike says, "JUST CUT IT."

The lining is one of those poly brocades from Joanns. They have some heft, the price is right, and I find that make a luxurious lining. 


Construction: This was easy, peasy. I do recommend a couple of things now that I have some hindsight.

• You need to account for turn of cloth for the flap lining. I cut the lining 1/8th inch smaller on one short and one long edge on the lining. I should have cut more off of the long edge of the lining to account for the turn of the flap when closed. What I did cut back made the fashion fabric turn just a tiny bit to the wrong side, which is what I wanted. But you can see the slight excess in the flap lining which is not a huge thing to notice when the bag is closed but I know about it and that it could be better. 
• Understitch your seams on the lining top edge. The pattern does not instruct you to do this. It will help those edges turn nicely and look much sharper. 
• All of the lining pieces are interfaced before cutting. 
• The bag bottom is interfaced, and this is not in the pattern, with a strip of Peltex fused to a piece of muslin. The Peltex is a 1/4 inch smaller than the bag bottom. The muslin is an inch longer. Center the  Peltex on the muslin and fuse. This will leave a half inch on each side that will be a handle you can stitch into the little triangle seams you make to square off the bottom of the bag. The pattern calls for non fusible interfacing, not my choice as to me, a clutch should have some serious structure. All of this interfacing business had to be thought out because Peltex is a biatch to turn. By stitching those little handles it is flexible.
• The front and back of the bag was interfaced with the Peltex when all was well pressed and only the lining remained to be installed. Before doing that I cut two pieces of Peltex, no seam allowances, to fit into the front and back of the bag, only, not the sides. These were then fused to the completed bag quite easily. Make sure the seams stay free of the Peltex. You want a crisp, flat bag. 
• Remember to also fuse some Peltex into the flap. I forgot,(blush). I was just zippin' right along and everything about the flap was done and attached and I forgot to add the Peltex. So the next bag will be crisper. The good news is that the lining was interfaced with a decent fusible so its not a limp dishrag. Hey, we are all entitled to a mistake now and then. My Amish friends tell me that to seek perfection is a waste of time here on earth. You will only achieve this in heaven. In the meantime just do the best you can. If you do land on perfection, feel free to throw in an intentional mistake as they sometimes do so as not not offend the Lord.... Never use seam allowances with Peltex. It will drive you nuts if you do. 
•  I used 40 weight Sulky rayon thread for the topstitching and love how it looks. It glows more IRL than in the photos.   I did samples, as always, and decided on a triple stitch. This is the stitch that looks like a straight stitch but it actually goes back and forth over the stitch three times before moving on to the next stitch. It makes really nice topstitching and I think I will be doing this more often.

•  Next time I make this, and that may be tomorrow, I will use a thinner strip of fabric for the wristlet strap, thinner as in narrower. 
• If you missed the flower tute it is one post back. Making that flower goes very very fast. 

Opinion: Highly recommend. It's quick, easy, destined for embellishment and just too dang cute.  I hope you try this one out....Bunny