Monday, June 13, 2011

Victory by stealth - Mission underway


The man jacket is coming along nicely, after a wet long weekend in Sydney.  So far, so good.  I did make one fundamental mistake, but not a fatal one.  When I adjusted for a large chest, I forgot to move the dart over by about 2 cms. Not that noticable, just annoying. 

The other minor annoyance is that the my pad stitching doesn't exactly match the turn of the collar.  I had to guess it as it is not marked on the pattern.  I'm sure it would be there on a classically tailored jacket pattern.  No matter. 

Making a man jacket is a great way to explore new sewing techniques.  I've been guided by a great book Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket.  The illustrations and explanations in the book are so clear.   I managed half-way decent bound buttonholes and a bound wallet pocket in the lining.

I also owe the pocket technique to my friend Diana in Canada who posted a great method for adding pockets without top-stitching.  So good I've added a few pictures to explain.  Step 1: attach the lining in the pocket placement position, leaving the top seam allowance open. Step 2: press the seam allowance upward into the pocket. Step 3: attach the right side of the fabric pocket to the lining.  Step 4: pin the pocket in place and hand-stitch in place. 
Overall, I'm happy with my progress. All that is left to be done is to piece together and insert the lining and sew on the buttons. Snappo!  I think my Mojo is back!



18 comments:

  1. Looking wonderful! All that padstitching!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so impressed you are undertaking this! I like that tailoring book too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, that looks like a lot of work. Learning new techniques is fun, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are doing an awesome job.... totoally inspired.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looking good. Your pockets and buttonholes are great.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow!! I am delighted to see you in a totally awesome new challenge, you have very important achievements with these new techniques and your husband must be very happy with this project.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gail, you are doing an amazing job with this. Youe buttonholes and pockets look really good. This kind of project is overwhelming until you get started isn;t it.
    Thanks for the mention.
    Looking forward to seeing the finished jacket!

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is looking wonderful! That pocket looks perfect. The buttonholes are miniature works of art.
    I'm a bit dim, so could you please one day explain that pocket technique a bit more fully? Is the whole pocket handstitched in place, or just the remaining two edges after the first is stitched down to the lining?
    The latest threads magazine had a tutorial also explaining how to machine-sew a curved bottomed patch pocket in place, with out any topstitching. It was pretty clever too; involving lots of basting so the pocket was perfectly in position, and then machine-stitching "inside" the pocket and very slowly and carefully around the curves in the corners.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The man jacket is coming along fabulously by the looks of this. I'm in awe! Thanks for the tips about the pockets - I've always wondered how that is done when there is no topstitching. Glad the mojo has returned.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Whow this is such a difficult challenge, men's jackets are so difficult to make, so many operations and details. You must be proud of your progress on it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That is the book I used when making up my coat. The jacket is looking good!

    Lisette
    http://lacubanitacose.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nice work, your husband is a lucky man!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh this is an exiting project. I will follow it with great interest. DH would love to have a jacket . so far, it is looking very good.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very impressive - lovely pockets and buttonholes - woo hoo!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm so impressed with the bound buttonholes--they look professional!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great news about your mojo! The jacket is coming along well -- beautiful details!

    ReplyDelete