Slashed pockets with welts

The coat I'm making for DD, BWOF 09-2009-146, has slashed pockets with welts, and I realized I've never done this exact style before so I took some pictures during construction. It's not much different than other welts I've done, but maybe the pictures can be helpful, especially to someone who runs away like Speedy Gonzales from anything that says slash!

My advise to newbies in regards to welts:

*Take your time to prepare.

*Cut everything with exact seam allowance.

*Mark all seam lines and start/stop points.

*Baste pieces together by hand along the exact lines before machine stitching

*Cut to the exact points- no more, no less

-it is helpful to use a magnifier for the last one:))

If you do this, the welts will be successful. It is so worth taking this extra time to prepare. The reward- besides fab pockets- is that you will embrace welts and include them whenever you can. And those 3 - 4 dots BWOF patterns? All yours, baby :))

Happy Slashing!

Back From A Break

Not from sewing, just from the Balmain. When I realized that the Top 10 Challenge over on Pattern Review had changed to include ALL top 10 years, I had to join in the fun :)) As most of you probably have realized by now I'm not a Knit kinda gal and the 2008 Top 10 wasn't much else. I received the OOP Simplicity 4698 last Tuesday and plugged away to meet the deadline; with 40 minutes to spare :)) Needless to say I didn't get to take good pictures but I made it and that's what counts isn't it ;)

Recognize the fabric? It's leftovers from my Bluemarine coat knockoff :))

I had less than 2 yards but made it without compromising the nap.

I also rediscovered why I love BWOF so much: I can cut the pattern without SA, making tissue fitting a breeze. AND I can make my own SA; why the heck do they have that Giant SA at neck and lapel- and the sleeve cap!! My goodness, talk about making things difficult! The closer you are to the seam the easier it is to be accurate.

I made a couple of changes to the pattern:

Bound buttonholes

Welt pockets (the pocket bags are very shallow due to the jacket length but they'll hold some change, gum, kleenex etc)

Hidden pocket in lining with piping (I used Kenneth King's method, and this one is deep enough to hold my iPhone plus)

I also cut a hem facing. The original hem is only 1 1/2" which includes SA, and since I was in a hurry I forgot to make adjustments before I cut. I just don't like narrow hems, it's my opinion it makes the garment less "classy".

I lined the entire jacket as well.

I will, eventually, post a picture of me wearing it. It fits good and is just what I needed; a simple black jacket to throw on over a tee and jeans. It's really been busy around here; my father arrived Saturday from Norway, and the show is in the the midst of negotiations for a major move-over within the next month. If all goes well I'll have to fly east next spring...

And what have we here?...

My new best friend that's who :) Bought at FireMountainGems. I got this magnifier for the Balmain project and I tell you; it's more or less permanently attached to my head at this point. Working with any kind of details can strain the best set of eyes and mine are not the best anymore that's for sure. And working with black is truly tiresome so these babies has proven to be my savior. DH calls me his little jeweler; I greet people at the door forgetting they're on top of my head...

Forever Plaid - Not!

I like the jacket, but oh am I ever tired of sewing with plaid! I don't think I was made to work with so much match-up. I literally get dizzy from staring at all those lines...

As you can see the shoulders are a bit on the wide side. If there's a next time-without plaid- I'll take in the shoulder point. This jacket is pretty much straight out of the pattern. It's BWOF 1-2009-114B.

I took in some in center back to curve the seam in toward the waist, and also shortened the sleeve about an inch- I have very short arms :)) The sleeve vents with working buttonholes were also added.

This is how I'll wear it most often, and maybe a rowdy gray tee- I live in Tinseltown after all :))

The buttons are mis-matched to get out of the"perfect" mode...

I was planning to add my label and a chain at the neck, but due to the neck facing it just didn't look right. I love the piping and silk lining- don't think I can ever buy anything but silk for lining anymore, it just feels sensational.

The shoulder pads were customized according to Roberta Carr's book, and I really like this method. They shape so nicely and make the garment hang correctly without any fudging.

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DD is feeling better, but now she has pink eye :( Giving her the drops is not a lot of fun... And I was planning on taking her picture since she has a meeting with an agent next week. With that red droopy eye I think I better wait :))

Here she is inside Sprinkles Beverly Hills, the hottest cupcake place in LA. The line outside is always long, so she got to wait inside while we were waiting in the cold:))

Rock Star Jacket Is Done

This is Jalie 2320, a truly great pattern. I drafted the lining per Kathleen's book. If you don't yet have that book, do yourself a favor and get it. It's worth its price for the lining/facing instructions alone.

Well, it's all sewn up, but the rock star wanted a whole outfit, so the photo shoot had to wait. She's at school right now, hopefully she'll be up for a performance when she gets home :-) In the meantime, here are some construction photos. This leather is super soft and quite easy to sew. I did use a leather needle at first, but after switching to a ball point for the silk lining, I found it to work just as well. I changed the front pockets since I didn't have enough leather; I made a single welt and silk pocket bags. I used tear away stabilizer when sewing with the metallic facing down, which helped the feeding go pretty smoothly.