Sunday, September 1, 2013

Red Alligator Anne Klein Jacket - Vogue 1293


It's done at last!

This jacket has been a long time coming:

  • I bought the fabric in May, both for myself and for Margy.
  • I started sewing it in early June.
  • I then realized that I needed the correct interfacing and a custom zipper. In mid June, I ordered the zipper from Zipperstop and the interfacing from Pam Erny (Fashion Sewing Supply).
  • I had to wait for the things I ordered, so I had to put the project aside. (Never a good thing, since I am then very likely to get distracted.)
  • The interfacings and zipper arrived, but there was a slight problem. I ordered the zipper by phone. I ordered the zipper to be 19.5" long and a donut-shaped zipper pull, to match the 4" zippers I purchased locally that also came with donut-shaped zipper pulls. I am pretty sure that I asked them to put the zipper pull ON the zipper, but the order was not in writing, so I couldn't verify. The zipper pull was not on the zipper.
  • Rats. This meant that I had to change out the zipper pull and I was not eager to do it, though I ordered some zipper stops from ZipperStop, so that I could do so. They arrived some time later, but the project continued to sit.
  • Sometime in July (maybe late July), I sent Margy her piece of the same fabric. My project continued to sit.
  • A couple weeks ago, Margy told me she had cut out her fabric and had started a jacket.
  • OH! OH! This was the excuse I needed to get mine back out and finish it up. I suggested to Margy that we do another of our little mini challenges and she readily agreed.
  • I searched and was lucky to find all the bits and pieces and supplies, which were kind of all over the place. Phew.
  • I started by changing the zipper pull. I had not done this before. It's not technically difficult to do, but it requires some brute strength and some care so as not to shred the zipper tape.
  • Finally, I was back on track with the jacket, but Margy was having some technical difficulties. She had ordered some special zippers and then realized she did not have the quantity she had ordered. She ordered more, but there was a delay of about a week getting them shipped.
  • I didn't mind the delay, since work has also been rather demanding lately. But I finally finished my jacket last Wednesday night and was not in a rush to take pics and blog it.
  • Margy received her zippers on Friday and hit the sewing room hard. She finished sewing the jacket Saturday - yesterday.
  • Phew!

The pattern I used for this jacket is Vogue 1293 - an Anne Klein design with some very nice vertical seaming. The jacket front consists of three vertical pieces and the jacket back consists of three vertical pieces and then there is a shoulder yoke. The collar is also very nice. It folds back and there is a separate pattern piece for the collar stand, but it doesn't extend to the CF - it's just in the back and it's very much a RTW collar style. The jacket is not lined, but I drafted a lining pattern. The jacket features a hidden button closure, but I switched it to a zippered closure. I also added three zippered pockets and zippers on the sleeve hems, for a total of six zippers in the jacket.

Collar stand with contrasting top stitching

Supplies:

  • The fabric is a very interesting polyester (I believe) that is crinkled and embossed with a mock croco texture.
  • The lining is a very cool fabric I purchased over two years ago. I used it to line another garment, a Sandra Betzina jacket, but I had some of this fabric left over and I was able to squeeze out this jacket. This fabric was designed to be sewn up as scarves.
  • I used scraps of black silk organza to make the windows for the zippers.
  • The 19.5" separating zipper and donut-shaped zipper pull were from ZipperStop.
  • The five 4" zippers with donut-shaped pulls were from Fabrix.
  • I used scraps of solid black lining for the zipper gussets on the sleeve hems.
  • I top-stitched the entire jacket with contrasting black Gutterman top-stitching thread.
Sleeve unzipped

Alterations and Modifications:

  • This is a rather fitted jacket. I started with a size 14.
  • A standard princess-seam FBA, adding 1" in width.
  • Converted the hidden button closure to a zipper closure. I extended the zipper all the way to the tip of the collar and ended it where the jacket angles outward at the hem.
  • I drafted a lining pattern.
  • I replaced the pockets with three angled zipper pockets, two on the left and one on the right. The one on the right is positioned vertically between the two on the left.
  • I drafted a center back facing piece. (I hate it when patterns, even unlined patterns, don't include this.)
  • I narrowed the shoulder by 1".

The Jacket Lining

Notice the lining?

If you look at the scarf fabric pic, you'll see that there is a red stripe separating each scarf.

When I drafted the lining, I added a pleat for wearing ease at CB.

And, of course, I placed the red stripe at CB to maintain maximum symmetry.

The consequence of this was rather... interesting. I can't help it, but it reminds me of the female anatomy.

I am too genteel to be more explicit, at least in writing, where it can be used against me.

Sorry I brought it up. :)

The Result

Both Margy and I experienced some difficulties sewing this fabric, though we are not sure why. The fabric itself was pretty easy to sew and easy to iron, but each of us experienced some fitting weirdness. Margy thinks the fabric might be at fault, especially since she made her jacket pattern before with a more challenging fabric, and did not have such problems.

I don't know... it's a mystery.

I am pretty happy with the jacket. It replaces the red jacket I made two years ago that no longer fits and I'm glad that I was able to use the last of this great lining, which makes me very happy. I will admit that, when I first put the jacket on with the sleeves in place, I looked in the mirror, and watched all of my dangling zipper pulls. I was wearing a very funky pair of wide-legged pants (that are really too big for me, but I enjoy wearing them at home), and my first thought was that I looked like circus ringleader.

But the next day, I tried the jacket on again, in better lighting and with different pants. I decided it would be ok. So if you do think I look like a circus ringleader, be kind and do not tell me. ;)

Make sure to check out Margy's jacket, made with the same fabric!


Collar up

Collar down and zipped. I couldn't bear to cut the bougainvillaea out of the pic!

Worn open

So.Many.Dangly.Zippers.

Hat Attack Addendum

I only own one summer hat! (I'll have to rectify that.) I love this straw hat, which I purchased second hand. The label says Laurel Fenenga, San Francisco. When I bought the hat a year ago, I googled this name. She is, apparently, out of business. This hat folds up to be perfectly flat. I love that!

It was sunny today (eventually) but not warm. Please check out Style Crone's Hat Attack #2!

60 comments:

  1. AHHHHH...Love it! That pattern is so cool...even though you took a long time to fit it, it was totally worth iT. And I love the collar...I can see I have to make this one. All your zipper madness was worth it...and, of course, I am so very jealous of your lining. I PARTICULARLY like the visible symbol :)
    Brava Sharon, this was fun!

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  2. No votes here for circus ringleader! I think your jacket looks marvellous! The fit, the style, the dangly zippers - fantastic! And the photos you've included are excellent. Thanks for going to so much trouble to share your process.

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  3. Beautiful jacket. It's nothing like a Ringmaster's. Besides, doesn't he wear white breeches and boots? So don't style it like that ;) just in case.
    Those zippers were worth all of the work.

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  4. Not circus at all. One.Fabulous.Jacket!

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  5. Red is my favorite color so I absolutely love this jacket plus all the great zippers - wow! I think you are having such fun replacing old creations that are now too big. I'm going over to Margy's blog now to check out her garment from this fun, funky fabric.

    Karen

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  6. Beautiful workmanship on those zippers - I would be pulling my hair out!!!

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  7. Lucky you guys having so much fun. And both of you ending up with similar jackets. Love this pattern and would not have thought of making it up like you have. Love it. Perfect lining:)

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  8. LOVE IT! Wow! That is one hot jacket!! I am so impressed by how you conceived of this knock-out from that pattern.

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  9. Fantastic! Inside and out! And the fabric was a great find for both you and Margy!

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  10. Such a snappy--or, I guess, zippy--jacket! It looks great and the zippers are just the right accents!

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  11. Sensational!!! It is truly an over the top piece!!

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  12. Way cool!! Love the dangly zipper pulls. Great pattern-to-fabric match as well. I just love when you and Margy do these challenges with each other using the same fabric! It's so fun to see how alike and different the results are.

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  13. In addition to the gorgeous color and wonderful details, I love the way it looks good both closed and open. It looks stunning on you. Only you (and us, of course) will know about the extra special lining feature. :-)

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  14. A great example of patience and "stick-to-it-ism". It is beautiful and I have really come to appreciate how well your stuff fits!

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  15. I love the lining, turned out so cool. I would not be drawn to this fabric but it sure looks great on you. There, and done, and great result

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  16. I love that fabric! It has the look of leather without the weight. I also really like the back of the jacket and the shoulder patches. The seaming that draws the eye inward is flattering, and I'm envisioning the jacket in tonal blocking, maybe with leather at the shoulders.

    Another big inspiration! Congratulations and thanks!

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  17. Love this jacket on you! The zips & topstitching really rock it!

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  18. Love red. Love the fabric. Love your jacket. You are Margy are such bad influences - but wouldn't want it any other way!

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  19. Love both jackets. Super impressed with all your changes/modifications.

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  20. That jacket is a killer! The inside is just as amazing as the outside ... J

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  21. Yet another great jacket. Loving it.

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  22. Love the changes you made to this pattern. So fun and bright and beautiful. The Bougainvillea is lovely too.

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  23. The jacket is wonderful. And that hat! It is perfect! I'm jealous that you look so good in hats. I can not wear them: they look awful on me (everyone who is being candid agrees with me, I swear) and I can't stand the heat on my head.

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  24. I love the jacket - What fun it must have been to sew that with Margy!

    The hat - it too looks great.

    Have to say you are looking absolutely beautiful these days - you have a glow about you!

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  25. Your portrait in the hat is a stunner. You really should have it framed and/or use it up on the blog in your profile. The color is perfectly flattering.

    Love the jacket. I know from working right now with my own wrinkled poly that it does do odd things with the fit because there is built in bits of ease form all those wrinkles. Whatever it is you conquered it and it looks great on you. I thought it was red leather.

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  26. What a fantastic jacket... I never thought circus when I looked at the pictures, if anything I thought how that would be one "badass" motorcycle jacket. The style looks great on you, and I am starting to have zipper envy!

    I really like the summer hat you have, and that is a great color for you with your fair skin and red hair. I know I had seen a tutorial for a similar hat in a Threads magazine years ago, and managed to find an image of the article online, just in case you want to add yet another creative pursuit to your array...

    http://hatsupply.com/travelpackhat.htm

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    1. Omigosh, Alison, that is the same hat style! Wow, I wonder if I could make that...

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  27. The jacket-o-zippers is really something! I would never ever have given that pattern even a tiny second look. You really saw its possibilities! Yesterday I was struggling with some fabric that was textured with what I called "bubbly patches" and I could not get it to behave. It was really annoying. So maybe the bubble texturing is the cause of the trouble. I'm going to avoid the bubbles for awhile. It just made me irritable!

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  28. Great jacket and lovely addendum!!! Found you at Judith's. xo

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  29. The jacket looks great!

    Please, please, please do a tutorial on narrowing shoulders. Or link us up. Or refer the book you used to learn this technique.

    I'm seriously struggling! I see this topic frequently on PR and know I'm not the only one.

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    1. Hi Mary Mary! I have been mulling your question over this morning. I have also received email asking about my shoulder narrowing technique.

      What I do is barely technique at all. I put the garment on and mark where the shoulder should be. It's usually 1/2 to 2" too wide. I take the garment off and cut off the excess - tapering it to nothing approximately where the notches are - where the sleeve goes under the arm. I do this on the front and back, removing a new-moon shaped sliver of fabric. (I sometimes mark it with chalk before cutting, but I usually just eyeball it.)

      You will next ask me, what about adjusting the sleeve head to compensate?

      I'll be honest, this pretty much always "just works". You can walk the sleeve pattern along the armscye to see how it will match up, remembering that patterns always design for the sleeve head to be longer for a set-in sleeve. If the difference is excessive, you may need to adjust, but this doesn't usually happen to me.

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  30. Glorious jacket -- vertical panels, incredible collar, fabrics texture and color, zippers combined make a unique WOW statement. No circus to be found near it!!! Love the lining too! Always inspiring work and great photography! Thanks so much for so generously sharing!

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  31. Wow that's an amazing jacket! And your statement about the female anatomy and accompanying pic made me laugh out loud!

    I meant to tell you that I bought a teflon zipper foot because of your post about your black jacket and I'm eager to try it out. Until your post it had not crossed my mind that teflon zipper feet existed.

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  32. You know I don't comment much, but you do know I read every post? LOVE this jacket, it is so you! - Heather

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  33. Great rendition of the red fabric - love both yours and Margy's version. Such fun to see and read all about it.

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  34. You both made beautiful jackets. What fun to do this together. With all the details it's so beautiful. Enjoy.

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  35. Fabulous and stylish jacket. Love the changes you made to this pattern. Great result.

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  36. This is sleek and sassy and all good things- I love it!!!

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  37. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. The fabric, the zippers, the lining. They all work beautifully with the pattern and your amazing sewing expertise. Enjoy.

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  38. Your red jacket is a stunner and i love all of the zippers. It's fun to follow the process that you and Margy engaged in to help and motivate each other! The lining is a very special edition.

    Thank you for linking up with Hat Attack in the orange straw hat. I always appreciate a hat that folds and lies flat and is then packable.

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  39. This is a Blue Ribbon jacket! Thanks for all the details. Don't think I am advanced enough to make this, but maybe in the near future!

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  40. Please explain using organza scraps for the windows!,,,,

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  41. Shams: I found the original Threads article on making your hat. It's in issue 106, April/May 2003, pgs 74-75. Looks like a fun project if you can find the "pari sisal straw hood". Never made a hat, myself, might do this one. Also found the author: http://hatacademy.com/profile/DianaCavagnaro at the Hat Academy, and she's in San Diego, her company: Ahead Productions.

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  42. Also found a FaceBook page for her: Diana Cavagnaro. You can see I don't get out much LOL

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    1. Thanks, Mary Beth! My good friend Sue makes hats and has many straw hoods. Hmmm.......

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    2. Ur welcome. Meanwhile, I found a bunch of hat supply sites w/the blanks, dyed and natural.

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    3. You know, Mary Beth, I truly admire your obsessive nature! We are soul sisters, I can see that!!!

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  43. I recognise the pattern from when it came out, but I wouldn't have recognised your jacket from it - way more funky! Love it, love it. I can see you in the full suit, too.

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  44. TDF! Love,it! You and Margy both have made outstanding jackets as you always do. Love all those zippers!
    I have this pattern so I'll have to check back here when I decide to make it.
    Shams.I just posted a Marci Tilton jacket. I'd love it if you would check it out and tell me what you think. You were my inspiration for this one!

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  45. I'm telling you that you make the best jackets! I'm always thrilled and amazed when I see one of your new ones!

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  46. Absolutely beautiful. I love this.

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  47. Wow! I would have never guessed your jacket was based on that pattern.

    Another fantastic jacket.

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  48. First up...the hat as I'm visiting via Judith's hat attack! I LOVE it. It's a fabulous colour for you, and me should you tire of it, and the design is so creative and fun!

    And now, the jacket. Fantastic! As one who sews, I really appreciate the care and attention to detail. And the lining is sublime! I enjoy following you and Margy with your sewing projects!

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  49. Hi Sharon, love the jacket and have looked at the pattern mainly because I love the shape of the pants and wondered what I could do with the jacket..and now you have inspired me to go in the same direction as you have done with the zips ect..Your shoulder line is bang on . and looking at the back and front under arm I would have considered taking the pattern in to almost down to the waist line..or just below the bust ..But in any case no matter my comments it is still a great looking jacket...I am not sure where you reside in the states but you may want to look over to this ..www.thefabricstore.co.nz...Jan

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  50. What a great story and a great result! I don't want to sound mean, but It's reassuring to see that other sewists have projects that go in starts and stops. I love all the zippers. And yes, when I look at some printed fabrics, I think "Oh! that kinda reminds me of Georgia O'Keefe, but it's not as subtle...."

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  51. Wow! this is really something! The fabric is amaaaazing! and all the zips really give it that extra edge and oomph. Your story about the lining made me laugh; I NEVER would have thought anything had you not mentioned it!

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  52. That jacket is awesome! I love the detail - especially that great lining. I don't think I would have thought of using a scarf as a lining. You have certainly given me a great idea! Thanks.

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  53. Your fabric choice and pattern are amazing. Love love your lining and just Love everything about this jacket.

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  54. Great interpretation of one of my favourite Anne Klein designs.

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