StyleArc - Jacqui Sweater Coat

More pics

Labor Day weekend is almost over. I used it to make a Style Arc coat. Yes, it was fun. :) I'd hoped to get more done this weekend, but shopping with daughter, and napping also occurred. Who says my life isn't full? :)

I bought this wool sweater knit from Fashion Fabric Club last winter. This fabric is interesting. If you look at one of the closeup pics, you will see little "white" patches. You can actually see through those areas if you hold the fabric up. In the "non-white" areas, it's pretty beefy. The knit is stable, but I knew this was one I didn't want to preshrink by tossing into the washing machine (I could tell it would felt like crazy), so I took it to my local dry cleaner to have it steamed.

Has your dry cleaner ever argued with you that it was pointless to get wool steamed? That it would "do nothing", not even shrink it? Mine did. Her English is poor, so I didn't belabor the point, other than to say that I wanted them to use LOTS of steam and for it to be single layer - no creases. I didn't measure it beforehand, but I do think it shrunk; the texture felt different afterwards. She charged me $10 for the 4 yards. Lazy me felt it was totally worth it.

I wanted wool ribbing for this coat, which, as you know, it harder than heck to find as yardage. I went to Thrift Town to see what I could find ready-made. Wow, too many people are upcycling these days, because I could find almost no wool sweaters of any kind. I looked in both the men's and women's sections and they were almost picked clean. All I could find was a black sweater and this red 100% cashmere turtleneck in a women's medium for $10. I was plenty grateful, believe me.

I mail ordered the zipper and the Bemberg lining. Sometimes it takes awhile to collect the things you need for a project.

Materials:

• 100% Wool Sweatering from Fashion Fabric Club (no longer available).
• Black Angel Weft fusible interfacing from Apple Annie's for the front and neck facings, and for the hem.
• Red 100% cashmere sweater from Thrift Town ($10). I harvested the ribbing from the sweater for the neck, wrists, and pockets. The sweater tag indicated that it was a Bloomingdale's brand.
  

  

• YKK #5, 30" black, antique brass, two-way, separating zipper from ZipperStop. (I bought the 36" and had them customize it to 30" for $1.) I don't like an overly long zipper.
  

  

  Bottom of separating zipper

• Black Ambiance Bemberg lining from Vogue Fabrics.

Alterations and Modifications:

• I started with a size 18.
• 3" FBA (into raglan seam) in both the front and the front lining pattern pieces. Also lengthened the front facing to match.
• I did not use any of the ribbing pattern pieces, which are intended to be doubled. I used the single thickness ribbing from the sweater. The dimensions of my ribbing (both width and length) weren't exactly the same as the pattern.
  

  

  The collar, in process

  

• Shortened the sleeves by 2".
• Moved the shoulder "bump" at the top of the raglan sleeve inwards. The pattern is drafted for a wider shoulder than mine.
• I tapered the side seams in about a 1/2" at the high waist. I could have fitted it even more, but I wanted this coat to have a relaxed fit.
• Once again, I used Marcy Tilton's video instructions for inserting a separating zipper that is featured on her Inspiration Paris CD.
• The instructions tell you to bag the lining, but I am not a fan of the bagged lining. I sewed mine in by hand.
• I was a bit confused, at first, by the instructions for constructing the curved pocket. I took a few pictures and created a tutorial. Once I figured it out, it was not at all hard.

Conclusion

I really like this coat! It's not too heavy, and it will be perfect for chilly San Francisco. The fabric is a bit scratchy, so it's perfect with the lining and the cashmere at the neck and wrists. Yummmm...

Once again I am impressed by Chloe's attention to detail when she drafts her patterns.

When I went shopping with DD1 at the Thrift Store on Saturday (she needs clothes for her new job), I found this great gathered red scarf. It still had the brand-new Limited Edition tags but I got it for $13. Shams likes. :)

(In these pics, I am wearing my favorite pair of Au Bonheur pants.)

More Pictures

Partially zipped

Fully zipped

Sunday Notes & Artistry in Fashion 2011

Oh, the deliciousness of writing Sunday notes and knowing I get one more day of sewing! :)

Apparently this mini sewcation will yield only one garment. I was hoping for more, but then I spent some time shopping/eating with DD1 on Saturday and napping today.

I am working on a Style Arc coat. The shell is complete and the lining is complete. I am going to hand sew them together, because I like the control I get by hand sewing a lining, so that will take me some time. (The pattern instructs you to bag the lining, but I am not a huge fan of the bagged lining. At least not when I sew them.)

So stay tuned for a new coat on Monday or Tuesday.

You might have noticed that I added an Artistry in Fashion button to the blog (on the left). AIF is one of my favorite annual events - I look forward to it all year. Let me tell you why:

• The setting, at Canada College, is just beautiful. It's up in the Redwood City hills in an almost retreat-like setting. In fact there is a monastery or nunnery somewhere in the vicinity - I've read about it. Sometimes it can be very hot on that day, by the way, but I kind of doubt it will be this year.
• The guest speaker. This year it's Lyla Messenger, pattern designer and owner of The Sewing Place. She will be giving a lecture and fashion show in the theater. I've never heard Lyla speak, but I've heard she is good.
• The vendors. OK, I admit it, my favorite aspect to the event is the shopping. Many of the vendors are artists who make wonderful things. There are accessories, wonderful artsy clothing, jewelry. There is usually a vendor or two that sells buttons (sometimes vintage, sometimes handmade, it varies) and possibly fabric. Lyla will no doubt have a booth selling items from her store.
  

  Usually this is the event where people buy wonderful accessories to complement the garments they sew. I will often admire a necklace or scarf on a friend and she'll say, "Oh, I bought this at Artistry in Fashion." They don't have a massive number of vendors, but they are carefully selected.

• In addition to the big lecture/fashion show, there is usually one or two smaller talks given by the guest speaker in one of the classrooms. As part of the open house, impressive student work is on display and you can see the excellent facilities used for the fashion classes.
• The social scene. It's one time of year I run into lots of sewists that I don't often see. I usually meet new people who read my blog. And many friends from the various sewing groups I attend are there: members from BABES (Pattern Review group), PenWAG, ASG.

In addition, this year they are trying something new. There are two stylists who will be selecting items from the vendors and styling them on several women. This will be happening at specified times in the outdoor amphitheater. It promises to be very interesting.

If you aren't local to the SF Bay Area, I'm sorry to taunt you. But if you are in the area, it's worth checking out!

I have many friends who teach and study in the Canada fashion program and I, myself, am an alum to this excellent program! There, full disclosure. :)

Opinions Needed: And the Winner is...

Linda pant front

Linda pant back

I mentioned in my Jalie Jean post that FabricMart had given me an extra 2.5 yards of the stretch cream Jones New York corduroy because it had spots. (They came out in the wash.) I decided to use the fabric whip up my fourth pair of Linda pants (from Style Arc) and do a side-by-side comparison.

So, what do you think? Do you think one pair is better than the other? One pair is sure more comfortable to wear than the other. :)

Linda on the left, Jalie on the right

Linda on the left, Jalie on the right

Thanks to the Labor Day holiday on Monday, I am looking forward to a 3-day sewcation! (Term borrowed from Carolyn.) I have the supplies for several projects and we'll see how it goes. I've also made up some eggless salad and roasted some veggies, so I'm ready to go!

I am still waiting to hear from two of the giveaway winners. I plan to put in my Style Arc order on Sunday night. BBinGA, please contact me! Where are youuuuu? :)

Giveaway Winners Announced!

Style Arc has put up their September freebie, so it's time to draw the winners for my Blogiversary Giveaway!

Without further ado, the WINNERS are:

• For the "choosable" Style Arc pattern up to $15 in value: BBinGA.
• For the Style Arc Samantha top in size 8: Mary! Mary, you left the following comment:
  

  

• For the $10 gift certificate from The Button Shop: Mary of the blog, Mary is Sewfast.

Did you see that Julie, owner of The Button Shop, has a special coupon for all of my blog readers, good through Sept 10th?

THANKS, JULIE!

Congratulations to all the winners! Please contact me via the email address in my blog description (upper left of this page). If I don't hear from BBinGA in the next few days, you will have to wait until my October order to select your pattern, because I am itching to put in my order. :)

Zipper Talk

Let's talk about zippers for a moment.

I love zippers. I loved zippers even before they were so "in fashion", but that certainly didn't hurt. I usually buy my zippers via mail order, or I pick them up at Britex or Stone Mountain.

When I made my cream jeans last week, I didn't have a cream jeans zipper, and I was in a rush, so I picked one up at JoAnn's. JoAnn's carries the Coats & Clarks brand, which I haven't used in many years.

Can I just say... ICK!

This zipper felt so cheap. The teeth are sharp and unfinished and the zipper tape is so inflexible and... it feels cheap.

If this is the brand of zipper that you are using, please know that there IS BETTER and your clothing deserves it.

My favorite brands are European, such as YKK or Riri. Riri zippers can be hard to find, though Marcy Tilton usually carries some, but they are often decorative/specialized.

When you just want a good, but regular, zipper, I prefer the YKK brand. In fact, if you look at European RTW brands, such as Deca Paris, they use YKK zippers. I see them used quite often in RTW. This brand is available at your better fabric store (which you should patronize), however, if that is not an option, let me tell you about my favorite online vendor.

ZipperStop is one of those special shops located in the Garment District in New York. I worry about them, as so much of our garment manufacturing is now off-shored, many wonderful shops in the Garment District are closing. It's very sad. I am very happy to give ZipperStop my business and to get the word out.

First of all, their shipping is super fast. I can get a zipper in a couple of days, with no special expediting. They have an amazing selection. They carry decorative zipper stops. And, (this is my favorite thing), they will cut a zipper to a custom length for a measley $1 fee. Do you need a medium-weight separating zipper with antique brass teeth in a 23.75" length?

No problem!

Their prices are very reasonable and I hear they are super nice if you call them on the phone, though I have never needed to. Shams says, check them out!

I have a few more projects in the hopper, but have also done some cleaning this weekend. I may have more things to show early this week, assuming my evening energy holds.

I'm glad that Irene wasn't the monster storm they predicted, although the inconvenience and damage seems bad enough.

Fix for Blogger Comments

I posted this in a comment on my giveaway post, but I want to elevate this so others see it. I have never had problems posting comments on blogger, but many people have. Gwen posted this fix. Give it a try!

Gwen's Fix for Blogger Comments.

Thanks Gwen!

Jalie Jeans - My Second, and Last, Pair

Almost exactly one year ago I made my first pair of Jalie Jeans. Initially, I was pleased with the fit and authentic RTW look. When I completed my jeans, there were already 70 reviews for this pattern on Pattern Review, so I didn't bother to add one more. I just checked and there are now 93 reviews of this pattern, which was ranked as one of the "best patterns of 2009".

Popular indeed.

As I wore my jeans, I liked the look of them, but I quickly realized that they were less than satisfactory. When it comes to pants, my shape is akin to...

The phenomenon boils down to this equation:

     Lack of waist + Smaller hips = Pants that fall down

I am not ready for suspenders, and don't ever expect to be (not with my bust!), so I resort to using a belt. But, even with a snug-fitting belt, my pants have a tendency to fall down. This is crazy-making.

And then there was that time that I couldn't find my belt, and I was in a hurry to get to work, so I threaded some elastic through the belt loops and left the house "Jethro style", hoping that the ends of the elastic wouldn't work their way out from where I had tucked them into my jeans, and peek out from under my top. (I couldn't risk a wardrobe malfunction at work!)

Sigh

There was one other annoying issue I had with my first pair of jeans. I had hemmed them in the traditional way, with a narrow hem top-stitched in contrast gold thread. From the first wash after the jeans were completed (I had prewashed the denim fabric more than 3 times), the hem flipped to the outside. No amount of ironing would make those hems behave. This drives me nuts.

I posed the question on how to eliminate the "hem-flipping-to-the-outside" problem, both to Carolyn, Jeans Queen, and on Stitcher's Guild. The consensus seems to be that the only way to avoid this is to use a wider hem. So that's what I did.

(By the way, I covet Carolyn's jeans and cords, in particular her purple jeans, her rust cords, and her black cords. I thought she also had an olive green pair, but I couldn't find them on her blog.)

I thought I would give the Jalie Jeans pattern one more try. This time I would put elastic in the waistband. The result? It helps, but already I can see that I will be tugging these pants up endlessly, even though I made the elastic fairly tight.

Pffft.

You know, I wish people would stop deriding elastic waist pants. For some of us, they work better than a more fitted pant.

Materials:

• Pinwale stretch corduroy, in cream, from FabricMart. This is no longer on their site, but it was a Jones New York fabric and I think it was 97% cotton, 3% spandex. I have seen pinwale corduroy described as lightweight, but this stuff is very beefy. Much heavier than the denim I used for my first pair, though that does not impede the stretch. I ordered 2.5 yards, but FabricMart sent me 5, along with a note stating that there were some spots on the fabric, so they had given me another 2.5, and to let them know if the spots did not come out, or if I had any other issues. Customer service, indeed. (The spots did come out in the wash.) I machine washed/dried the fabric twice to eliminate shrinkage.
• 1" elastic for the waistband.
• In addition to regular sewing thread, Guterman white top-stitching thread.
• A Coats/Clark 9" jeans zipper in white w/ brass teeth from JoAnns. (I cut it to length.)
• A pewter "heart" button from Fabrix.
• Scrap of a beige-colored flesh-toned silk charmeuse to finish the cut edge of the front pocket. (These were faux pockets because I didn't want the pocket bag to show through the cream fabric.)
• Scrap of beige-colored linen to use as fly shield.

Alterations & Modifications

• Inserted 1" wide elastic in waistband.
• Used a wide hem.
• I didn't want the front pockets to "show through" the cream fabric, so I made "faux pockets." I used scraps of silk charmeuse in a beige-flesh-tone to cut shaped facings to finish the pocket opening.
• I used a scrap of beige-colored linen to cut out the fly shield.

This pic shows the faux front pockets (the back pockets are real), the pewter heart button, and the elastic in the waistband, which I ended a couple inches from the front so I could make the button and buttonhole.

The back of the faux front pockets. You can see the silk charmeuse (on the left) that I used to face the pocket opening.

Conclusion

I can see I will still need to wear a snug belt with these pants. I think in future, if I need jeans, I will adapt the Linda pant from Style Arc. I have made 3 pair of Linda pants, and none of them fall down. :)

Oh, these pants are garment #4 in my Autumn 6-pack. I have 2 tops and a jacket left to make. (Yes, I know that is 7 pieces. :) )

More Pictures

I took these pics at 8:30am today (Saturday). It has been so dark and foggy the last couple of days. After I took these pics, I took this picture of my street.

I then turned and took this picture of the alley, where I take most of my pictures. Can you see the car coming down the alleyway? It's not that far away but, with the fog, you can barely see it even though they have their headlights on.

And speaking of weather, I hope everyone in the path of Hurricane Irene stays safe, and with electricity! I hope to see new projects that happened because folks are staying indoors. Even if said project is a baby or two. ;)