Eggplant Pleather Moto Jacket - Kwik Sew 3764

I bought this eggplant-colored crocodile-embossed pleather over a year ago. (It looks black in some photos, but it is eggplant.) Originally I was planning to use it for a bag. But more recently I found myself wanting a moto jacket. In fact, I found myself wanting to make a moto jacket similar to Margy's. In the end, my jacket ended up being almost identical to Margy's. Before I made my jacket, I asked her if she minded and she graciously said that she did not.

Because my fabric was eggplant colored, the zipper choice proved to be a bit challenging. I looked for eggplant-colored zippers and could not find anything I liked - the closest I could find were purple. I didn't care for the look of solid black zippers with the fabric, so I tried a striped zipper and it worked, making my jacket even more like Margy's.

I found this fabric to be pretty easy to sew. It is a PVC fabric, but it is backed with a knit backing and it is not one of the "sticky" faux leathers. Even so, I used my Teflon foot, Teflon zipper foot, and a microtex needle.

The knit backing.

I topstitched using a Guterman topstitching thread in an eggplant color. I marked things (such as the pocket location) with scotch tape, and avoided putting pins through the PVC, except in the seam allowances. In places where it couldn't be avoided, such as when I positioned the zippers, I pinned into the "cracks" of the faux crocodile (as shown in the picture above with the zippers pinned in place), which really didn't create visible holes.

I used scraps of solid black Ambiance Bemberg lining for the pockets and the gusset behind the sleeve zippers. The jacket pattern is not lined, but I created a lining pattern. I used a black fabric with lavender and purple polka dots. It's a fairly thick taffeta-like fabric, much thicker than your typical lining fabric, but it worked.

Sleeve inside

Other alterations and modifications:

• I made a size Medium. This measures 43" at the finished bust, which was enough width, but I still needed a vertical full bust adjustment. This is a princess seam design and, for a while, I was not sure how to do a vertical FBA without adding width. Then I woke up one morning with a flash of intuition on how do to this and it worked! I added 1-1/4" vertically for the bust.
• I made view B, but I wanted the zipper pockets and zippered sleeves from view A. The pockets were very high, so I lowered them by 3". Since the view A jacket is shorter, it makes sense for the pockets to be located up higher.
• Because I wanted to showcase the striped zippers, I made the zipper "windows" much wider than the pattern intended. The windows for the pockets and sleeves were 3/4" wide.
• I narrowed the shoulder by 1-1/8".
• I did not shorten the sleeve, which is pretty unusual for me.
• I am not a huge fan of bagged linings, so I sewed the lining in by hand, which took two long evenings. I really prefer the result, though one of these days maybe I'll give a bagged lining another try.

This is a beautifully drafted pattern. It is OOP, but worth tracking down. I definitely plan to make another one or three. I am feeling moto jacket love. If you look at RTW, you will see moto jackets everywhere!

Thanks for your comments on my Barb pants! I wore them all day today (and am wearing them in these pics) and they were sooooo comfy. I went shopping with DD2 and also wore my new jacket. This color is really growing on me. :)

Lapels worn up One lapel down

Pants That Fit! - Style Arc Barb

I've been suffering from a lack of well-fitting pants for awhile now. I bought a few pair of Not Your Daughters Jeans in a size 2 but, even those are big through the hips and baggy in the rear, though they are snug in the waist.

Some of my absolutely favorite pants are made from Style Arc patterns. For example, I have 5 or 6 pair of their Linda pants, but Style Arc come in a single size, so my size 10s are all too big on me. I've been waiting to buy more Style Arc patterns until my weight stabilized.

These pants are the Barb, which is an updated version of the Linda. They are a pull-on pant for stretch wovens.

About a month ago I attended a talk given by my friend Sarah Bunje, who used to teach sewing and fitting at Cañada College. The talk was on how to fit the crotch on pants and was especially targeted to those who, like me, have a flat butt. In my case, you need a microscope to find my butt, which is why, I guess, most pants swim on my behind, even if the front fits. (I used to use a smaller size in back, but that is harder since patterns don't always come in a small enough size for my rear.)

I used several tips from Sarah's talk on these pants. I removed a bit from the back crotch point, straightened the CB curve, and scooped a bit from the bottom of the back crotch curve. I think these minor tweaks were effective, though I might need further tweaking. It's a process.

The only other change I made was to shorten the pants. I cut off 3" and hemmed them at 1-1/2".

These pants are *so* comfy and fit me better than any other pants I currently own. I used a stretch woven purchased at Fabrix in anthracite (between charcoal grey and brown). This fabric washes and dries beautifully and resists wrinkling.

I love these pants! They will be a workhorse in my wardrobe and I can see making a lot more pairs!

I am really looking forward to ordering some Style Arc patterns in my new size. I generally only order 3 patterns at a time, so it will be hard to narrow it down! Not only have they added some wonderful new designs, but I need to buy some of my old favorites in my new size. For example, I can't wait to get a new copy of the Cassie pant, which is one of my favorite all time pants ever.

In typical San Francisco fashion, the weather has been sooooo cold, foggy and damp. It might be the middle of July, but I am full of fall thoughts and am happily browsing fall clothing on various websites. I live near the tallest mountain in San Francisco, Mt Davidson. It's covered with trees and has a giant cross at the top, but most people don't go up there, because the trees obscure the views. The following picture shows Mt Davidson, but you can't see it for the fog. I took this when I was taking my pictures at 10am today. I also turned on the heater in my house today. I try not to, but it was just so coooold.

Mt Davidson, somewhere behind the fog
Edgehill, also behind the fog

Burberry Inspired Buttondown Shirt - Grainline Archer

I was cruising around Pinterest recently and I came across a Burberry button down shirt that I quite liked. I then cruised around the internet and found several more versions of this shirt. Not only did I like the asymmetric use of a giant plaid, but it reminded me of a piece of fabric in my stash.

Notice that the first Burberry shirt is cut with the sleeves on the straight grain, but not matching the plaid front. The sleeves on the second Burberry shirt are on the bias, with the plaid intersection on the upper arm on one side and the lower arm on the other.

I decided to use the Burberry shirt as inspiration.

The weird thing is, I don't really wear button down shirts. Don't get me wrong, I've made my share of them in the distant past, but not in recent decades. I decided to go ahead and make one and to see how much wear I get out of it. Unfortunately all of my button down shirt patterns are too large, so I decided to try out a pattern that is sweeping the internet sewing world.

Have you seen the Archer shirt by Grainline Studios? They had a sew-along for the shirt last spring and you can view the results in their Grainline Studio Archer Sew Along Flickr group.

There is also a group on Pattern Review whose members have each committed to sewing 12 Archer shirts in a year. They also have a 12 Months of "Grainline Studios Archer Shirt" Sew Along Flickr group.

I wasn't quite sure why this pattern was so well loved (the Big 4 pattern companies all have button down shirt patterns that you can buy for $1 to $3 if you catch a sale) but I decided to give it a try as I like supporting independent companies.

Also because it's a downloadable pattern, I could get started on it right away. Once you pay, you download a zip file which unzips into two PDF files. One file is a 9-page set of instructions. The other file is a 39-page multi-size pattern that you print with 100% scaling.

I wanted to print out the 39-page pattern only once, so after trimming two edges from each page, taping them together, and rough cutting around each pattern piece, I then traced off my size. I chose the size 8 based on my upper bust measurement of 36". The finished bust for a size 8 was about 40", if I recall, so I did my usual darted FBA to add both width and length, as my full bust is about 41".

This fabric is a large-scale plaid taffeta. The funny thing is that I have no recollection of how it came to be in my stash. I don't remember buying it or have any idea of what I wanted to use it for – I've racked my brain. I burn tested it and I think it's a blend that includes a synthetic component, but I don't think it's entirely synthetic.

It's a mystery, I tell you. Did it come in a free Fabric Mart bundle long ago? I have no idea.

I fussy cut the fabric, placing the plaid asymmetrically, so that one plaid intersection is above my right bust. It might look like an accident, but each piece was single cut very deliberately. I placed the collar and the sleeves on the bias, placing a plaid intersection on the upper sleeve on the right side and the lower sleeve on the left side. I knew that the sleeves would be too long for me, but as I plan to mostly wear them rolled up, I decided to leave them full length.

Now that I've made the shirt, I do think it's a nicely drafted pattern:

• There is a separate collar stand and the under collar has a separate pattern piece, cut on the bias, and sized slightly smaller, so the collar will roll to the underside.
• There is a back yoke and the back has a center back pleat for wearing ease.
• There is a view which has a longer back, and a separate lower piece that gathers into the upper back.
• I only had to remove 1/2" from the shoulder seam, so it has much narrower shoulders than the Big 4 patterns.
• The armscye was not too large and the sleeve fit into it well.
• The side seams are very straight, without shaping, and many people add a bit of curvature at the side seam so it has a more shapely fit.
• Those with larger hips might need to grade out to a large size at the hips.
• There are patch pockets at the bust, which I omitted.
• There is a curved shirttail hem.
• The Burberry shirt uses a hidden button placket. I couldn't be bothered with this so I used the band from the pattern. The pattern has a separate band piece for the right side only - the left side is folded under twice and topstitched in place.
• I used Pam Erny's fusible interfacing for the cuffs, collar, and band, and some mother of pearl buttons from Fabrix for the closure.

Conclusion

I think I like this top! Time will tell if I get a lot of wear from it. Now I have a TNT pattern and can trace off another size, if need be. Do I like it well enough to join the sew-along? Probably not. To make 12 of these means making about one thousand buttonholes and sewing on one thousand buttons, or at least it feels like it. ;)

There are more pics of the shirt below.

Birthday Wrap Up

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful comments on my birthday post! It does feel good to talk about my mother, who first taught me to sew. Not to fit, as she just about fit into a pattern right out of the envelope and had no clue how to do an FBA (she was an A or B cup), but she was an amazing sewist who particularly loved to make designer suits. She was also an avid square dancer and had a huge wardrobe of elaborate square dance dresses she designed and made over the years. She also made matching shirts for her partner. After she passed, I let her square dancing friends come by and take the dresses and the petticoats - she had one in every color. More memories... :)

I spent the morning finishing up my Archer shirt and the afternoon with my daughters and a friend. It was a lot of fun. I am feeling a lot of gratitude.

Before I forget, and if you've read this far, let me tell you about a new blog I am enjoying very much. Gayle Ortiz has attended at least two Design Outside the Line retreats and is wonderfully talented. This is a blog to watch!

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More Pics

Sleeves worn down Sleeves rolled up Grainline Archer pattern

July 9th!

Happy birthday to me!
I was fifty three!
But not anymore -
I'm now fifty four!

This is something of a landmark birthday for me. Fifty four was the last birthday my mother celebrated. She was a vibrant, healthy, active woman who, shortly before her death, married her second husband, went hiking through India and Nepal, and sewed amazing clothing to wear to her job as a Comptroller for a high-end architectural firm.

One day she found a suspicious mole that was removed and the doctors believed that all was well. One year later she realized all was not well and, one month later, she was gone. I was in my 20s and losing her was one of the most devastating experiences of my life. Though I am grateful that I could be there, care for her through that last month, and hold her hand at the end.

My mother was also my friend - we shared a passion for sewing. I still have her sewing machine and her serger and I hope they last me forever. (Well, I wouldn't object to a newer, self threading serger. ;) Her Rowenta iron, by the way, died many years ago, long before my marriage was over.)

I don't have many pictures of her, but this is a school picture taken when she was 13. Can you believe the hairstyle for a 13-year-old? lol I keep this photo in my sewing room.

Here's to you, mom! I still miss you. Thank you for everything!

Woven Tie Top in Black - Butterick 3250

Have you noticed? Tie tops are everywhere! It took me a minute to adjust to this style, having been very over it back in the 80s. I remember it was everywhere, but the iconic look showed a tie top over a leotard worn with tights and leg warmers.

Flashback to Olivia Newton John...

Now I am seeing tie tops all over the place - if you haven't noticed this trend yet, just look on Pinterest.

I purchased this striped skirt/dress several months ago - in April I think. (I plan to talk more about it in another post.) You can wear it as a skirt, doubling the wide waistband, or pull it up over the bust and wear it as a dress.

The days are long gone (if they ever existed) that I would wear a bandeau style, so I wanted to make some sort of coverup. I actually bought another pattern to make a knit coverup, then I lost it. Meanwhile, Margy made this tie top, using Butterick 3250, an OOP pattern for wovens.

(Ironically, I just checked the copyright on this pattern and it's dated 1985.)

I don't know about you, but I want most everything Margy makes, and this was no exception. I tracked down a copy of the pattern (which was in horrendous shape, but that's another story). The fabric was purchased a long time ago from FabricMart. Originally I had bought enough to make a voluminous skirt, but I decided to use it for this. The fabric is black with circles. The edges of the circles are raw and so they are a little frayed, creating a great texture. The entire fabric is also just-so-slightly glittery and transparent. It's 100% cotton (sans glitter) and very lightweight, almost like a voile.

I do not, as a rule, like glitter and shine, but I am getting used to it. Dare I say, I even like it? The dress has a silver thread running through the white stripe, so they complement each other. The cotton fabric is so soft - it makes me want to sing "The touch, the feel, of cotton. The fabric of our lives!"

This pattern sews up amazingly fast, with its dolman sleeves, cut on facings, and no buttons or buttonholes. I used the size 14, my new "standard" size, but there is lots of ease in the pattern. I didn't need to add any width for my bust, so I did a vertical only FBA. I added 1.5 inches in length, using a side seam dart.

Vertical only FBA. From the bust point, I angled the FBA down to the side seam. Had I kept it straight across, it would have ended in the armhole curve.

There is a pleat at center back.

I love this little top! I think I will be getting a lot of wear out of it.

Chenille Autumn Leaves Duster

This fabric has been marinating in my stash while I've been pondering the right project. It is a very delicious, drapey, reversible brocade and I wanted to use it for something special. The leaves are created as a woven texture – the fabric reverses to black. I suspect that it contains mostly rayon, though it was unlabeled. It has the drape and feeling of a chenille throw.

After making the Geisha Faces duster, (thanks for all of the feedback!) I decided that it would be a great pattern for the brocade. I dithered on whether to sew it now, or to wait for cooler weather, but we have had some chilly summer weather here in San Francisco, so I decided to strike while the iron is hot.

I did make a few changes to the pattern:

• First, I had an idea that I wanted to use the black side of the fabric, as well as the coppery brown side. I redrafted the front and neckline facings. My idea was to sew them on the outside, exposing the black. But when I auditioned this idea, I didn't like it. I did use my re-drafted facings, but they are on the inside, as usual.
Redrafted facings.
• Second, I had the idea that I wanted to put giant welt pockets on the front, instead of the layered patch pockets. I decided against this, for two reasons. First, the fabric ravels like crazy. In fact, it virtually shreds, so it is not a great candidate for welt pockets. Secondly, I decided that I really wanted the fabric to be simple and uninterrupted, so I ditched that idea, too.
Ravel ravel. I had barely touched this seam. The shreds after trimming one armscye.
• I changed the neckline from round to a v-neck.
• I had previously shortened the sleeves by 1-5/8", but they were still too long. I shortened them by another 1-1/2".
• I widened the armscye on the sleeve, so it would fit into the armhole better.
• I omitted the placket closure. Instead I used two (stacked) buttons and inserted elastic loops into the front seam.
I purchased 4 buttons from Britex. The polka dot buttons fit inside the cup buttons. Front closure detail
• I finished all raw edges by turning them under and hand sewing them down. I only used bias binding on the armhole seam.
The sleeves, with all seams finished by hand.
• I did want to have a pocket, so I created a 3D bellows style pocket and hand sewed it to the inside on the right front. I sewed it by hand, so it would be invisible from the front, using a double thickness of the thread, so it would be stronger.
Inside of pocket Outside of pocket. Pocket detail It's hard to see, but I am sticking my fingers into the inside pocket.

On my Geisha Duster post, Jackie G asked how I did the FBA, so here's a pic. Because the original dart was rather small, I didn't bother moving it - I just ignored it. Note that I usually wouldn't be so casual. Normally I would lower the dart and then enlarge it. ;)

Because all of the raw edges were sewn down by hand (and the fabric did not cooperate) and the pocket was also sewn in by hand, this duster took me longer to make than the last one. But the result is very cozy. I can definitely see wearing this out for the evening in cooler weather.

If you celebrate July 4th, I hope you have a nice one! Myself, I am looking forward to a long sewing weekend. ;)