Unmatched Plaid Suit

THE DIFFICULT PLAID

       Several years ago I purchased about four yards of a plaid wool that I absolutely loved, and like so many other wonderful fabrics, I never got around to working with it, so that became my "after Christmas" project.

       My first plan was to make a pantsuit, but once I looked at the actual plaid, I quickly changed that ambitious plan to just a jacket, which is wherein the problems began. 

       Here is the pattern that I chose:

 

And here is the fabric.  I hope you can see the many different parts to the plaid. 

 

If you look closely, you will see that horizontally there is a group of three stripes (in the middle of the picture), a group of four stripes of different sizes (bottom of the photo), and at the very top of the photo is a group of four stripes that are two sets of two stripes, equal size.

 

Then comes the fun part:  Vertically, on the left is a group of four stripes, pretty much equal size; in the middle is six stripes that two sets of three each, equal size, and then on the right it looks like they are the same as the ones on the left, but trust me, they are not.

 

After spending several hours trying to get the plaid to match from all angles,  the front panels (success), the side front and side back and back and shoulders (unsuccessful), I decided to put the project on the shelf for a time and maybe when I'd get back to it I would have a better perspective and be able to get it to match.  Wrong.

 

So, to remedy the problem, I took the easy way out and decided to make the side back and side front panels out of a soft leather; and I promptly ordered a Donna Karan leather from Mood.  Loving Donna Karan style, I figured if it was a DK leather it would be a soft supple leather with which to work.  Wrong.

I, actually, at first, thought maybe she made boots out of the leather I got!!  So I was back to the drawing board.

 

Living in an area where I have one choice only for fabric, Jo Ann's, I was not too hopeful on finding a companion fabric for this jacket, but I had a few days to work on it and truly wanted to get it finished.  So nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Off to Jo Ann's I went, and VOILA I found the perfect companion. 

 

Here is the plaid matched with the stiff leather and then matched with the grey wool from Jo Ann's.

After checking this out for the color combination I decided the lighter grey looked better.

 

I then decided to pipe the seams with a dark leather piping.  So I cut two-inch wide bias strips from the leather, which, surprisingly, softened up as I worked with it.

 

I underlined the plaid with one layer of black silk organza and the side front and side back with a double layer of the silk organza, because the grey wool was a lighter weight than the plaid.  I also put a double layer of silk organza across the upper back.

 

And here is the front and the back of the jacket before I added the sleeves and lining.

In this photo I have not added the off center, outside zipper yet.

 

As those of you who know me, you will recognize the use of a wild different lining choice.

 

And here is the final product, which in my humble opinion turned out great.  I love it.  And I am now making a skirt to go with it, and when it is finished (soon, I promise), I will enlist my nonphotographer husband to take a picture of me wearing it and will post it.

I really like the zipper placement.

 

The right sleeve in this photo is distorted, as it has the dress form arm inside it, which is not the best fit.

 

The biggest challenge, after the plaid matching, of course, was turning the corners with the leather piping.  I am certain there is a better way to do it that would create a much better point.  But this will have to do.

 

And the suit is completed with a Sandra Betzina skirt.

 

 

 

 

WINTER PROJECTS

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS FOR WINTER

It, obviously, has taken me a while to start posting my winter wardrobe.  I have a few.

The first is a "Little Black Dress."  The back is a tad nondescript, but the front was a challenge.

 As you can see, it's not a great picture.  I need to get a new photographer or learn to do self pictures a little better.

The next is a simple blouse I made from a very small piece of fabric that wasn't really enough for the top, but I actually used a coordinating black fabric on the back and it blended well.

The back fabric was a piece that was from a class I took at the Sewing Expo in Michigan in September.  I did not like the class, nor the fabric.  I left the class early and took the unfinished jacket with me.  When I needed something to be able to make the back of this blouse, I realized that the class unfinished jacket might just do the trick.  And it did!

Next is a Cashmire Wool and Leather suit made from a Vogue pattern.  It has been one of my mainstays this winter for work (and for going out to dinner in the subzero weather!)

I am not sure why the leather looks wrinkled on the lapel as it does not wrinkle when I am wearing it.  Must be the way the neck of the dress form fits the neckline of the jacket.

I have to say this was my first encounter with real leather, and it was incredibly easy with which to work.  I am about to start a new project that also has leather panels.

The skirt to the suit is simply a skirt that I drafted.  I put a separating zipper up the front with the large button accent at the waist, and I love it.  I do wish I had trimmed the sides of the zipper in the leather, but didn't think of that until it was finished, and certainly was not in the mood to take out the zipper and redo it.

I have purchased a new dress form that is much better with which to work, and hopefully, pictures in the future will be better.  (Maybe I need a new camera.  You think?)

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Fall Projects Finished

Fall to Winter

     Since winter is about to descend upon us, I think it is time for me to post the few fall sewing projects I managed to complete before I left on a dream trip to Paris, which I will tell you about later.

 

Sandra Betzina's skinny pants was a perfect match for

Sandra Lee's silk blouse made in her Craftsy class.

 

I used another Sandra Betzina blouse pattern, lengthened it to make it a dress

I also added drawstrings on the sides in order to be able to draw up the sides and make a tunic to wear with pants.  I was really happy with the final result and will make this dress/tunic again.

 

 



SUMMER SEWING 2013 FINISHED

THE LAST OF THE SUMMER SEWING PROJECTS

Last September Threads issue # 162 did an article on the use of mesh chiffon, and Susan Khalje and Kenneth King were two of the contributors to the article.

I fell in love with the print and tried to find something similar to make myself a summer jacket but was unable to find anything that even came close.

     I have been lucky enough to study with both Susan Khalje and Kenneth King in the past, and last October during one of those training sessions I mentioned how much I had liked the print.  The next day Susan brought me her leftover fabric from the project she did for Threads.

 

      My "Threads" fabric jacket.

Love the jacket and I made a belt to match.

 

 This is my summer wrap sundress that also makes a great cocktail dress.

I love the draped neckline

 

     This photo is to show how the back print needed to match.  When I purchased the fabric it was rolled on the bolt unevenly.  I asked the clerk to unroll and reroll it so it would be even, but she refused and said it couldn't be straightened out, that it was supposed to be that way.  Apparently she didn't understand that some things other than plaids have to match.  I bought extra fabric to make sure it matched and it took all the extra fabric to do so.

 

                                                   A summer linen Chanel-style jacket

I quilted the silk lining to the linen, and of course, put a gold chain along the hemline.

A

A jersey knit wrap blouse

 

That is the end of my summer wardrobe for 2013.  Will start on fall things soon.

 

 

SUMMER PROJECTS

Summer To Do List

I took the summer off work from court reporting to spend quality time with friends and family at our lake house.  I also had two projects on my "To Do" list.

         One,  make some fun summer clothes.

        Two,  use up as much of my fabric stash as possible.

Surprising enough, I have actually done a pretty good job of accomplishing both.

 

FLORAL GORED SKIRT AND DRAPED BLOUSE
 

 

 This is actually a gored skirt and a draped blouse that I made from a pattern I drafted in a draping class that I took with Susan Khalje and Julien Cristofoli.

 It's difficult to see the draping in a picture because of the fabric.  I have no idea why I ever purchased this cotton knit print, as I rarely wear prints, let along a flower garden!!  I know that I will wear each piece, but most likely not together.  I don't want to look like a walking greenhouse.

 

BATWING TOP

 

Side View showing the contrast on the sleeve.

 

I made this out of a piece of white cotton knit that I had in the stash, but when I cut it out, I didin't have as much as I thought, so I pieced it with a tan cotton knit on the front of the sleeves and embroidered an anchor in the same tan on the front.  I think it will look really nice with a pair of khaki jeans or cutoffs or even a skirt.

 

CHIFFON BLOUSE

This is a blouse pattern that I make quite often.  Which is quite unusual for me because I don't generally make the same pattern more than once.

 

 

It's just a very simple draped neckline with long sleeves.  Will be really nice under my navy suit that I hope to get made this fall.

 

OOPS

Don't know how this picture got in here again and don't know how to get it out.  Delete doesn't seem to work. 

 

A SANDRA BETZINI SKIRT

I love Sandra's patterns and her website Power Sewing.  Her video training is wonderful.

 

 I had some eyelet that I have had in my "stash" for many years, and decided that this skirt pattern would be perfect in the eyelet.  Once again, I didn't quite have enough fabric, so I took plain white cotton and used it on 1/2 of each of the panels along the hem, as well as putting it behind each of the slotted seams.  It turned out really nice.

 

I liked the pattern so well that I made it a second time.

 

LOOSE FITTING SUMMER TOP

 

 

This top goes really well with both skirts and with white cutoffs.

 

SUNDRESS

This is a simple panel of fabric from JoAnn's that has the top already shirred with elastic.  One seam down the back, a hem, add double ribbon straps and I was finished.  It took about 1/2 hour in total.

 

 

 

I had some fabric left over, because I am short, so I made a scarf to wear.  Doubt that I will really wear it with the sundress, but it is a nice scarf to wear with sweaters in the fall.

 

EBNERS LAKE HOUSE

 

 I don't do a lot of embroidery, but I do have a Designer I with all the capability of embroidering, and once in a great while I tackle a project.  Since I was having several court reporters and other girlfriends for a "Girls Retreat" at our lake house, I decided to make everyone a signature T-Shirt.

Three of the five that came for a few days to play on the lake with the boat, jetski and kayaks, and me.

 

I still have a few other things that I have made this summer, but I don't have the pictures.  When I get pictures, I will post them, but in the meantime, I have one more sundress cut out, and a jersey top to finish, then it will be time to start on fall things.  And I am happy to say that I have used up my summer fabric stash!  First time ever.