Sherlock Holmes? Why yes, Batman, indeed it is. Vogue 7044

When we last left our ate-up heroine, she was steadily plodding along with the underlining of her vintage Patou jacket project. Sadly, that jacket has been moved to the side due to some misgivings I have about the general fit. Not to worry! I picked up a new vintage project last week and that's what I'll be making for the Great Vintage Sew-Along.

I like to call it the Sherlock Holmes-meets-Batman coatcape. It's a coat with cape sleeves, and I'm making it out of black melton wool my mom gave me that had been in my grandma's stash for a while. We're 99% positive it's Pendleton, as all of her woolens were Pendleton.

On a whim, I decided to forego the muslin this time and just give it a go. Muslins haven't served me particularly well, considering I made two for the Patou jacket and it still doesn't look like I got the fit right? This may turn out to be my Waterloo because I had to resize this pattern from 32 bust to 36. Who am I kidding, I'm probably more like a 38.

I started off by interfacing the entire body with Palmer Pletsch Pro-tailor interfacing, recommended by quite a few better sew-ists than me who recently completed the Winter Wear contest on Pattern Review. It was on sale over the New Year so I splurged.

After spending all that time cutting and interfacing, I was so excited to get started on the project! Note to self in choosing sewing projects - cutting fabric, lining, underlining and interfacing and then ironing on all said interfacing takes SO STINKING LONG. Reconsider coat projects in the future. I digress.

I finally got to start sewing!


First step? Make three bound buttonholes. Something I've never done before. But I've made plenty of welt pockets so I followed this tutorial and carefully measured, marked and stitched and I am really happy with how they've turned out.

As you can see, my first buttonhole was off by exactly one stitch. Easy fix, thank goodness, since they have to line up exactly the same.



The second step is assembling the cape sleeves. I'm underlining the coat with houndstooth flannel, hence the crazy print on the inside. The seams and hemline are also interfaced with more Tailor-pro.



That's as far as I've gotten. I hope to get the sleeves lined and attached tonight, and then hopefully start in on the body work maybe tomorrow night? I have a three and four-year-old underfoot so my sewing is usually done in very short spurts! Here's hoping for another long stretch.

Inspiration

Just in case you missed it, there's something really awesome going on at Talbot's these days. For the past few seasons, they've really been trying to re-vamp their image and put out a product that's a little younger, a little more streamlined, and a whole lot cool.

I got a new catalog in the mail today, and there is so much good about it I have to share it (also because my memory is so poor I have to post the things I love so I can remember in two months when it's time to start sewing for spring).

In no particular order, these are the things I would love love love to make:

The lace top.

The swing jacket (that color! I swoon).

The ruffle jacket.

The mum skirt.

The skinny dressy cargo.


The wrap dress.


The satin glamourak jacket (I dunno what a glamourak is, but me likey).


The mac trench.


The double pocket jacket.


Don't worry, I don't plan on making all of those jackets. I need more outerwear like I need more acne, but I do like the ideas.

Oh, and I started another vintage project yesterday, shut up! I know. It's another coat. I said shut it! I can overindulge in outerwear if'n I want to. I hope to post progress this weekend. We shall see.

i love mutton chops - Vogue 1109

I have to start this post by saying that I LOVE THIS TOP. Yes, I freely call it my mutton-chops top, but I love my mutton-chops top!

It started out as Vogue 1109, a Sandra Betzina Today's Fit pattern. Kinda mature looking? Which is polite for saying my mom might like the seaming and colorblocking a whole lot more than me.

But those sleeves! The neckline interest! Those sleeves! It kept rattling around in my brain, begging to be made up.

New Year's weekend was my massive sew-stravaganza, and I made the white muslin of my prototype that weekend. I call it a muslin now because I totally screwed it up and it didn't fit right, but to be honest it was meant to be the final product.

See the big fat seam on the sleeve? That's because I sewed it inside out. Yay!


That's ok, I'm not ashamed to show my wadders. The prototype taught me a few things - the sleeves were way too short, the seam needs to hit below the elbow for the pleats to have their best dramatic effect. And let's see, what else? Oh yeah, be sure to sew both sleeves on the correct direction, that always helps tops look nice. Oh, and the neckline was a little chokey in front, so I lowered that by an inch.


A few days passed and I managed to cut out the second (and final) version, this time in a gray cotton/poly knit I scored at Hancock's in the super bargain section for $2.95 a yard. I can't remember exactly, but I think I used about 2.25 yards for this top? I cut it super long, it doesn't really need to be that long. I fully expect it to retract in the washer and dryer, so there's room for that.



After adding three inches of length to the upper sleeve and lower sleeve bands (both), and adding a little to the bodice length (OK, a lot, bordering on too much but ignore that part), I have what I call the perfect mutton-chops top. Soft, a touch slouchy without being sloppy, with full distinct sleeves you just don't see on every Mossimo t-shirt from Target.


I can't wait for spring, I have BIG PLANS for these mutton-chop sleeves again. Stay tuned.