The navy wool, finally

So while I was musing about expensive fabric, I hauled some plain beige corduroy out of my stash to make a plain long skirt for winter. After I cut out the skirt, I saw I had enough for something else and managed to fit a shrunken jacket with only 3/4 sleeves on it and presto - I have a new jacket!

It is so cute! Even the puckers that come from making flat fells are cute. And it has an already-lived-in look about it, in a good way. I just finished making this pattern in yet another shade of beige/brown but it had full length sleeves and different lapels. Anyway, what was I going to do with the left-over corduroy when this pattern fit on it so nicely? I don't know how much wear I will get out of it in the winter because of the shorter sleeves but I am loving it for spring and fall. As with the beautiful beige wool plaid, the shirt colours that work the best with it seem to be ice cream or sherbet colours. That's why I pulled a peachy turtleneck onto my dummy (for whom I still do not have a name with which I am comfortable) to take the photo.


I have decided to take the bus downtown tomorrow to get the buttons for this jacket.

Darrell's has the most wonderful selection of buttons you don't find elsewhere and since I got the fabric at his place, I am sure I will find something really nice for the jacket. I have put the line of basting back in to the fronts, to cure the curling problem. After I press the front several more times, the problem will be fixed. But since I asked the question last time, and since I put the basting back in, I realize that it has to be the darts on the front that causes the curling. Heather (in comments from the last post) wondered about the interfacing. I only interface the facings, which are half the size of the fronts. Because the front has a vertical dart in it, I don't put interfacing on it. And because the front piece is large (all the way to the underarm seam) I don't interface it. And because iron-on interfacing can tend to bubble, I don't put it on the front where it would show more than on just the lapels (the only part of the facing that shows).


I have made this jacket quite a few times and it has curled every time. I blamed myself each time and vowed to do something different the next time but still it curled. I therefore have concluded it is the pattern and the way the darts work on the front that causes the problem and not me. I can eventually make it work but this latest issue has prompted me to rethink which pattern I am going to use for the navy wool.

Here's a reminder of how beautiful this navy wool is. I got it several years ago from Darrell's. It is "designer wool" and I am pretty sure he said it was Chanel. Nothing to do with the Chanel jacket I eventually want to make out of the raw silk but actually designed by the House of Chanel. Or something like that - correct me if I am wrong please Darrell!

I looked at three different patterns, two of which I still have never made.

McCall's 2923 has got a nice mid-hip length and curved lines but I don't like the collar for this wool.

Butterick 6342 is almost the same but longer and they made it out of a very three dimensional wooly fabric which is encouraging. But because of the collar, I'm not going to use it.

I settled on a tried and true pattern, McCall's 4154. I didn't originally consider this pattern because of the (long) length of the shorter jacket. I thought such classic wool and colour should have a classic length jacket. But now I think I will dare to be a little different. This jacket fits me beautifully so I am just going to go for it. Of course, I am making the thigh length jacket, not the knee length coat! The last time I made this jacket I was having sewing machine issues that were making me crazy and maybe I got gun-shy about the pattern just because of that. Who knows? In any event, I have ironed the wool yet again and am ready to start laying the patterns out.