Sew Serendipity: Classic Tailored Jacket, My Version

I love the beautiful images and inspiring projects by Kay Whitt in her book, Sew Serendipity. Kay has a fun, whimsical style and makes projects that are flattering on most figures. I saw this jacket in the book and thought it would be a fun project to make. I pulled out some options from my cotton sateen stash and had just enough of this floral Block Print Blossom by Joel Dewberry. The green color seemed neutral enough that I thought I could wear it with a lot of different things in the springtime. 

So I worked away and found the pattern easy enough to follow. But I was a little horrified by the result:

Seriously? It looked like a maternity coat. I added ruffles on the bottom of the sleeves because I thought it would add a fun detail. Bad improvisation. I kept thinking that because the model in the picture was probably an extra-extra small, the coat looked cute and dainty. The hardware on the coat made it look more mature, but making the coat in a size Medium just looked totally unflattering. I immediately felt like I looked like Lucille O'Ball when she was pregnant. She wore these house coat frocks, and she would have asked to borrow mine had it been her pregnancy decade.

Visuals

So I attached a belt to the jacket, and it really slimmed it out and made it look a lot better. I just stitched the belt right onto the back of the coat, like she gives an example of it in the book.  Still, the sleeves made it look to girlish. So I cut those off and left a 3/4" sleeve with a hem. 

In the end, the coat turned out much cuter than I thought it would after I first completed it. There are a couple of things that bother me about it. #1. It isn't lined. So unless it is made out of wool or another warm fabric, it isn't going to do much to protect from the cold. #2. I don't like the inset sleeve so much and would rather that it have normal sleeves because somehow I feel like inset sleeves look like they are made for giant shoulder pads.

#3. My fabric choice probably wasn't the best idea. I love the print and the color but on such a big piece of clothing, it reminds me so much of the Sound of Music Curtains with the big mossy green print. I feel like I could line up with the Von Trapp children and would fit right in.

But it was a good project, which Kay told me herself wasn't too tough. She was right. It was manageable. If it had the lining that I really wish it did, maybe it wouldn't have been so easy. I am not sure. I am still not sure if or where I will wear it, but I have made so many projects that I may or may not ever wear that it is really not why I make things to begin with. 

Following a Skirt Tutorial-- LOVE!

This was the result of following a really great interest pin. I mean, how many things do I pin that I don't even ever actually look at, let alone actually make. But this time, since I have been on a skirt kick, I actually went through with it. The fabric I chose was Joel Dewberry's Blockprint Blossom in Crimson. And this is the tutorial I pinned and followed-through with. 

I thought she did an AMAZING job on her skirt. I, of course, did a few things differently because I can't ever leave a good thing good.

1. I left off the tulle at the bottom of the skirt.
2. I made mine a bit longer. I wanted it to hit slightly below the knee.
3. The way this wonderful blogger put the skirt together was that she created a full back of the skirt and then a full front of the skirt with waist band and ruffles attached and then just sewed the whole thing together up the sides. I did not do that. I did not attach the waistband to the top of the front or back of the skirt. a. I opened the waistband pieces up and sewed the front and back waistbands together at one side. b. I sewed the 2 front skirt layers to the skirt back on the side where the ruffle comes up high. c. Then I stitched the bottom of the waistband to the top of the skirt with right sides together, starting from the side of the skirt that isn't yet stitched together. (Previously I had finished the edges of the open skirt side.) I also did a rolled hem on the inside waistband edge. d. I attached the invisible zipper to the open side of skirt and then sewed down to the bottom of the skirt. e. I edge stitched top of skirt and then hand sewed the inside of waistband next to inside of zipper so it was more like a facing. I stitched the waistband "facing" to waistband on the side by hand stitching in the ditch.

I only did it differently to make it a more finished garment in the way I like it, but I don't think mine looks any better than hers when photographed. Great tutorial. I learned a lot from it. I would love to see what other people came up with.

I would also like to try using contrasting fabrics and a pencil skirt instead of A-line just to see how the variations look.

Joel Dewberry's Fabric Room... Heaven

When I accidentally met Laurie and Joel Dewberry, I didn't even know who Joel was. I was totally into the fabric and sewing world, but somehow I hadn't committed his name or designs to memory. We laugh about it now, but he had to get out his iPhone and show me his website so I could see his work. It didn't really ring a bell. Then he and Lauri came to my booth later that day and he began to point out all of his fabrics that I was already using on my headbands. Oops. he he. 

Anyway, perhaps it is because I didn't know who he was that my husband and I were able to become such fast friends with this wonderful, kind and talented couple. Now, less than a year later, I have been able to work with them on pattern designs using his wonderful fabric. And I really do love his fabric more than any other designer's fabric (though I really love a lot of designs by other artists. 

Last week I spent some time over at their home and needed to get some fabric for the upcoming farmer's market season. I have so many bags to make. Well, again I was reminded of how much I love Joel's work. The Dewberry's have a cold storage room in their basement with metal shelves filled ceiling to floor with bolts of fabric that he designed from his many lines. It is like heaven with concrete walls. It is like going into a fabric store that doesn't have any of the ugly fabric by designers with different taste. I love going in that room.

Anyway, Laurie and I cut and cut and cut piles of fabric (see all that fabric stacked up behind Laurie in this picture? It is mine... all mine (imagine the sinister laugh here.)

And when I loaded up garbage bags of fabric to leave, we laughed about how I was "making out like a bandit," black bag and all. Not that I didn't pay for the fabric, but that bag is funny.

I love these people. they are so much fun. And I think they love me too because do you see these three stuffed kitchen bags? These are the Joel Dewberry fabric scraps going back a few years. Joel and Laurie have given them to me. What an honor. What a surprise. What a lot of work I have before me to use all of them. But use them I will.

I think I will be sewing for the rest of my life, even if I never buy another piece of fabric again.I have a stash. Thanks, Joel and Laurie, for being such good friends and for letting me be in your fabric heaven.