McCall's 5984 Complete!

I must say I really enjoyed making this jacket.  I just love the fit and feel of it.  LOL.  In a nutshell, here are the changes I made to the pattern.

• 1.25" FBA
• Added 2 inches in length
• Removed the huge back pleat
• Added a 1inch pleat in the back lining
• Added a sleeve head
• Fabric used was wool flannel and poly charmeuse from Hancock Fabrics

I highly recommend the pattern and I may make it again without embroidery and in a longer version.

Here are some details of the insides. 

I know its a little hard to see but this is the hand embroidery to hold the lining pleat in place.  I did this at the neck and waist. 

This is the embroidery on the inside.  Notice I didn't make it the same as the outside.  I started out the same at the neckline (where it would show) and then reduced the number of flowers to lessen the weight of the embroidery.  I was getting concerned that it might get too heavy.  I also digitized a label and I've started including a date.  LOL.  I can't remember how long ago I made some of my garments so now I get help.

I thought you might like to see the humongous snaps I applied.  They're called for by the pattern and I really love the look.  But, I'll warn you, since they can show if you leave slightly unsnapped, you need to make sure they look nice when you sew them on.  I didn't have any trouble with placement because I just chalked a line around the snap itself before sewing.  Also, another thing to be aware of is don't sew you snap to the pocket linings!  LOL.  I thought I was all done and realized that I'd sewn a pocket practically shut with one of the bottom snaps.  All I can say is that it was late at night.  I shouldn't sew after 10pm.  Grin.

Odds & Ends...

It's been really busy around our household this last month.  I've been teaching 2 classes a week with one finishing up just last Friday.  I attended another 3 day class to work on my Chanel style jacket with Claire Kennedy in OKC.  So much fun, but so tiring too!  I'll share new pictures of my progress on that jacket soon.

Along with teaching, fall cleanup around the yard has been my big priority.  The flower bed in the front which we kind of let go this year has had 2 long sessions of cleaning out.  My poor crepe myrtles suffered from the extreme cold we had last winter.  I pruned out lots of dead wood so we lost at least a couple years of growth.  I'm pretty unusual in that I let my crepe myrtles turn into trees here.  I just get rid of all the suckers that grow from the bottoms and keep them tree'd up.  Most everyone in OK whacks off the top of the poor things so they'll get more flowers.  But I've noticed that I get just as many flowers on my non-whacked trees.   What with ice storms, extreme cold and drought, our mature trees (we had 4 over 40 year olds) have all bit the dust.  We took out the last white mulberry a few weeks ago and now we're looking to replant.  Money, money, money.  Whew!  We're probably going to spend about $1000 on 2 trees.  Ackkkk!  But it will be worth it.  We're getting a northern red oak and a purple redbud.  That oak is the money tree.  Grin.  I wish.  But they'll have to use a bobcat to get into the backyard and probably dismantle part of our fencing too.  The rootball will weigh somewhere around 1800 pounds!!!!

Alan has been working on finishing up his new shop.  His plan is to complete putting up the insulation in the roof by the end of the week.  I'll have to get some new pictures of it to show you all.  I think the last time I put up a pic, it was still just a skeleton.  

I've been working on my McCall's 5984.  It's done!  Except to take pictures.   I really like it and I can tell I'll be wearing it a lot.  I'll take pictures tomorrow when the light is better (maybe even outside) and discuss what I did with it.


Later!

MIA...

Sorry I know I've been missing for a bit.  It's been pretty hectic around here.  I attended another Chanel jacket class for 3 days this past week.  And I've been teaching.  There's more teaching coming up and another jacket class.  Yikes!  So I'm in panic mode trying to get everything done that I need to accomplish.  Oh...did I mention my hubby would like to be fitted into my busy schedule for a little attention too?  LOL. 

But having said that, I do have a few pictures to show you.  On the wool flannel jacket, this is a picture of my applying a sleeve head.  Not having done it before, I just followed the directions for it on page 87 of the Palmer/Pletsch book Jackets for Real People.  Easy peasy!  LOL.

I also had the chance to visit Helen Enox Fabric store while I was in OKC for Claire's class.  And I found this yummy 100% silk jacquard to use as a lining for a future jacket project.  The photo doesn't do the fabric colors justice; the colors are actually brighter.  But don't you just love the jewel tones?

I'll have more photos to post as soon as I figure out how to get them off my iPad!  LOL!

M5984 Progress & lousy photos

It's late afternoon and my pictures aren't very good.  Arghhh.  

Here's the front put together.  TWICE.  Yes twice.  This jacket is seriously loose fitting.  I put it together the first time and put it on Ruby and it was like WHOAAA.  LOL.  So, I took it apart and cut the pieces down from a 16 to a 14.  Put it together again and its still loose but its a loose I can live with. 

I also put the pockets together about 15 times yesterday.  I guess my head wasn't in the game and I just didn't realize it.  LOL.  I kept putting them wrong side to right side.  Gah...

Here's a side view.  If you look at the armhole area, you'll see that I need to reshape it.  I did topstitch all the seams to give it a more casual look.

Next lousy picture.  Grin.  This is the collar before cutting it out.  I've laid out the piece and drawn a chalk line around it.  Next I'll embroider it.  Actually embroider both pieces and then seam them together.

That's all I've got for today. 

Later!

Embroidered Pieces...

I've completed the embroidery on 2 large pieces of fabric; one of which is shown is the picture.  For this pattern, I'm using PerfectFuse LIGHT as my interfacing which also shows in the picture.

I don't remember if I've mentioned it, but I've been looking around the Internet for a steam press for block fusing.  I finally found what I was looking for at a price I felt I could afford without saying ouch!  LOL.  I put this new toy tool to use this weekend to fuse these large pieces.  Wow!  I love this thing!  I really like my Reliable Iron so I started looking at Reliables other products.  I found they produce 2 steam presses; the Empressa S330 and the S550.  The difference between the two is size.  The S330 is 25"X10" and the S550 is 34"X11".  I started looking around on Ebay and found a company that sells factory reconditioned 550's with a one year warranty (same as a brand new 550) for half the MSRP.  Yes...half the price!!!   So I purchased the S550.  It's a great machine.  Love it, love it, love it.  LOL.

Here's a pic of my new baby!

And this shows how large the pressing surface is.

Pretty cool, eh?   I have constructed both pocket welts and cut out the front pieces from the embroidered fabric I created.  Now I'm off to sew.  

More later!

M5954 Embroidery test run

  Here is my selection from testing different embroidery designs.  This is one of the front v-shaped sections that will form part of the lapel.  I just love the classy look of tone on tone embroidery, don't you?  It's going to take me awhile to make the embroidered fabric.  There are 4 v-shaped pieces and 2 collar pieces.  And...if I decide to have the collar standing up, there will be 2 more pieces.  LOL.
 

I've made up one of the pocket welts to see if I liked it made up and I do.  I really don't know what happened to the blue in this photo.  Cameras!  Bah!   The color of the fabric is the photo above.  I'm happy with it and I think it's going to be a nice look.

I do have enough fabric to re-cut the piece if I decided against it at a later date.  LOL.

McCall's 5984

Now that the robe is off the plate, I can get to another jacket.  I think this is number 7 this year.  I have a nice piece of wool flannel I got at Hancock Fabrics, of all places.  Every once in a while you can luck out and find something nice.  LOL.  When I went to the Vogue pattern's site, I found 5984 is already an OOP.  Figures when I'm just now getting around to making it.  I guess I'll never be fashion forward, just behind. 
I really love the look of this jacket, swingy but not too swingy.  Those of us with pear shapes know about that.  The only thing I don't really care for is that center back pleat.   Not for me.  Grin.  Needless to say, I'll be folding out that pleat when I make my version.

Here's that pretty denim blue wool flannel and a poly charmeuse lining fabric from Hancock's also.  I purchased 3.5 yards at the time not knowing what I would make, just that I liked the fabric.  I guess I've had it for a couple of years now.  I had to examine every inch of the fabric for anything wrong and found 2 small spots that I marked with thread tacks.  Knowing my luck, if I didn't mark them, I would cut out pieces right on top of the rub/worn marks.  

I spent a couple of hours making my changes to the pattern.  Since it's a Palmer/Pletsch pattern, it was easy with the lines already drawn where you have to cut.  So...I made 1.25 inch FBA and added 2 inches to all 4 pieces.  As you know, pattern companies draft for a person 5'5"-5'6".  Since I'm 5'8" that's 2 inches for me.  


My plan is to embroider tone-on-tone color on the lapel pieces, the collar and the welt pockets.  I'm shopping my embroidery collection and testing out designs.  When I've made a decision, I'll report back.


More Later!

Winter Robe Progress...

Done!!!!  This will be such a cozy, warm robe.  I finally finished it up late last night.  I wanted it off my plate.  LOL.  I love the feel of it on me.  Why haven't I made any clothing out of flannel before?  I'm contemplating a shirt/jacket or two out it now, especially since there are so many beautiful flannels out at the quilting stores.  Here's a picture of the completed robe.  If you click on the picture, you can see the little bits of embellishment I did to perk it up somewhat.  There are a few scattered baby buttons in coordinating colors and just a few tiny sequins.  I also did tons of serging to finish all the seams.  Although I didn't have any trouble with raveling while I was sewing, I knew that would change with wear.  And I top and edge-stitched all the seams.  I really think it looks like the pattern envelope picture!  

Parting shot...

I made this little mini meatloaf for Alan last night.  Another Food channel demon.  LOL.  It's some of my fresh breakfast sausage mixed 50/50 with hamburger, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, Worcestershire & beaten egg.  While I had my usual Greek salad, Alan munched down on this little number.  I did get one bite and I must say it was reallllly good! 

More later!