17 Feb 2009

Jacket

And there was rejoice: I just completed my latest project - a frilly jacket!


It may not look much to the world, but it's actually the first piece of clothing I've sewn entirely by hand. And if you knew just how lazy and impatient I really am, you too would consider this an extraordinary accomplishment.




But it wasn't at all that bad as I had feared - on the contrary! It felt quite pleasing and relaxing, and it's nice to watch (or, in my case, mostly listen to) a film while you work. I'm not 100% converted to hand sewing, and I probably never will be, but I'm going to do it much, much more. Right now I'm working on a petticoat from the same fabric, and I'm going Old School on that one as well (but the new pocket hoops I just made was 100% machine sewn on the other hand, quick and dirty. Things must even out!).

The fabric of the jacket is a silk dupioni, slubby as hell, so not much Period Correct this time. But I'm on a rather tight budget right now (aren't I always?) and had to use something I had lying in the stash (and since this was kind of an experiment, both on the hand sewing and the pattern part, I didn't want to use something nice...).

The sleeves thankfully doesn't look so puffy and weird on me as they do on Glendora, the not-really-a-dress-dummy, but the jacket came out a bit too tight, no matter how nicely the toile fitted me. Sigh. I will re-work the pattern later on, because I want to use it for a lovely brocade I have. This jacket was more of a 1.0 really.

I'm going to wear the jacket and petticoat on March 28, on a church service in memory of king Gustaf III, and I really hope I fastened the hooks and eyes hard enough. I wouldn't want them to projectile on the minister, he's a very nice man. Yes, that's how tight the bodice is! But I guess there's still time to lose some weight.

8 comments:

  1. Hi!
    If your jacket is too tight, why don´t make a matching stomacher?

    Anna

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  2. Hi there! Well, I didn't even think about that until now. But then the jacket isn't THAT much too small, I think another centimetre and a half more would have sufficed, so there wouldn't be much of a stomacher to put there :P Unless I did a complete re-design, of course, but I think I mentioned that I was very lazy...
    No, I'll ask my husband to lace me a little tighter next time I try it on and see. Ciao!

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  3. It's lovely!!! You did great with the ruffles and the trail in the back! Great work!
    I just hope I can produce something as wonderful as this by hand, hehe XD

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  4. Thank you very much!
    And don't worry: with your ambition and creativity the fruit of your hard work couldn't come out any less than extraordinary awesome!

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  5. Hey you! Just wanted to tell you I've nominated you to the Excessively Diverting Blog Award! Go check my blog out for more information! ;D

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  6. I find sewing by hand really relaxing also :) Acutally, I find myself sewing things by hand that would go much faster with a machine, but it's just more fun doing it the hard way sometimes :)

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